Jane Taylor at The Kitchen Garden Cafe

I must admit this gig would have completely passed me by if it hadn't been for a couple of friends inviting me along.  I was not, up until last night, familiar with Jane or her work but thanks to my friends I had a great night and I can't wait to see Jane perform live again.

Having been at the Kitchen Garden Cafe less than a week ago where Kath Bloom performed to a about ten people it was great to see a good crowd last night.  We managed to find some seats not on the front row (front row means you are practically sitting with the microphone between your legs) and waited.

First up was a singer songwriter from Birmingham.  He did introduce himself but I cannot remember his name.  Although his songs were well formed and he performed them adequately I could not connect.  This may be because there was little interaction with the audience (other than to say he was moving to France and had a place in Snowdonia) or because he looked as though he did not want to be there and rushed through a short set of about four songs before leaving the stage.  

A short break and it was time for Jane. I warmed to her instantly. Jane, Rob (percussion and ukulele) and Robin (double bass and keyboards) have a great chemistry on stage. They joked amongst themselves but did not exclude the audience. It made the  gig feel relaxed and informal.

As I am still not up to speed with her work I could not tell you the set list but her songwriting and her voice draw you in.  Sometimes fragile, sometimes powerful as she sung, a million and one comparisons came to mind. Tori Amos, Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays and even Nina Simone on the odd occasion. However, this is a disservice to Jane. Rather than compare her to others what I should say is that she can hold her own with any of the great female singers you care to mention.

As usual the evening passed far too quickly. I left with a smile on my face and a resolution to learn more about her work. Next time she plays Birmingham I will be first in the queue!

Check out her website here.

Kath Bloom at The Kitchen Garden Cafe

I had a great time last night at the Kitchen Garden Cafe.  A couple of friends and myself popped along to see Kath Bloom. She is probably best known for the song Come Here which features in the 1995 film Before Sunrise. 

On a wet Monday night she, along with Brad and Jessica aka This Frontier Needs Heroes, performed to a group of about 11 people in the intimate surroundings of The Kitchen Garden Cafe. I was lucky to be a part of that group. 

Dressed in a red baggy cardigan and with her long grey hair and glasses she took the stage. It took her a couple of attempts to plug in her guitar. Her fragile appearance and meek demeanour made me wonder what sort of a night I was in for but as soon as she started to sing I knew I was witnessing something special. She has an amazing voice and as she sings you can see the years disappear. 

The evening started with This Frontier Needs Heroes aka Brad and Jessica. A brother and sister duo from New York. I have to admit to not knowing them prior to last night but they have some great songs and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for them in the future.  After a couple of songs Kath took the stage. She played a few songs before Brad and Jessica joined her on stage for a few more.  This is how the evening went. First Brad and Jessica and then Kath and then all three.

The end of the show came all too quickly and having bought CDs by both acts we hung about.  Kath came over and thanked us for coming and signed the CDs.  She asked if we knew of her prior to the gig and my friend mentioned Before Sunrise.  Kath said that if she had asked then she would have played Come Here.  My friend asked.  Despite the fact that the sound man had already started dismantling the equipment Kath took the stage and performed Come Here, dedicating it to my friend.  It was a great way to end a fantastic evening.

The Kitchen Garden is a great place for live music and over the last few years have had some great nights there and seen some great bands.  It's a shame that last night there was such a small turn out for such a big talent. Kath Bloom and This Frontier Needs Heroes will be playing at End Of The Road in Dorset this weekend.  If you are going, you should check them out.

Check out their Myspace pages here.

Kath Bloom

This Frontier Needs Heroes

The Kitchen Garden Cafe