Carol Grimes

The Singer's Tale

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Last Show: Thursday 7 th June 2018

PizzaExpress Jazz Club (Soho)

Carol Grimes is one of the finest singers in British music. Her deeply personal project,  'The Singer's Tale', is an autobiographical show combining theatre, music and a grooving band!  The show weaves its stories, sometimes shady, mad and bad, but with music and song at their heart. Street Busker to Ronnie Scotts, from Notting Hill to Nashville and Memphis to San Francisco from Hackney to Texas and Eastern Europe but always returning to London. This raw, in your face, sublime performer takes you with her on a musical journey through her extraordinary life.

"Should be regarded as a National treasure." Blues in Britain

"Carol Grimes, the forthright and defiantly independent jazz, blues and world-music singer, still emits the same fierce glow that has been with her since her R&B beginnings."

John Fordham (The Guardian)

In the words of Carol Grimes:

"I was born in London. A long time ago when bombs were falling from the skies: there were no Bananas, and the radio was the music and the word. The years passed and then, in 1959 I fell in love with Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. It was Margie Hendricks roaring out the chorus of "Night Time is the Right Time" on a cafe Juke Box that … 'made me wanna holler, made me wanna sing' and the voice of Ella on her hit of those times 'Every time we say goodbye.' These early Musical memories gave me a life long love of the Jazz and Blues voice both in melody and improvisation.

"I started singing regularly in the streets of London, and the South coast sea side Towns, first as a Bottler for Paris Nat and then I sang for my supper, working with assorted guitar and harmonica players until I formed my first band; THE RACE. This Blues based outfit worked mainly in the London area with one or two visits to the Continent to play at Blues Festivals. Now I am still singing-writing and performing..hopefully, until I pop me clogs."

Band Lineup

Carol Grimes (vocals)
Alison Rayner (bass)
Winston Clifford (drums)
Jessica Lauren (keys)
Annie Whitehead (trombone)