Grant Showbiz - bass, Elliet Mackrell - violin, Dave Johnson - harmonica & vocals, Nick Waterhouse - trombone, Mike Fullick - drums
Influences
each other
Sounds Like
It's early in the morning, you're comfortably lying in your bed, with lots of difficulties to get you wake up, already thinking that this new day should not be really different than yesterday, which was not very entertaining and not really different than the day before, which was not very....bla bla bla, etc, etc...
When you finally managed to go out of your bed, it's just to see by the window that the weather, grey, wet and cold, is not going to help you in improving your depressive mood... Yawn !
And so ? what's the point ? Well, if you never felt like above, there are three solutions: whether you're not a human being on this very planet Earth, whether you're a liar to yourself, or whether you're extraordinary Wise for being able to be happy on each moment of each day. In these three cases, you're allowed to leave this post without reading its following.
Now, if you sometimes happen to feel like described above, then you should order instantly the little gem that is the Blue Midnight CD...
This record, as soon as you will press the play button of your favorite cdp, is going to bring the sunshine everywhere in your home ! It's always a quite difficult task (at least for me) to put the right words to describe music, or to express correctly what i can feel towards a record, but in the case of this one, it's even worse !
But there is a complete joy printed in each notes of this extravagant music. Something very positive and very strong and very contagious too... Very swinging, entertaining rhythms, with echoes of soft dub mixed with unusual instrumentation, a bit as if you were having a small brass-band in your living-room, joyfully colouring a music for fiesta ! It's very melodic music played by fabulous instrumentists and the arrangements are really wonderful. There's absolutely no fault on this stunning album.
Just have a look at the cover, it's all here : the acrobat elephant dancing on the earth evokes the universe of the circus, with its magic, its fun, its authenticity, its creativity and its talent... All the ingredients which have been burnt on the plastic CD. And the fact that this elephant is dancing on the Earth, warn you that there are no ways that you could resist to the positive power that this album is going to have on you, while the title : 'Balance', describes exactly what your feet are going to do while listening to that !
Typically the kind of record which makes you furiously eager to call all your friends to have a party ! Tapas & tequilas for everybody !!!
But of course, there's always negative in positive (you know... the yin and yang thing), and unfortunately, this album doesn't failed in this truth : Nowhere they say HOW MUST WE DO TO TAKE IT OFF THE PLAYER ????
Blue Midnight CD ‘Balance’ reviewed by Planet Gong:
~ Addictive new album by Grant Showbiz, Elliet Mackerell & friends: the best English/Hungarian spacey folk/dub album you'll ever hear. Bass guitar, Trombone, Violin and Harmonica - it's the sound of the future. I don't know why I always think of Hungary when I hear Blue Midnight, maybe it's the violin? But lead trombone reggae lines with folk violin melodies, under-pinned by fluid, solid bass playing and highlighted by harmonica, vocals and percussion isn't easy to describe - oh I've just done it...I think. All I really know is it's not like anything else, very smooth listening, very addictive and I love it - so will you if you're brave enough to have a go. I was amazed to hear from Kangaroo Moon's Elliet, when she gave me this CD at the Gong un-convention, that Blue Midnight have existed on and off for 25 years as a part-time/sometime gigging band although I think this is their first CD - until now it has been all tapes (I still cherish their Father of Apples tape). Be the first on your block to discover this genuine hidden gem of a band - hell it's what Grant Showbiz and Elliet do for fun so you know it's bound to be good ~
CD Guests: Justin Adams, Clive Bell, Giles Leaman, Murray Gordon
NEW!!! 'Revival' EP featuring four tracks recorded in the winter of 1985, first session of the re-vamped Blue Midnight with Justin Adams (drums), Dave Johnson (harmonicas, vocals), Grant Showbiz (bass), Elliet Mackrell (violin) and Nick Waterhouse (trombone). FREE with 'Balance' cd.
Click on the PayPal button below to order the 9 track BLUE MIDNIGHT CD "Balance" (2004)
This years festival is headlined by Billy Bragg (Friday), Seth Lakeman (Sunday) and Peatbog Faeries (Saturday) with many more top artists also performing incl the award winning The Demon Barbers.
Please check out our new comedic “vampire bankers” music video. The guy who directed this also directed Madonna’s first music vid. We think it’s pretty funny. It’s available as a free mp3 download on http://www.ukejackson.com
Thanks for being our friend! Uke Jackson and the NY Ukulele Ensemble
slightly wrong ,its JUPITER not SOLAR ... its beautiful ...maybe best to listen to this first ...its SO beautiful .. can we add them as friends ...i.e will you ..i havent started loggin in and commenced the take over yet ! xxx
hey NICK , go to my friends and from there to -HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE- listen to TARIK followed by SOLAR and then keep listening and i,ll try to get you their recent recording on 'Honest Jons' love dave
CLUB INTEGRAL on Friday 30th January 2009 - 8.00 PM until late. At THE CANTERBURY ARMS, Canterbury Crescent, Brixton SW9 - two minutes from Brixton tube station.
Entry: £5 before 9.00 PM, £7.00 after.
Featuring music from: Trumpet and beats duo LOOP ELLINGTON Avant-garde wayfarers KOBAYASHI Australian folk chansonniers THE DOOMED BIRD OF PROVIDENCE. + a special guest to be announced.
With projections from JAIME RORY LUCY of RUCKSACK CINEMA DJs CHRIS CORNETTO and KARINA TOWSEND (Chalkwell Ladies).
somebody say something ... '' must be something.. must be something we can do... keep on movin,, keep on movin for what,s true..''.. play me anote.. any note..sometime.. xxx davo
thanks nick ! v nice to hear you like it , closest key to the majority of the singin i guess ...also maybe there are two seperate songs therein tryin to work themselves out ? AND on seperate front- also check out 'hazmat modine'on my friends and add em if you feel to and ditto 'Stacy' ... love to all ,d
blue midnight...what a band! i have love not devotion, street level and a bunch of those cassette comps you were on..... great stuff. hopefully, i can catch one of your shows when i cross the pond... do you still do infidelity....thats my favorite.
