Album Notes

Emma Cantons is doing something strikingly different from the crowd of carbon-copy artists and bands. There are few artists who can match the passion and energy evident in her music, and where many are aiming to strip their sound down to the bare bones, Emma Cantons uses intricate orchestral arrangements to create songs with a unique depth and character.

Album Review by Bruce Crowther
Jazz Journal International Volume 61 No.3 March 2008

Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that my expectations were not roused on seeing that this album is filled with songs composed by the singer. Happily, this CD proved my private rule false. Cantons’ approach to song writing and singing are intelligent and always interesting and the result is a CD that is much better than most of her composing peers achieve. Allying intelligent lyrics to pleasing melodies Cantons has developed a set that is worth repeated playing. Self accompanied, she creates ensemble sounds and enjoys the addition of Murphy’s Drums on several tracks. Her songs are delivered in a warm and mature voice and the resulting set is commendable. While it may not be entirely to the taste of those who like their singers to stay within the Great American Song Book, many will like it. Put another way, the mind doesn’t have to be opened too wide to accommodate this contemporary and attractive CD.


ABOUT EMMA

Emma comes from a highly musical background. Her father (Neil Hobson) was a jazz pianist and stage designer and her mother (Mary Lush) was a concert pianist graduating from the Royal Academy of Music, London with a gold medal.

As a child Emma improvised songs and melodies on the piano with her father. As a teenager, she was writing and performing cabaret ranging from comedy to American songbook jazz. In 1984, Emma won a place at the Guildhall School of Music, on the singer’s course and began giving classical recitals. It was at a private party where she was performing cabaret that Emma was introduced to Nica Burns, the organizer of the ‘Perrier Awards’ who took her on as a client. Emma appeared at ‘The King’s Head, Islington’, ‘Violet’s’ & the famous ‘Groucho Club’ where The Tatler described her with the words ‘Pretty, witty and talented - she will go far…’.

In 1989 Emma had her first child, Robert. Unfortunately he was born with autism, which required care & attention almost 24 hours a day. Her daughter Eleanor was born in 1993. For a while singing and song writing took a back seat. In 2005 Robert needed the kind of help only full time residential education & care could provide. At this point Emma began to write again. She found that as in all things creative when the opportunity is not there the creativity does not go away but rather develops in silence only waiting to be expressed.

'Songs of Experience' is therefore the result of six months solid writing but also the expression of her life up to that point. It includes not only the life affirming 'Just Dance' and 'Soar', but also more introspective work including 'Dark Rainbow' which examines her relationship with her son.

The first two tracks recorded were ‘Just Dance’ & ‘Cinderella’. These were written, performed & produced by Emma in 2005. In 2006 she then collaborated with producer, Dean Murphy and the album titled ‘Songs of Experience’ was completed in February 2007.

Since then, Emma has drawn together a 4-piece band to perform live. The quartet consists of Emma on piano and vocals; Al Magill on drums; Ben Treeby on guitar and John Wells on bass.

2008 has seen the Quartet work with producer Matt Sewell-Rutter in Brighton to begin recording the follow-up to Songs of Experience.

Emma has also contributed lyrics and vocals to Hill Briggs’ album Mr Joy to be released in 2009.

A number of internet radio stations in the UK and Jazz Plus fm (Montreal, Canada) have as of March 2007 begun to play tracks from the album. Emma has also performed live and given interviews on ALL fm (Manchester, UK) on Gina’s Sunday afternoon show 1-3pm and with Aja on Jazz Syndicate Radio (UK).

Emma lives in London, England with her daughter (15) and her 2nd husband, Anthony Cantons the artist.


TOURING

Emma Cantons performs regularly in London and around the UK both solo and with her quartet,

Past venues include:

Cyber Sound Studios, London
Pizza on The Park Jazz Club, London
Volupte Jazz Luonge, London
Matt & Phred's Jazz Club, Manchester
Manchester Jazz Festival
Smollensky's, The Strand London
Booty's Riverside Bar, London
Poetry Cafe, London
Merton Abbey Mill’s Bandstand
The big Jazz Gig, Aldeburgh
The Miller, London