Welsh-born world class vocalist Ian Shaw appears at Sage Gateshead on Wednesday (June 15) singing tunes from his new CD The Theory of Joy. An award-winning man of many talents – composer, singer, pianist, producer – Shaw shares his thoughts on recording, touring and other matters.
Hi Ian, it’s good of you to take time to talk to Bebop Spoken Here.
The Theory of Joy tour calls in at Sage Gateshead next week, Wednesday 15th June. When did you start to put the album together, and were Barry Green, Mick Hutton and David Ohm on board early on?
The Theory of Joy was a gathered set of new arrangements which I gigged and tried out with the trio…so really had a chance to get the right ones forward! The trio is a solid unit...made of friendship and musical trust.
Claire Martin produced the new album. How did Claire’s involvement come about?
Claire was the natural choice. She knows me inside out and we’ve always trusted each other’s ears and taste.
You have worked as a producer. Has the experience proved to be useful with regard to shaping your own subsequent recordings?
I don’t listen to my recordings so not sure if I can effect an objective listening distance. My production work is so much easier as it's someone else’s precious work (and paid!).
You were up here in April to perform at the Gateshead International Jazz Festival.
As always, you went down a storm. You sang My Brother – it was spellbinding stuff.
Were you aware at the time that you had the audience in the palm of your hand?
I loved playing the festival. I often find it easier to be intimate if I’m solo.
Going way back….Lazy Blue Eyes (1990) with Carol Grimes featured gems from the Great American Songbook plus the title track which you wrote. Subsequent releases have drawn on original material and more contemporary popular songs. Therefore, with a wealth of material to choose from has it become all the more difficult to select songs, and indeed, discard songs? Was this the case with The Theory of Joy?
There is always a wealth of other people’s songs…It’s a simple case of you find a great restaurant…is it the Crustacea or the salad bar you breathlessly aim for? I do need to be more prolific…but I have to be 100 percent convinced of my own writing. The idea for an album that had a load of songs that seemed to present hope and happiness but with a darker background appealed to me.
You are known for your frequent visits to Calais, helping, as best you can, refugees stranded/abandoned in the so-called ‘Jungle’. Are you optimistic or pessimistic that politicians will suddenly discover a collective humanitarian streak?
I’m optimistic (more cautiously hopeful) that, given the amount of missing kids and vulnerable young families we are seemingly not responsible for, in or out of EU (!!)…surely badgering politicians (we did it alongside Calais Action, a superb politically motivated NGO…) is the only way…we also took France to court over kids in the jungle and sanitation…and won…ish. Freshwater pumps and gravel happened. The Dubs amendment was re-visited a second time…and the motion was yayed. It’s of course, because of scant governmental intervention, taking forever to become a local reality.
Perhaps a ‘Side by Side’ fundraising gig could work here on Tyneside?
A Side by Side fundraiser would be fantastic. Please make a persuasive call! I will too.
Finally, on a lighter note…
Do you enjoy being on the road? Looking at your itinerary…Tuesday London, up to Gateshead Wednesday, Hamburg Thursday, Minsk Saturday and York Sunday!
Being on the road? As the prostitute said…“It’s not the work, it’s the stairs”
Thanks for your time Ian. We’ll see you at Sage Gateshead on the 15th.
Russell.
Ian Shaw and The Theory of Joy Trio play Sage Gateshead on Wednesday 15 June in Sage Two, 8:00pm. To be sure of your seat contact Sage Gateshead’s ticket office on 0191 433 4661.
No comments :
Post a Comment