Home is where the art is
This year and once again alongside Terence Collie, Esther Bennett has produced and recorded a new album called “Home is Where the Art is” – a labour of love that explores her Birmingham roots and family connections in poetry and spoken word, featuring the music of the artist and musician Didier Messidoro.
Personnel:
Esther Bennett : Vocals
Didier Messidoro : Musical Composer (Tracks 1, 4, 5 & 7)
Terence Collie : Piano, Synth & Percussion (Tracks 2, 3, 6 & 8)
Duncan Lamont Jnr : Flutes (Tracks 3 & 8)
All tracks mixed & produced by Terence Collie
ESTHER BENNETT
One of the jazz scene’s most experienced, highly respected and widely loved vocalists, juxtaposing sensitivity with a sparky sense of humour. Her song delivery leaves audiences utterly compelled.
"Vocalist Esther Bennett's virtues include a smokily appealing lower register and a winning sense of humour” - Jazz Wise Magazine
TERENCE COLLIE
Terence Collie has developed enormous respect as a jazz pianist able to cross many styles while retaining a strong personal identity. A true renaissance man and polymath consistently working as a musician, promoter and audio/video producer.
“Furious pulsing piano from the filigree of Terence Collie” - Alban Low, Art Of Jazz
“played with clarity and subtlety” - Sebastian Scotney, London Jazz News
Didier Messidoro
Born in Aix-en-Provence, Didier Messidoro is a composer for Film,
Television and theatre, who’s credits include for the BBC, C4 and
The Theatre at Chanson Company. He also performs with his own
band playing a mix of pop jazz covers, film themes and original
compositions.
Duncan Lamont Jnr.
As a woodwind player, Duncan Lamont Jnr. has worked extensively in the West End, backed many well-known singers including Amy Whinehouse, Natalie Cole, Barry White and Dame Shirley Bassey and performed with many outstanding jazz ensembles and soloists, such as Sir John Dankworth, The BBC Big Band, Mike Westbrook Orchestra, Loose Tubes and many more. As an arranger he has written for the BBC’s ever popular “Strictly Come Dancing” as well as many bands and singers.
The Songs
Here are the songs and a description of each:
MY BIRMINGHAM
Music : Didier Messidoro
Words & Voice : Esther Bennett
In this piece, I wanted to combine two songs of pure genius. Both were written by artists that, though young at the time of writing, had mined a depth of emotion in these songs that were beyond their years and so ached with a feeling and poignancy that one’s heart is dug from its very soul. I think that Billy Strayhorn would have appreciated “Love is A Losing Game” and this medley greatly and that Amy would have felt honoured to have been in such great company.
LUSH LIFE MEDLEY
Music & Lyrics : Billy Strayhorn & Amy Whinehouse
Vocals: Esther Bennett
Piano & Synth : Terence Collie
In this piece, I wanted to combine two songs of pure genius. Both were written by artists that, though young at the time of writing, had mined a depth of emotion in these songs that were beyond their years and so ached with a feeling and poignancy that one’s heart is dug from its very soul. I think that Billy Strayhorn would have appreciated “Love is A Losing Game” and this medley greatly and that Amy would have felt honoured to have been in such great company.
RIO DE JANEIRO BLUE
Music : John Haeny & Richard Torrance
Vocals: Esther Bennett
Keyboard & Percussion: Terence Collie
Flute : Duncan Lamont Jnr
One of my favourite albums and one that every singer should have in their collection is Randy Crawford’s “Secret Combination”. All of the songs on this album are a blueprint of my youth and it is a great honour to feel that I can now do one of its songs justice. The contribution of the musicians on this track and the production by Terence Collie are an absolute magical delight and I thank them for helping me to attain a personal goal as a singer.
SUPPOSE
Music : Didier Messidoro
Poetry : Dorothy M. Bennett
Voice : Esther Bennett
My mother liked to write poetry in her spare time and when she died, my dad gave me an envelope with “For Esther” written on it. In it were a few heartfelt poems that I had not seen before. I guess they thought that, being the only member of the family who chose to follow a creative path, I should own them. This particular poem was written for my father and I’ve chosen a composition by Didier Messidoro that really complements the sentiment and feel of this short piece and that allows me to play with the meaning and sound of its words.
