Corinne West’s Canadian Collaboration Delivers on her Promise
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Corinne West The Promise CD release tour:
October 2nd – Fish Creek Concerts, Calgary
October 3rd – Northern Lights Folk Club, Edmonton
October 6th – The Globe Theatre, Atlin
October 7th – Junction Arts and Music, Haines Junction, Yukon
October 8th – The Old Firehall, Whitehorse
October 9th – St. Jame’s Hall, The Rogue Folk Club, Vancouver
October 11th – 2pm – Shady Grove, Mill Bay, BC
October 11th – The Norway House, Victoria Folk Society, Victoria
“Just three records in and The Promise confirms Corinne West’s place among America’s finest singer-songwriters. Coupling a voice to die for with beautifully crafted songs that are memorable both lyrically and melodically, West has fashioned a unique identity within American music’s acoustic/roots scene.” — Colin Hall, R2, RocknReel
She’s an authentic American roots music troubadour who’s made a big impression in the UK. Now she’s teamed up with some of Canada’s top musicians for her most diverse recording yet.
Corinne West, who has been championed by iconic British Broadcasting Corporation host Bob Harris, will be touring Western Canada next month promoting her third album, The Promise, which was co-produced by Vancouver Island’s Doug Cox and recorded in Harrison, B.C. The album features a host of B.C. talents, including Cox, bluegrass mandolin picker John Reischman, horn player and violinist Daniel Lapp, jazz bassist Rene Worst and jazz vocalist and pianist Jennifer Scott.
Together, they build on West’s earthy Americana sound with sophisticated arrangements that move seamlessly from roots to pop to jazz to Celtic. On “Lily Ann,” West’s Nathalie Merchantesque vocals are backed by Reischman’s mandolin for a beautifully atmospheric old-timey sound. Worst’s bass and Lapp’s fiddle are showcased on “Pollen,” an Irish-tinged number in which West’s voice takes on an Eliza Carthy-like quality. Jennifer Scott’s piano and Lapp’s subtle horns, meanwhile, give “The Stranger” an unmistakably jazzy feel. Throughout, West’s lyrics display considerable maturity, being at once literate and poetic and at times metaphysical – a reflection of the breadth and depth of the composer’s life experience.
West was born and raised in LA and was a determined artist right from the start. Possessed from an early age of the conviction that there were far more important things for her to be doing than attending high school, she defied her parents at age 15 and set off in a big yellow converted school bus with a collection of nomadic artists and activists. She eventually settled back in California in a remote mountain town, where she performed in a couple of bands and established herself as a visual artist, primarily as an architectural and glass artist. West soon determined, however, that if she wanted to excel in either discipline, the other would have to go, so she abandoned visual art to pursue music.
Her debut CD, Bound for the Living, was released in 2004 and caught the attention of national BBC Radio personality Bob Harris, who became an ardent supporter. Exposure to his 14 million listeners helped West secure a UK agent and begin touring the country, where she received an enthusiastic welcome. A brilliant follow-up album, Second Sight, was released in 2007 and featured accompaniment from Jerry Douglas, Tony Furtado, Darol Anger and Mike Marshall. West was declared “one of the finds of 2007” by Americana UK and earned stellar reviews from the UK’s Maverick Magazine and MidWestRecords.com. She also earned praise from No Depression, the Boston Herald, and Relix and made the best-of-the-year list at Jefferson Public Radio.
With the release of The Promise, West continues to expand her fan-base on her home continent and around the world. She is currently on a six week tour of the UK and will follow her Canadian dates with a tour of Austria. By combining her considerable talent with that of some of our country’s finest accompanists, she certainly stands to get positive attention north of the 49th.