Back to Jazz At The Fleece last Wednesday and also a return for Sarah Jane Morris, who told us quite early on that she had been performing here for nigh on twenty five years. Well, we have certainly not been going to the venue for that length of time, but we did see her in July 2023 when, on that occasion, she was performing the songs of John Martyn – we enjoyed that one so much, we bought the CD on the night.
On this occasion, she was showcasing the second of her Sisterhood projects, where she celebrates the female artists who have inspired her, both musically and in terms of the resilience that they almost universally exhibited. I’m not going to give an overlong and glowing review on this occasion, other than to say that we both enjoyed the gig and marvelled yet again at the ban’s capacity to provide such sympathetic accompaniment. It is however worthwhile noting that they are the same trio that played with Sarah at the 2023 gig – a sign of a happy and contented troupe I think.
| Artist | Instrument |
|---|---|
| Sarah Jane Morris | Vocals And Stories |
| Tony Remy | Guitar |
| Marcus Bonfanti | Rhythm / Slide Guitar |
| Henry Thomas | Electric Bass |
The women she had chosen to highlight were varied in both tone and period (from Peggy Seeger through to Amy Winehouse via Tracy Chapman and Bonnie Raitt. Whilst I understood that thematically it all made sense, I was slightly surprised that the first set was perhaps a little one-paced. The second half certainly picked up rhythmically, with celebrations of Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin and Etta James co-existing against the more overt protest of Joan Baez, Janis Ian and Patti Smith. The material was all self penned, most of which was first rate, but it was still heartening to hear encores of ‘Piece Of My Heart’ and John Martyn’s ‘Don’t Want To Know’, where she let rip a little and showcased that the vocal chops were still in excellent order. One minor quibble was that although Joplin’s version of ‘Piece Of My Heart’ is clearly the well known version, I might suggest that Erma Franklin (Aretha’s much neglected sister no less) recorded it first – and very fine it was as well – oh yes, the encore was of course “a touch more“…….
Another great visit and, for the sake of all doubt, if and when Sarah Jane Morris returns, we will be there in a heartbeat. I should also mention that we went a little earlier on this occasion and had a very lovely lunch at The Crown in Stoke By Nayland village, where we both thought the cooking and presentation was of a very high order – we hope to return!