On 10th May soul-jazz diva Sarah Jane Morris releases Sweet
Little Mystery, an album of songs by Scottish singer and songwriter John Martyn.
The album is a joint project between Sarah Jane Morris and long term
collaborator, guitarist Tony Remy. Together they pay homage to the sublime
genius of John Martyn - a restless, often self-destructive artist whose unique
voice and music is both breathtakingly bold and achingly tender in its beauty.
This year marks 10 years since his tragically early death aged 60. Sarah Jane
Morris is a singer with an astonishing vocal range. Her thirty-year career,
during which she has garnered a loyal and loving international audience, has
been wide-ranging and her rich contralto voice goes from strength to strength.
She has performed with many groups over the years, from rock to soul to African
blues, with classical orchestras, a one-hundred cello ensemble, with acoustic
guitars and jazz big bands. Her voice, her versatility, and her emotional
intelligence - the absolute authenticity of feeling which she conveys - make
her a world-class compelling performer.
In 1986 she toured the world with The
Communards when their song 'Don't Leave Me This Way' became a worldwide Number
One hit. She also performed with bands including The Test Department, The
Redskins, The Annie Whitehead band and The Republic. For some years she fronted
the celebrated 21-piece Brechtian big band The Happy End. Perhaps surprisingly
for an established English soul and jazz singer she has a very successful
career in Italy where she plays frequently. She has a strong and passionate
following there and has had several Number One hits, including a cover of Barry
White's classic 'Never Gonna Give You Up'. She has also had three Number One
hits in Greece. In November last year Sarah Jane worked with Orphy Robinson on
his Van Morrison show Astral Weeks, to great acclaim. Revisiting popular songs
has always appealed to her, famously in Don't Leave Me This Way, and another
cult single, Billy Paul's Me and Mrs Jones, but also works by Bob Dylan, Sting,
John Lennon and Tom Waits. She has said that she will only cover a song if she
feels she can take it, change it, claim it and make it her own. Sarah Jane has
featured the music of John Martyn in her shows and has included some of these
new arrangements to enthusiastic audiences in recent performances, so Sweet
Little Mystery is an album eagerly anticipated by those already given a taste
of her take on this material, as well as by fans of John Martyn.
Sarah Jane and
Tony completely re-imagine John Martyns' songs, retaining their original
hypnotic fragility, with her voice matching the emotional and musical range of
his and Tony's arrangements and grooves, helping her voice create new and
illuminating versions of the music. These are fresh and invigorating
re-interpretations that make you listen anew to familiar tunes. Musicians on
the album include Tony Remy on electric and acoustic guitars, Trinidadian born
Tim Cansfield on acoustic guitar, Henry Thomas on acoustic and electric bass,
Martyn Barker on drums and percussion and Jason Rebello on piano and keyboards,
Tessa Niles and Gina Foster on backing vocals and a string quartet put together
by Sarah Jane's long-term friend and fellow Comunard, Sally Herbert and other
illustrious guest musicians. Sweet Little Mystery will be touring nationwide
and in Europe from May in a show directed by comedian/activist Mark Thomas and
it will include unreleased footage of John Martyn and interviews with his
family and friends. "..she speaks to the soul" THE TIMES "..her
take on the music of John Martyn…felt
incandescent" EVENING STANDARD
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