International Jazz Talent To Perform South Shields Concert

An exciting new discovery on the international jazz scene is making a special appearance at a one-off concert in South Shields next week.

Swedish-German Anna Luca is performing in support of the Mayor's Charity at 7.30pm next Wednesday (July 18) at the Central Library Theatre, Prince Georg Square.

Anna is visiting the Borough with her husband Christiane Mohrhenn and his band Knapp Daneben from South Tyneside's twin town of Wuppertal.

The band is playing a number of gigs as part of the South Tyneside Summer Festival.

A talented singer-songwriter, Anna is establishing a solid reputation for delivering powerful performances with her own distinctive style and sound.

She has already toured extensively with the successful NuJazz project Club des Belugas, playing at such renowned festivals as The Hague Jazz Festival.

She has also achieved success with songs like "The Road is Lonesome" and "It's a Beautiful Day" and has now recorded her first solo album "Listen And Wait".

The Mayor of South Tyneside Councillor Eileen Leask said: "I have been privileged to listen to Anna Luca's first album and I can say that that this concert presents a rare opportunity for people to enjoy a tremendous new talent in the intimate setting of the Library Theatre. I am delighted that she has agreed to play this special concert in support of the Mayor's Charity."

Anna's lyrics and music are highly individual and full of energy, but also fragile and melodious. She describes what she sees and feels with great attention to detail, resulting in 13 songs about everyday miracles, love and loss, cigarettes and wine, the yearning for faraway places and her desire to find a home.

Her music, however, has already achieved this and found its own style - somewhere between jazz and pop, between Tom Waits, J.J. Cale and Billie Holiday, who have always been her great sources of inspiration.

To capture the character of the songs and her passion for performing with other musicians, Anna's sound engineer Jonas Filtenborg recorded the band playing all the titles live in a single room in his E-Sound studios in Amsterdam in a two-day recording session. No extravagant production, just pure music.

Next Wednesday's concert is being held in aid of the Mayor's Charity, which this year is supporting the MS Society and Women's Health in South Tyneside (WHIST).

Tickets priced £7.50, including refreshments, are on sale now at the reception desk at South Shields Central Library.

They can also be ordered over the telephone, call the Civic Office at South Shields Town Hall on (0191) 424 7256.

Lance.