David from London
04-22-2006, 06:24 AM
The following appeared in the South Wales Evening Post on Friday
New generation of fans
Janis Ian, whose injured trill once sang of the pain of being a gawky outsider in At Seventeen, is reaching out to a new generation of young people and to those of a revolutionary mind.
She comes to the Coliseum Theatre at Aberdare on Saturday, May 6, to promote her latest album release Folk is the New Black.
From her early days the singer-songwriter's work has suffered by comparison with the white-hot talents of some of her contemporaries - the sensuous and joyous abstract collages of Laura Nyro; the faultless pop power of Carole King; the keen-eyed realism of Joni Mitchell.
Ian's style was less sure-footed, but she found and retains a loyal audience.
Folk is the New Black is a light collection, nudged along by jazzy percussion and by her delicate, breathy and beautiful voice.
The album brings together protest songs, pained love songs, some awkward comedy and a side-swipe at those artists and listeners who have taken to singing Pete Seeger songs (is Bruce Springsteen quaking in his cowboy boots?)
The recording reaffirms her allegiance to the genre and she says it is the music that above all others has enduring power to persuade.
"The fact that kids are listening to folk music on college radio again says so much about the times we are living in.
"Folk is the music that people come back to when they don't know where to turn."
Ian says the golden era of singer-songwriters that she emerged from couldn't last.
"It's something that I miss a lot.
"But the world just got bigger.
"Back then there were a limited number of clubs to play and airports to use and about five TV shows to appear on.
"Now there are so many venues and so many people being performers.
"I think things go in cycles."
Folk is the New Black is out on Cooking Vinyl.
For tickets call: 01685 881188 For more info go to www.janisian.com
New generation of fans
Janis Ian, whose injured trill once sang of the pain of being a gawky outsider in At Seventeen, is reaching out to a new generation of young people and to those of a revolutionary mind.
She comes to the Coliseum Theatre at Aberdare on Saturday, May 6, to promote her latest album release Folk is the New Black.
From her early days the singer-songwriter's work has suffered by comparison with the white-hot talents of some of her contemporaries - the sensuous and joyous abstract collages of Laura Nyro; the faultless pop power of Carole King; the keen-eyed realism of Joni Mitchell.
Ian's style was less sure-footed, but she found and retains a loyal audience.
Folk is the New Black is a light collection, nudged along by jazzy percussion and by her delicate, breathy and beautiful voice.
The album brings together protest songs, pained love songs, some awkward comedy and a side-swipe at those artists and listeners who have taken to singing Pete Seeger songs (is Bruce Springsteen quaking in his cowboy boots?)
The recording reaffirms her allegiance to the genre and she says it is the music that above all others has enduring power to persuade.
"The fact that kids are listening to folk music on college radio again says so much about the times we are living in.
"Folk is the music that people come back to when they don't know where to turn."
Ian says the golden era of singer-songwriters that she emerged from couldn't last.
"It's something that I miss a lot.
"But the world just got bigger.
"Back then there were a limited number of clubs to play and airports to use and about five TV shows to appear on.
"Now there are so many venues and so many people being performers.
"I think things go in cycles."
Folk is the New Black is out on Cooking Vinyl.
For tickets call: 01685 881188 For more info go to www.janisian.com