Imelda May in Bristol

Imelda May in Bristol

Two hours of pure rhythm and roars

IMELDA MAY AT THE BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL

She doesn’t speak a lot on stage, but her message is clear: if you want to know Imelda May’s music, prepare yourself to be swamped by at least two hours of pure rhythm and roars.

This Irish artist’s earthquake shook Bristol’s Colston Hall, during the final evening of the International Jazz and Blues Festival, thanks to an amazing musician’s quartet and a faultless set list.

With this performance, the eclecticism of this 39 years old musician showed in all its splendour. Her voice, sometimes sweet and sometimes gravelly (it has been likened to Billie Holiday’s tune) is sensual and captivating, as well as the power of lyrics like one of the most famous Love Tattoo, by the same named album, and Jonny got a boom boom, maybe the most known, also due to the feature on the 2010’s movie Wild Target. Thanks to these songs, May can also show her ability to sing and play percussion at the same time as she demonstrated with the bodhrán and tambourine. Aside from her predominantly rockabilly style, songs like Proud and Humble with its country and bluegrass echoes, the fine Kentish Town Waltz, one of her most autobiographical pieces about her lifetime in London with her husband and guitarist Darrel Higham, and many others tracks, prove her ability to mix many genres and to give voice to the historical tradition of Irish melodies.

The singer announced her next album release, named Tribal, due June 2014. In the album teaser, available on May’s official website, we see her coming in a biker’s club, accompanied by the first single’s guitar riffs. Tribal is definitely a song with the rock side of this artist is predominant.  

The nominee Kentish Town Waltz was recorded in New York with music legend Lou Reed, as the fifth single extract from her last album Mayhem. It reached Number 1 in the Irish charts helping May to gain further recognition in the United Kingdom and to feature with artists like Jeff Beck.

As we said before, Imelda’s influences are folk and rock and roll, especially the music of Buddy Holly and Gene Vincent, but her production is inspired by blues kings like Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and, in some songs, she seems to pay a due even to the 50’s American female bands like the Shirelles and the Chordettes.

Speaking about her fantastic and versatile musicians, Dave Priseman (trumpet, flugelhorn, percussion and guitar), Darrel Higham (guitar) and Steve Rushton (drums) a particular mention due to the rhythmic “rock pillar” of the exhibition, Mister Al Gare, which with his double bass slapping (and also with his ukulele, played during a duo with Imelda and creating a very intimate atmosphere) set fire to the stage and to the audience.

Reviewed by Ilenia Appicciafuoco for 365Bristol 5/5