Edinburgh Blues Club present Kara Grainger, The Rising Souls &Â Piranha Blues
Kara Grainger
Classic song-writing skills, smooth sultry vocals, and the ability to whip up a storm with a fiery slide guitar – very few can boast this set of trump cards, but it just happens to be the hand dealt to Australian singer, songwriter and guitarist Kara Grainger.
Now based in Los Angeles, Kara first picked up the guitar at age 12. She started performing in the late ’90s as lead vocalist and guitarist with the successful Sydney-based blues outfit, Papa Lips. With her brother, harmonica player Mitch Grainger, Kara and Papa Lips enjoyed a quintessentially Australian experience.
With the advocacy of her record company, she moved to Los Angeles in 2008, but continued to split her time between LA and Australia. Her debut CD, 2008’s Grand and Green River received first prize in the IAP awards in Austin, Texas and also was in the top 40 Americana charts for over 34 weeks.
An EP called Secret Soul, an album entitled LA Blues, and her latest release entitled Shiver & Sigh, featuring members of Bonnie Raitt’s touring band, completes her discography to date.
Grand and Green River is a slickly produced collection of songs recorded in LA and featuring some big-name players, including guitarist Eric Johnson and Little Feat drummer the late Richie Hayward.
The title track from her Secret Soul EP has been played across Australian radio, on BBC Radio 2 in the UK, and even received an honourable mention in Billboard’s international song-writing competition.
Recorded at the Hobby Shop Studios in LA and with Grammy Award winning producer David Z at the helm, her latest release Shiver & Sigh includes 5 Kara Grainger originals, as well as soulful re-imaginings of Robert Johnson’s C’mon In My Kitchen and Al Jackson Jr./Timothy Matthews’ Breaking Up Somebody’s Home.
As a vocalist Grainger is strongly influenced by Bonnie Raitt. Sharing a bill at the Timbre Rock and Roots Festival in Singapore last March with Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi, Kara remarked “It was a pleasure to be one of three female lead guitarists on the bill.â€
As a slide player Grainger has developed her own style, less influenced by Raitt and other Californian slide masters than by their original Mississippi Delta blues role models.
Kara has been going from strength to strength. She has toured extensively throughout Japan, Australia and parts of the US – national tours in Australia including opening spots for Eric Johnson, Amos Lee and Little Feat.
Buy Tickets
Support by The Rising Souls
To put it bluntly, if you haven’t seen The Rising Souls yet then you must be a poor unfortunate type who lives in a dark cave somewhere on the outskirts of nowhere. For the last year The Rising Souls, an Edinburgh based 3 piece have swept through the Central Belt of Scotland leaving no ear unprovoked. Not to mention universal praise at the 2013 Edinburgh Festival and gigs in London, Essex, Prague and the momentous siege of Larkhall! No gig is too big, no gig too small. Their catchy soulful tunes never fail to impress and their presence on stage is infectiously beautiful.
These lads LOVE what they do and this is evident when you watch them live. They have a subconscious chemistry between them, a melding of minds and spirit. When you watch them it feels like you are a part of something special. Their well-rehearsed set feels fresh yet established. This is most likely due to the fact that they often throw in an improvised jam amongst their already rock solid set of tunes.
Their front man (Dave Archibald) is a powerhouse. His voice floats like a butterfly yet stings like a bee. This young man’s exceptional voice has literally brought grown men and women to tears. Described as a cross between Paul Rodgers and Paulo Nutini, this undiscovered talent has a fierce roar against soft tonal intricacies and heart warming melodies. His voice is unique. His talent immense. In fact, his voice is that good it should be on your bucket list.
Alongside Dave is the incomparable Tom Reed on percussion and box. This multi-instrumentalist has paid his dues on the Edinburgh open mic and busking circuits. His musicality and timing are impeccable. The captain of the ship, he navigates the audience through a sea of ever changing rhythm and powerful dynamic. This man is the embodiment of ambidexterity and each of his limbs work in harmony to provide the percussive backdrop for the band. He is most definitely a sight to behold and a spectacle in his own right.
Joining Dave and Tom is Roy ‘Kelso’ Laing on bass. A soul man by trade, this actual real life giant has extraordinary feel and affinity with his instrument. Weaving out grooves to complement the musical tapestry created by the band. He is the master of the jam and the missing piece of the puzzle.
Support by Piranha Blues
Piranha Blues
Contemporary and classic blues with a smattering of jazz, a feel for the funky, a country twang and sometimes lighthearted twist.
https://www.facebook.com/PiranhaBluesUK
Buy Non Member Tickets Here
Non member tickets also available at Skiddle, Ripping Records, Tickets Scotland or the Voodoo Rooms.
0 Comments