Every now and then an artist comes along who transcends all genres and fads by the sheer excellence of their talent. Rachel Rimmer is one of those rare performers who from the moment she sings, you know you're in for a real treat.
From the first notes, we can hear the warmth and huskiness of Sade and the free-falling falsetto of Joni Mitchell both wrestling with the ghost of Nina Simone...as a result this impossibly young chanteuse takes us on a vocal journey few can lead.
Her vocal depth, dexterity and maturity belie the fact that she is still only 22 years old, which augers well for a long and distinguished career. Brighton based Jazz vocalist Alice Russell states Rachel's music to be,
"sounding really tastey, lovely acoustic sound in the production with Rachel's lovely smokey voice over the top!"
Meanwhile, Matt and Phred's Jazz Club in Manchester describe Rachel's live performance as
"Class...nothing but!"
And, as a young woman and practicing artist, Rachel is not shy to draw her influences from a huge spectrum of contemporary sources including Punk Princesses, Mowtown, broken hearts, Vivienne Westwood, Banksey, Burlesque, Film Noir, Marvin Gaye, one legged flute players, Madonna, bathroom recordings, Flamenco, corsets and Rory Gallagher. These contribute to songs that study the intricacies in life such as the subtleties of body language and being caught in the emotional web of someone very very bad.
Rachel's performances crackle with passion and commitment; formerly a classically trained Ballerina, she plays a well poised and graceful sylph off against the alter-ego of a prowling siren, back-bending and unafraid to slow dance with her microphone. Her songs explore an impressive emotional range with disarming honesty and bravery delving into affairs of the human heart and the power of sexual chemistry.
Rachel's live performance is given extra dynamism by the fact that she is also an accomplished contemporary dancer. Having previously worked with Jazz-fanatic Dance Theatre choreographer Rosie Kay, Rachel has studied and specialises in the relationship between Flamenco dance and music, the Tango Nuevo movement, the work of Astor Piazolla, DV8 Theatre Company, William Forsythe and Protein Dance.
Backed by an accomplished squad of great musicians including guitarist Mick Rimmer (father), Harry Davies - Sax and Flute and percussionist Jon Broberg, the Rachel Rimmer experience is not to be missed.
To find out more or to contact Rachel or the band, please email:
Hello there friendly one, this sound clash jam union we stitched up happens on
Monday, in Tiger Lounge, that old basement bar on Cooper street, your
good vibes would be welcomed gratefully, if you hop near by xxxxx Flamingos
Alan Barnett has contacted me today desparately trying to secure you for the festival.I have misplaced his phone number and bloody lost yours aswell haha
The Festival has now got a confirmed date and time and venue. The Leopard in Burslem on May 9th 2009
Please contact if you would like to be apart of this event held in aid of and alonside Douglas Macmillan. I am sure it will be succesful and we have confirmed two Bands already with otheres checking their diaries as we speak.
Stephen Harvey (DJ Fresh to you haha)
we are also trying to get dance etc involved and I am sure this will also interest you.
City Voices Festival of words and music March 2009 – Looking for Folk /Jazz/ Cajun Bands and artists.
City Voices is an Arts Council funded project from Stoke on Trent in Staffordshire. We meet fortnightly at Central Library, Hanley to write and perform our creative writing. We are currently organising our third festival to be held in late March 2009.
The last two festivals of words and music have been very successful and have been supported by such well - known artists as the Boat Band and the Trent Vale Poet. We have enjoyed coverage in the local press and are committed to making this festival even bigger and better than the previous ones.
Although the group mostly consists of poets and authors, there are also a number of musicians, and we would like to widen in this direction in the future. We are looking for talented musicians or bands, which are willing to perform at this Festival of words and music for free. All proceeds at the Festival will go directly to the Douglas Macmillan Hospice, which I am sure you will agree is a very well deserved local charity that is close to a lot of our hearts. I am sure it will get plenty of positive publicity in the local press, and I hope you will join us in helping to raise not only our own profile but your own, while helping this fantastic organisation to prosper and help many more families in the area..
If you are interested, or would simply like to be involved in some way, then do please contact for more information:
Ah, right :-0 that might be why I haven't heard anything lol! Yeah, things are going pretty well thanx ;-)went down to London for the New year which was a good laugh! Few major gigs coming up with the group soon which I'm looking forward to. Great to hear things are going well on the dance front -I didn't realise you were so multi-talented lol! Do you teach? I'm starting up a little at the moment to help pay for all these expensive projects haha..! cool videos btw..! x
How's it all going...? Any exciting gigs coming up? I'm currently busy with recording my next album plus gigging with the quintet and trio which is good fun; get to do quite a lot of original stuff too. I did try contacting Sara @ Axis fest but haven't heard anything back as yet. Either way, take care for now - will have to catch you on on a gig sometime lol..! L x
City voices meeting today mate at 12 o clock in City Central Library Hanley.
I dont know if you are aware of this group, but I have mentioned your name in many meetings. I was going to come up Brown Edge the other night to that poets thing you were doing, but couldn't get there because of family emergency.
You should pop in the group is fantastic and right up your alley.
poets, writers, musicians, playwrights, and generally arty people who would love what you're about.
thank you soooo much!! it's not easy getting a half decent sound with the recording equipment we've got lol. I've been having a listen to your song on myspace - u have a really fantastic sound! you're so blessed to have such a great voice...and u'll be even more blessed for using it for the right purpose - good on ya! Lisa xx
College is good thank you :D And no haha, we just text every now and then an have the odd phone call lol. The fact that he has a girl friend and he lives in leister might also have something to do with it :P haha. lol what up to nowadays then chick. xx
Hey darling, Thanxs for the invite and would loved to have come, but its my mums brithday and we are like watchin Dvds i think and havin a few people round. So unfortunatley i wont be able to make it :S Love ya hun. How are you ? xx
Hello Rach, how's things honey? Are you enjoying what has been our Summer? I had abandoned myspace for a while there, thought I would check in and see how you are? Lots of love x Lis xx
been so busy working all over promting artists back in stoke on thursday we need to catch up got some good projects trying to get going. Still got u in mind
