SONGSTRESS Sarah Jane Morris is enjoying a rich vein of sustained creativity. Long may it continue.
Her latest album, The Sisterhood, based around a dozen iconic female musicians that have influenced her career, has been widely acclaimed while November will see her rock up at Ronnie Scott’s to celebrate 30 years of playing at London’s best music venue. An unmissable night, for sure – tickets for the two shows on November 6 are selling like hot cakes, so don’t hang around if you fancy a fun night out in the big smoke.
Integral to Sarah Jane’s success – her career spans five decades – is a fierce determination not to be pigeon-holed. She constantly experiments with new musical ideas and projects and is not frightened to travel the world in search of them. For the record, she is loved in Italy where she has enjoyed three number one hits.
Saturday September 28 saw Sarah Jane, a former member of The Communards (Don’t Leave Me This Way), demonstrate her versatility once again by playing as part of a trio in Hastings, East Sussex (next door to where she lives in St Leonards-on-Sea).
Joining her on stage was Hastings stalwart Mike Willis (an evangelist for the town’s thriving music and art scenes) and Otis Coulter (Sarah Jane’s talented son).
The venue was the Henry Ward Hall, a compact and atmospheric church dominated by an imposing pulpit. And it made for a super evening as the trio, only enjoying their second outing together, gelled on stage as if they were all joined at the hip.
They went on to serve up a rather sumptuous and diverse mix of their own songs and some foot stomping covers – none better than Bob Dylan’s classic I Shall Be Released and Sarah Jane’s own I Get High (taken from 2003 album Love and Pain).
Towards the end, the Henry Ward Hall resembled a Pentecostal gathering as the audience danced the night away.
Otis, on piano, opened the show with a couple of heart-rending songs – Explode and Ageing In Reverse.
Possessing an achingly beautiful falsetto voice (think Antony and the Johnsons), Otis wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to his music. As a result, his lyrics are infused with personal experiences, veering between broken relationships and exciting one-night stands – and much in between.
His words are brave and in your face – and his singing emotional, all enhanced by his sparse piano playing. You can’t help but share his pain. A voice for Generation Z with his haunting I Am A Monster the pick of a mighty fine bunch of songs.
Like Otis, Mike’s lyrics are often deeply personal, none more so than on Mr Blue Eyes – a song about his autistic son. But Mike, possessing a voice reminiscent of James Taylor, also likes to demonstrate his undying love for his birth home, the United States.
So, Georgia Rain is sung to a backing tape of crickets and cicadas – acknowledging the glorious sounds that follow the 15 minutes of rain that the state of Georgia gets every day.
Skyline, a song written against the backdrop of divorce, is about the changing face of Nashville, his old stomping ground, which he revisits after a time away. He’s not impressed with what he sees and how he is greeted.
The jaunty Lamentations On Life And Death And Living (In The Moment) may be underpinned by the stark chorus – ‘all our friends are gonna die’ – but the message is an important one: tell those we love that we do indeed love them.
Although Sarah Jane is the star attraction of the show, it’s obvious that the night is more about showcasing Otis’s raw potential and Mike’s slightly under-the-radar talent.
So, Sarah Jane takes a more back-seat role, either providing glorious backing vocals to some of Mike’s songs (the rather delightful Made For You) or putting her unique vocal stamp on the likes of The World Doesn’t Work (without you). It’s a beautiful love song (written by Mike) that Sarah Jane takes to another level.
The icing on the cake was provided by Kevin Armstrong (ex Iggy Pop and David Bowie) whose guitar weaved its magic on Sarah Jane’s rousing hit I Don’t Wanna Know Bout Evil and the dance-inducing finale I Get High (Kevin and Sarah co-wrote 2007 album Migratory Birds).
All in all, a wonderful night and a great advert for Hastings’ thriving music scene. Let’s hope the Morris Coulter Willis trio is here to stay.
Sarah Jane Morris returns to the Henry Ward Hall on October 19 to sing The Sisterhood. If you’re in the Hastings area that weekend, don’t miss it (it will be life enhancing). She will be joined by Tony Remy, Marcus Bonfanti, Henry Thomas, Martyn Baker, and Anders Ollinder.
Further details at: https://www.sarahjanemorris.co.uk
Details on the Ronnie Scott’s 30th anniversary gig – featuring Otis, Tony, Marcus, Henry, Martyn, Jason Rebello and Lilybud Dearsley can be obtained at both https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/find-a-show/sarah-jane-morris and : https://www.sarahjanemorris.co.uk