Author Archive

‘Mercifully free of affection or vanity, yet blessed with as stunning a technique and as intriguing a musical personality as any violinist on the circuit, he seems set to become one of classical music’s biggest names…James produces a simply gorgeous palette of timbres – sometimes warm and velvety, sometimes with the pellucid clarity of lark song at dawn, elsewhere thrillingly powerful and incisive!’ So wrote the London Times reviewer of Ehnes’s Wigmore Hall debut in February last year. (more…)

Imagine copying wonderful works of art, ones that require immense skills. Now consider the difficulty in trying to copy a major recording star and stage legend and yet be so skilled that the performer is able to trick both your eye and the ear.

First thoughts immediately turned to Michelangelo when his eyes first saw that massive piece of marble. He spent years chiselling and the end result was the sculpture art treasure, David. Even with today’s modern techniques, it would be near impossible to copy. (more…)

It is always difficult to be the first one, whether that is the first-born child, the first person to speak in a crowded hall, or the first person to win a nationally televised talent contest. For Guy Sebastian – the first person to win the coveted title of Australian Idol – maintaining that winning edge has come down to solid recordings and concert tours. On the strength of four multi-platinum albums and a sell-out Australian concert tour, the Adelaide-born star spoke to OUTinPerth’s Terry Larder. (more…)

It could be debated that music is the first language of the legendary singer/song writer, Neil Sedaka, whose body of work stretches all the way back to1952 (he wrote his first song at the age of 13). With such world-wide hits as ‘Oh Carol’, ‘Breaking Up is Hard to Do’ and ‘Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen’, this giant of the stage will get the toes-tapping when he comes to Perth for two concerts with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra at the Riverside Theatre, Perth Convention Centre, on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3. OUTinPerth’s Terry Larder posed some questions to the grammy-award winner Mr Sedaka. (more…)

KATHERINE JENKINS - Rejoice - UCJ Music

Welsh-born mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins has had many honours bestowed on her and the release of her fifth studio album, Rejoice, only further confirms that she is blessed with a golden voice. Her incredible range, breath control and phrasing are all spot on the mark. Quirky material choices add to the enjoyment – Mascagni’s aria, ‘Sancta Maria’, is followed by the Doris Day hit, ‘Secret Love’. Katherine supposedly shattered a chandelier in her early school singing days, so when you crank up the volume on this one, make sure the Stuart crystal is nowhere in sight! (more…)

OUTinPerth’s Terry Larder chatted to Australian jazz legend James Morrison and renowned singer Deni Hines about their recent collaboration on the album The Other Woman.

Being acknowledged as a Member of the Order of Australia in 1997 was just one of the many accolades that James Morrison has had bestowed on him. Often described as a multi-instrumentalist skilled at the trombone, euphonium, flugelhorn, saxophone and piano, in the music world, James Morrison is best known as a virtuoso trumpet player. (more…)

I guess there is always a starting point – one moment in time that seemingly changes everything. From that there is then a reference point for everything in life that follows.

For Strykermeyer that moment came in March 1995. Stryker and Cindy Pastel were living as drifters. They had a nomadic existence living out of their suitcases and other friend’s houses, while performing nightly at Sydney’s Albury Hotel. Stryker recalls receiving a phone call early one morning from the film’s production company. ‘Stryker, you’ve won… you’ve won!’ For Stryker had indeed won in Edinburgh that night, the BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) award for Best Make-up for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (more…)

Paul Potts - One Chance - Sony

Winner of the first series of ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, Paul Potts’s path to stardom was assured, as was this album’s race to the No 1 spot on the charts. One listen to the opening track, ‘Nessun Dorma’ will convice the listener that the golden tonsils translate well in recording. As a single, this aria sold over two million copies in Britain alone. Most of the songs (10 tracks in all) are sung in Italian, giving it a very romantic tone. Potts does a fantastic version of ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ (Sarah Brightman’s signature tune) but it’s the goose-bump-inducing aria ‘Por Ti Sere’ (You Raise Me Up), complete with a full orchestra, soaring vocals and bag-pipes, that makes this purchase well worth a dent on your credit card. You won’t be disappointed you did! (more…)

It all started with a letter… At the age of 11, Peter Keogh wrote a fan letter to Debbie Reynolds, who did and still does, personally reply to all of her fan mail. Peter kept the three page response from Debbie and in the years that followed also saved numerous recordings of Debbie’s, eventually making a gift of his collection to his idol. Debbie explained, ‘When I did a tour in 2006 Peter presented me with all this material, recordings I didn’t know I’d made. He had everything I’d ever done – every tape, every album, every show, movie or play. I was amazed and I was truly flattered that halfway around the world there was such an ardent fan. In fact, with those old and rare recordings he gave me last year, I now use them to open my nightclub act.’ (more…)

Celine Dion - Taking Chances - Sony

Twenty years since winning the Eurovision Song Contest, Celine Dion is still a household name. Her latest release, Taking Chances, has the nearly 40 year-old singer looking her sexy best. While hair extensions and Photoshop helped the image immensely, there is no denying the au naturale power of her voice, including Celine’s lower register, which has been polished by singing nightly for five years at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Opening title track ‘Taking Chances’ builds from a simple steel-strung guitar to a full orchestrated piece, while ‘Eyes on Me’ co-penned by Delta Goodrem, has a distinctly Middle-Eastern flavour. However, like a good ham sandwich the best bits are in the middle. The delicious ‘New Dawn’ and ‘Surprise, Surprise’ deliver Celine’s signature soaring vocals, showing this album is not Taking Chances, so much as taking a classy lady to new heights. (more…)