Review Centre: Folk Singers

"David is a natural talent and a thoroughly lovely guy! Fab voice and brilliant guitarist. Everyone was so impressed and he made the birthday girl’s night! Would 100% invite him back to perform for us again in the future. Thank you! "

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"A FANTASTIC afternoon/evening at The Golden Eagle with Father Jack. The Guiness flowed along with the songs, tunes & dancing which made for a brilliant St. Patrick's Party."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Tony Vani is almost as well known for generously encouraging and showcasing fellow musicians as he is for his versatility as a musician in his own right. His focus is on blues and classic rock with his band, “Stir” (Mark Bishop, bass; Shirley Dianne Baker, vocals; and, Christ Whiteman, drums). He also plays gospel blues with “Tony Vani and the Holy Blues Band” (Vitas Slapkauskas, bass; Matt Smith, guitar and, Chris Lingard, drums) and performing Delta blues in his duo with slide guitarist Kenny Pauze or by working solo. As every musician knows, you are not a true musician unless you have had that nightmare gig. Tony recalls one night at a club in Napanee when he had to do the walk of shame after being fired on the spot because his guitar string broke. Thus, he learned the great guitar player lesson: “though shalt not leave home without a spare guitar and have it tuned up, ready to go”. His most memorable gig was when he performed for his Mom on her 80th birthday – it was the first time she had ever heard him. Over the years, he has generously and tirelessly organized many open mics at The Belleville Club featuring a mix of amateur and professional musicians who perform solo or join in with others. He creates such a relaxing atmosphere that it feels like the concert is taking place in your living room. “I enjoy bringing out new people and watching their confidence grow. Music is therapy. People have the opportunity to try out new things, have a safe place to practice performing in public, and besides, it’s fun”, he laughs. Known predominantly for his harp playing, his favourite harmonica influences include Little Walter, Paul Butterfield, Charlie Mussellwhite and Corky Siegal. “I am so impressed with their tone, virtuosity, rawness and overall feel”, he says. Other musical influences include Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers, John Mayall, Muddy Waters and Robert Johnston. Self-described as self-taught, he says: “I always had awareness of what my personal style would be and I sought out teachers or I learned from playing along with records. I followed my passion.” He has just released a new CD of original material entitled “Her Blues” based on his own personal life experience of living with a loved one’s suffering. It’s a 7 year labour of love that is deeply reflected in the songs he has included on this album. Tony divides his time between his music, working with physically and mentally-challenged adults and living with his partner Debbie Hoskins, owner of the seven dogs who run their household. Find him at www.tonyvani.com or on Facebook @TonyVani and go out to support live music because #livemusicmatters."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Everything Can Change, from Adam Karch and it's an interesting mix of acoustic and electric fused folk/blues music with solid vocals. Opening with It's Your Song, a contemporary, radio style track with a solid melody and clean acoustic guitar work, Adam Karch shows his stuff on vocal and guitar, backed by Richard Deschenes on bass and Marc-Andre Drouin on drums. JJ Cale's classic, After Midnight gets a substantial rework and I like it. Starting with acoustic slide and fine finger picking, Karch's stylistic vocal phrasing really changes the track and it's as cool as the original. Very nice. Porch Groove (Sunday Morning) is a real relaxing meandering melody on acoustic guitar. Very nice. Another nice cover is Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice, It's Alright. Karch has one of those voices that is warm and refreshing and his picking style is clean and concise. Very nice. Wrapping the release is another Porch Groove (Saturday Evening) with a more contemporary finger picked melody. Karch is a talented musician and vocalist who has put together a real nice release. "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Rosa was super chill and easy to work with and we are so happy we found her for our wedding day. Her mellow, laidback style was perfect, plus she was able to incorporate one of our favourite songs into the set list, which made it even more special"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We couldn’t have been more happier with Matt. He was amazing and we had plenty of positive comments from guests and the venue. We have recommended Matt to a fair few members of family and friends. He was polite, skilled and it felt like he was playing longer (for which we would be very grateful if he did indeed). If there is anything I regret, it would be not having him booked for the whole day and evening!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Excellent Singer Songwriter, Performer and all round Great Guy and Friend... Highly Recommended ?? "

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We are so glad we booked with Annasach Ceilidh Band! They made our evening. The music, dance calling and audience interaction was fantastic. Highly recommend and would gladly book again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"We hired Luis for a private party at Quinta do Lago and we loved him. A great singer with a vast repertoire that pleases everyone at the party. We ask him to play a few songs that we love and he played them all perfectly. We will definitely book him again."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"This was Phil's third visit to the Hammer as Harmonica Lewinsky. He never fails to entertain the locals with his cockney act and great humour. As the landlord of the Hammer I can honestly say this guy is amazing and really great value...so much so we have booked Phil to return again for St. Georges day celebrations on Sunday 26th april."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Great performers, lovely to hang out with & totally completed (if not made) the whole vibe of the evening! Easy to book, pay & work with from beginning to end … thanks to you both! Would love to hire you again when in France! :) :) :)"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Matt performed for our private house party and was a true professional from start to finish. A very talented entertainer with a charming personality. Would recommend Matt and we would certainly book again. Thanks so much for making our party such a memorable night."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"Lucinda sang at our wedding day and she sounded beautiful. She honestly has the most amazing voice and she helped the mass service to go by so smoothly. She was brilliant throughout the year. Anytime we emailed her, it was on the same day we had our response back with lots of checkups in between. She is genuinely a lovely person and an amazing singer. I would highly recommend her."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"A huge thank you Paul, for a great performance at our Party a couple of weeks. The performance and song choice you made for us was exactly right for the occasion and was very much appreciated by everyone. I would highly recommend Paul, and would not hesitate having him perform for us again sometime in the future."

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review:

"101 My partner and I hired Lucille bluez for our wedding immediately after listening one of their performances on Instagram, and it was an absolute success. Live they sound even better than in the videos, the people were delighted, everyone congratulated us on the music, and they sang universal songs known to everyone. I'm looking forward to having another event so I can hire them because it seemed very short, and they spent more than two hours with us!"

Rating: 10 / 10 Share this review: