SE London musicians get Tangled Up In Blues
This week, Tuned In London, an eclectic programme that invites musicians from all around the world to come to perform in Rotherhithe, welcomes two musicians to perform this Friday, 17th July, in St Mary’s Church. This will be the last gig before the summer break and will feature Lebanese-Canadian Lara Eidi, who grew up in Athens, and British-Croatian musician Alice Mary Jelaska. This will be their first major collaborative concert together, and they’ll be combining traditional songs connected to their respective heritages as well as original songs of their own, influenced by these sounds. There’ll be a mix of solo and duo pieces, on vocals, piano, guitar, harmonium, and clarinet.
Alice Mary has, for several years, been performing at local community venues in South London – and cultural events at the Museum of Croydon, V&A Museum, Walworth Town Hall, and the Bermondsey Festival. She also teaches music in a school in Waterloo, and says, “I feel very connected to the area and I am very much looking forward to the gig. I’ve followed Tuned In London for many years as many friends and music collaborators have played at events hosted by them.”
She is described as an otherworldly singer, clarinettist & composer with an ethereal sound. Her songwriting draws on nostalgic influences from vintage jazz and folk – including Molly Drake, Violeta Parra, Victor Jara & the Ink Spots – intertwined with rhythms and harmonies echoing her Balkan heritage.
Eleanor Thorn, founder and curator of Tuned In London, usually takes a complete break in August, yet this year is different. She recently took on the programming and running of two rather special festivals on a farm in the West Country, Tangled Roots, back in June and Tangled Blues coming up 7th-9th August. Radford Mill Farm is just ten minutes from where her parents live, between Bath and Bristol, and is celebrating half a century of certified organic farming. “The festivals are small, and there is no phone signal in the valley,” she said, “so it is refreshingly free of our modern-day distractions. There is just one main stage, one smaller stage, one amazingly good kitchen, one bar and the toilets are compost, so the environment is respected. A river, or brook, runs through the land – it’s a beautiful spot.”
The Tangled Blues programme is looking strong, and Eleanor is happy to be including a few SE London musicians: “Beckenham-based Joff Watkins is a fabulous harmonica player who leads the Blues band Jimmy Regal and the Royals. They’ve a brand new album coming out and are highly regarded. American actor and musician, Nathan Osgood, is like me, Rotherhithe-based, and I’m thrilled he will be performing on the Sunday. Camberwell-based Anglo-French singer-songwriter Belle Greenwood brought her trio to the June festival and is returning this time to perform solo and run a sound healing workshop. I have Art Plumstead to thank for my discovery of American musician Freddie Hall. He will be travelling from Nice where he now lives.”
Tangled Blues, as festivals go, is very reasonably priced and small in scale, with camping as the main option for accommodation, unless you stay off-site. There is no charge for children under the age of 16. You can even take your (well-behaved) dog. A bus or a train journey from Paddington to Bath Spa, and then a taxi, if by public transport, is recommended.
Booking and full details: https://tunedin.london
Booking and full details: https://www.tangledrootsfestival.com/
