Three talented lady singer-songwriters (Beverley Craven, Judie Tzuke, and Julia Fordham) have come together to record an album and to tour in support of it.
Craven is now past her recent brush with cancer, and all three ladies have their own stories of life changes, family, and survival. Although Tzuke opted out of having old promo videos of her young self, Craven and Fordham were game enough to play along.
We had all the big hits. We had the privilege of seeing each lady in the lead with the other two as back up. We sang along with the new song (lyrics immortalised on a tea towel) about being safe, rested and hopeful.
I enjoyed the song choices which showcased each singer perfectly, but found some of the accompanying films and pseudo-Powerpoints going on behind a little distracting: let the music do the talking!
The ladies are all self-deprecating and amusing about their lives and careers, which makes this a very entertaining, thoughtful and emotional show.
Fordham isn’t a singer I have really followed, and her deep vibrato with a smoky jazz feel might not, on paper, feel complementary to Craven’s soulful melody or Tzuke’s ethereal melancholy.
However, a better trio you could not imagine, and the highlight of the three singing together was undoubtedly the harmonizing on Tzuke’s For You.
The setlist for last night was as follows:
Beverley Craven: Woman to Woman, Love Scenes, Without Me, Mollie’s Song
Julia Fordham: Happy Ever After, Girlfriend, I Want To Stay Home With You, Porcelain
Judie Tzuke: Welcome to the Cruise, Bring The Rain, Lifeline
All: If (When You Go)
Beverley Craven: Rainbow, Let It Be Me, Holding On
Judie Tzuke: Living on the Coast, Ladies Night
All: For You
Julia Fordham: Impossible Dreamer, (Love Moves In) Mysterious Ways, Stay
Judie Tzuke: Stay With Me With Dawn
Beverley Craven: Promise Me
Julia Fordham: Where Does The Time Go
All: Safe