Laurie Levine and Josie Field

lindsmuse

Saw these wonderful two musicians last night at Studio Seven in Seapoint; Cape Town. Studio Seven is a house where the front rooms are now a venue - very cosy - nice views, Couches etc. Good sound. Not sure where they're off to next - and they have made a collaborative cd from this tour I gather. Laurie Levine for some reason reminds me of Maria Muldaur - a contemporary lighter, fresher version. Lovely stage personality. Josie Field is the more serious one - also fantastic - singing style reminded me a bit of Tony Childe.

Highly recommended!

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Big-G

Been following these two for some time now, and they really impress me. I find Josie to remind me very much of Tracey Chapman in lots of ways.

I wish I'd been at that gig last night, although I didn't know about that one I have to confess. Still haven't managed to make a Studio 7 gig yet, as I always seem to have some family issue arise, or something else get in the way! One day though I'll get there!

Regards
G!

Bob-Dubery

I posted the itinerary on the Events board recently. They're back in Joeys early December. Laurie Levine doesn't bring Maria Muldaur to my mind, but she's got plenty of American roots (as her last two albums have demonstrated).

lindsmuse

Been following these two for some time now, and they really impress me. I find Josie to remind me very much of Tracey Chapman in lots of ways.

I wish I'd been at that gig last night, although I didn't know about that one I have to confess. Still haven't managed to make a Studio 7 gig yet, as I always seem to have some family issue arise, or something else get in the way! One day though I'll get there!

Regards
G! - See more at: http://www.guitarforum.co.za/performance/laurie-levine-and-josie-field/#sthash.W2BhoOXT.dpuf

Big G - apologies - it's Studio 7! (not Seven). At the end of the show the owner mentioned that they have a Twitter competition going - best tweet wins tickets to next show so maybe check it out. Hope you can make it sometime - it's well worth it. The absolute cheek of making your voorkamers into a music venue - great idea. The old Seapoint houses can take it that's for sure!

I posted the itinerary on the Events board recently. They're back in Joeys early December. Laurie Levine doesn't bring Maria Muldaur to my mind, but she's got plenty of American roots (as her last two albums have demonstrated). - See more at: http://www.guitarforum.co.za/performance/laurie-levine-and-josie-field/#sthash.guFT7oSt.dpuf

Bob - checked that out - Events - great stuff - to those who haven't heard them, do yourself a favour. The MM thing - hard to pinpoint exactly where the connection is - it's not the voice cracking yodeldy thing that Maria does - its just the way she adds light an lyricism to perfectly ordinary melody lines and lifts them up am makes them interesting and beautiful. She (Laurie)would be able to sing ANYTHING and it would sound beautiful - not over-stylised - just the way good simple music should be (for some). And with a contemporary touch as well .. Love the instruments too.

Bob-Dubery

I saw the last show of the current tour last night. They say they're going to do it again, and it's worth catching if they do.

It's a three-ingredient stew: Josie Field songs, Laurie Levine songs, and some well chosen covers across a spectrum from Kings of Leon to Dolly Parton (a fabulous gospel song they did as their closing number).

They're both distinctive singers who put their own stamp on everything they do, and one of best aspects of this show was the way they used two not obviously compatible voices together. Great harmonies at times. A relaxed but assured performance. The sets are well paced and they use instrumentation well to add charm to the proceedings and, as they do with the vocal parts, keep the instrumental parts from walking over each other and thus the sound gets fuller. So there's dashes of xylophone and kazoo, and Field plays quite a bit of uke alongside Levine's banjo and guitar.

Really good show. Catch 'em next time around. ?

lindsmuse

Agree with all! Speaking of covers - Laurie Levine's 'Ring of Fire' brought a tear like Johnny Cash's would simply not be able to ? I also loved the way their two unique styles blended.

Bob-Dubery

This last show was at the Theatre On The Square. A theatre with a stage and with rows of seats, and nothing but the audience and the show going on.

I would like to see more shows in this sort of format. Too many are in venues where the on-stage attraction has to compete with meals being served, with a noisy bar and so on.

Venues need to make money, sure, but I also want to go somewhere to LISTEN TO MUSIC. I recall going to a restaurant in Bedfordview to see Tony Cox and Steve Newman. They way they squared the circle was to insist that you had to be there by a certain time, that meals were served by a certain time and that you got your drink orders in before the music started. When Cox and Newman hit the stage then service stopped - no waiters moving between tables, no tables being cleared, no meals being served. That gave the music a chance, and it means that the people who want to listen to the music are able to do so.

In the end Mrs X-rated and I didn't go to the Hinds Brothers launch. We've been to that venue before to see bands and generally the music is kept fairly low volume and service of food and drinks, and the conversation that naturally accompanies a meal, carries on through out the performance. Meh.

Anyhoo... I have seen Laurie Levine now at this venue, at the Wits Theatre and at a small side theatre within the Jo'burg Civic complex. I hope to see more such gigs in this sort of set up - the venues are there and so are the audiences.