Liane Carroll - In Praise Of Slow

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Recorded in just four hours, Liane Carroll’s new album, ironically titled Slow Down, underlines just what the singer/pianist has achieved over a career that saw her begin singing as a teenager. Something of a “best kept secret” for much of her career it’s only in the last few years, as Peter Quinn explains, that Liane has got the recognition that she deserves.


I’m happily ensconced with Liane Carroll in Porters Wine Bar, an appealing watering hole in Hastings Old Town and one of the singer’s regular gigs for the past 18 years. An effusive and animated conversationalist, in between the various “hellos” and “how are yous” from seemingly everyone who passes by our table, Liane is relating a childhood anecdote that’s revealing on several counts.

“I was about eight or nine and I was put in a choir at an Anglican church, St Peter’s in Malden. Over the road was the Catholic church, St Teresa’s, and they used to have a Mass slightly earlier than our Sunday service. I’m not a religious person at all, but the music was so passionate. It was ‘put the fear of God into all of you’ music. So I went home and asked my Mum if I could become a Catholic and she almost fell off her chair. I said, ‘I just want to sing at St Teresa’s, they’ve got better music.’ It wasn’t that it was better music, it was just more moving.”

This is an extract from Jazzwise Issue #112 to read the full feature and receive a Free CD Subscribe Here...

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