Gwyneth Herbert

jazz // folk // acoustic

At the Fringe venue where I work most summers, the name Gwyneth Herbert has always lurked deep in the music program, and this year I finally decided to check her out. This is what I wrote about the show at the time:

She is stop-you-in-your-tracks, shoot-you-in-the-face fantastic. Her lyrics are tight, her voice elegant, her manner onstage masterful; and it was all backed up by some really superb guitar by Al Cherry.

These tracks are from her latest LP, Between Me And The Wardrobe, which has just been picked up by Blue Note UK. They’re full of beautifully sparse instrumentation over which her vocals get to really gleam and shine. Do yourself a favour and buy the album.

Quiet and beguiling.
Gwyneth Herbert – Lay You Down
Gwyneth Herbert – Sweet Thing
buy this cd

9 Responses to “Gwyneth Herbert”

  1. uli :

    As many things here are changing slightly these days: is it possible to make the red-brown «categories» (like «jazz // folk // acoustic» in this post) appear in the rss title overview? Would save my time and your bandwith. Thanks.

  2. Paul Irish :

    Hi Uli..
    Sorry, but I don’t plan on including the genre items inside the title of the RSS items.
    I’d recommend using a feed reader that gives you snippets of the posts. Google Reader, which I use, does this.

  3. jam :

    when i first began listening i didn’t think i was going to like this much but by the end of the song i knew i had to listen to it again – what an amazing & variable voice

    thanks, as always

  4. Michelle Lee :

    Wow. Really enjoying these tracks, esp “Lay You Down”. Thanks Andrew! :)

  5. Keith :

    Her quicks are quick, her wholes are full and she’s always in control. Indeed, part of her charm stems from the restraint in her voice. What is she afraid to loose?

  6. becca :

    You should check out Kyrie if you liked Gyneth. Kyrie’s vocals are incredible and she has some great songs. You can see a live performance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmYMmNWMjWA

  7. Ninjasha :

    I listened and was a bit underwhelmed. The singing is thin and not so interesting. If one is looking for a voice that really is amazing and variable, I haven’t heard anything quite as skilled as Priscilla Ahn in the previous page of posts. And the French singer in the post preceding this one is also pretty original and quirky. Check them out!

  8. Nick Moulsdale :

    We went to see Gwyneth live in Halifax, Yorkshire, UK on Friday 9th November. Second time we’ve see her. She is superb, 25, confident without being cocky, at peace with herself and at one with her band of 3, Double Bass, Acoustic Guitar and Percussion/violin. Gwyneth also played a little piano. About 80 people there, lovely intimate setting in a small art Gallery. Only sadness is she has lost her wiggle. Voice is wonderful, best is unamplified near solo from the back walking through the audience, shivers down the spine stuff. If Blue Note are careful, she could be a world beater. She comes out to sign CD’s and talk and she is lovely. I got a CD for my sister and told Gwyneth Amanda lives in Australia and she said, “Oh I must sign it upside down then!”. That’s simple but Class.

  9. Lee Shipton :

    Amanda Vickery played a track, “The Housewife’s Lament”, on Private Passions, 6th March 2011. Gwyneth’s voice and interpretation “sang” it all! Well worth seeking it out.