aaamusic | On 10, Nov 2010

“…she’s an artist who has to be seen live to be appreciated…it’s on stage, with her band in full bawdy flow and the birdcage juddering, that she flourishes.” – The Guardian

Saturday 20^th November sees the return of Kirsty Almeida and her phenomenal band to The Jazz Café promoting her debut album ‘Pure Blue Green’(Decca Records). It’s a ramshackle collective: percussion by way of a tea chest, toy piano, steel pan, masks, painting suits, piano, double bass and an acoustic guitar, all rounded off with the riotous and colourful brass sounds of “Hornography”, her brilliantly named horn section. As for her, she does a deft tightrope walk between sexy and innocent, with a drawl in her voice that is sheer theatre and a purr on her lips that is sheer boudoir. The songs tell stories of spiders; voodoo and magic as the band play a mix of folk, jazz and New Orleans nightmares. What is so visually gripping is how the band interacts with each other on stage; be it the horn section leaning down to sing into the guitarist’s microphone, or the playful way she conducts her band. It looks so natural and relaxed that you almost forget there’s any join between the band and the audience.

“Singing live, she is mesmerizing, a powerhouse! Free spirited and alive, at times she is an enigmatic chanteuse, and other times she is a ringleader to a raucous vaudeville troupe”, Amelia Magazine, 2010

“…Almeida’s live shows where a cabaret-meets-soul-revue atmosphere of energy, color and good vibes is summoned by a taut seven piece band swinging big and forceful one minute, sweet and tender the next. Highly recommended.” Direct Current

‘Pure Blue Green’ was produced by the legendary Youth and is a mesmerizing mix of soul, folk and blues containing her voodoo pop single ‘Spider’.

“…a gorgeous collection of brilliantly written and performed songs…add to that a voice that is by turns delicate and storming, personality that seeps out of every seam and you have an artist and an album to treasure. Delicious.”

The Daily Express

“The variety of musical moods, the understated intelligence of the writing and the pure joy of the execution make this, surely, one of 2010 exceptional debuts.”

Paul Taylor, Manchester Evening News

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Saturday 20th November 2010 –  Doors open: 19:00 – Concert starts 19.30

Tickets: £14.50 advance from www.jazzcafe.co.uk