MOTHER’S YORKSHIRE
Music : Didier Messidoro
Poetry : Dorothy M. Bennett
Voice : Esther Bennett
Once again written by my mother, this poem describes her love of her birthplace and childhood home of Yorkshire. Though fairly migrant (she was raised by a single working parent), she spent the majority of her childhood staying with her uncle (who was a game keeper for Lord Derwent at Hackness Hall) and her aunt and cousin. I’ve chosen a composition that not only describes the vast, lonely landscape dominated by its wildlife but also echoes the desperate loneliness of a little girl that nobody really wanted.
THE BLISSFUL FOOL
A Contrafact written by Esther Bennett, over the harmonic chord sequence of “All of Me” by Gerard Marks & Seymour Simons
Vocals : Esther Bennett
Piano : Terence Collie
This was actually written at the very beginning of lockdown in 2020. It was a conscious effort to turn any romantic song into a clinical, biological and scientific explanation of what occurs in the brain when one falls in love (or lust?) All according to Google….. It was also intentional to make the lyrics quirky and tricky whilst using as a base a very traditional jazz standard. I’m a great admirer of the American jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant and this was a conscious effort to emulate her approach to a lyric and her style.
THE MAINTENANCE FITTER
Music : Didier Messidoro
Words & Voice : Esther Bennett
This is a piece I wrote for my father in his last week of palliative care. I was with him during this period (along with my siblings) and up until his death. Apart from the roller coaster of emotions and poignancy of the situation which was enveloped in a deep and overwhelming sense of love and respect, I was struck by the awareness of how the human body is a working machine and that once one major organ (or “component”) breaks down, then the rest follow. For most of his working life, my father had been a maintenance fitter at Wilmott-Breeden Ltd, a motor car accessories engineers factory in Tyseley, Birmingham. It seemed fitting to liken his last and final journey to that of an engine or machine breaking down, component by component and one that he could no longer fix
YOU GO TO MY HEAD
Music composed by J. Fred Coots
Lyrics : Haven Gillespie
Vocals : Esther Bennett
Keyboard & Percussion : Terence Collie
Flute : Duncan Lamont Jnr
As this album is a labour of love, I wanted to end with one of my absolute favourite standards and one that has been in my repertoire, (either as a ballad or bossa, or in my favourite style after hearing Mark Murphy’s version as a funky or Latin Samba) from day one. I also wanted to end a somewhat melancholy and reflective album on a high and positive note. Life is for living and every day is a good day. One works hard all week and parties, makes music and dances at the weekend. Dance music and dancing have also always been a part of my life. I often end my gigs with this number and I always end my hard working week with a party or celebration with friends and loved ones.
Here’s to life!!
A massive thank you to the musicians on this album for providing a landscape of sound over which I could paint my own words, poetry and interpretation of classic songs. The isolated piano on tracks 2 & 6 and the Rhodes, percussion and flute on tracks 3 & 8, beautifully played by Terence Collie and Duncan Lamont Jnr. respectively, create a somewhat cinematic quality that perfectly complements the filmic compositions of Didier Messidoro.
33 Jazz Records is a record label founded in England by Paul Jolly in 1990.
Many thanks to Janet McCunn at Mood Indigo Headquarters.
Video of “My Birmingham”
When Terry suggested that we do a video of the spoken word piece “My Birmingham”, I was thrilled because the photos I had taken and research I had done of the Birmingham I grew up in, now meant something and could be put to use. We collaborated creatively on the making of this video, with Terry taking complete control of the technical side of things and I am massively proud of it!
The spoken word track and this subsequent video describe the Birmingham I grew up in through the 1970s and up until the turn of the century, just before the Bullring Shopping Centre, built in the 1960s, was torn down. It is a labour of love, developed over two years of visiting, revisiting and research and is an homage to my hometown and its musical, industrial, multicultural and working-class history.
I knew immediately that I wanted to write lyrics to this piece. Terence was happy for me to do so and suggested that we then record the new song. I told him that I had a few more original tunes – those that I’d just written, another in the pipeline and a couple that I’d written with other musicians over ten years ago, to which he responded “then why don’t we do an EP?”
And here we are….
‘Esther Bennett throws words and images by the handful like spices into a (Brummie-made) Balti bowl. Crackling, sizzling and assaulting the senses with smoke, fire and fierce flavour’
Andy Pearson – Director
‘For anyone like myself that was born in the West Midlands of the 1960s and 70s, Esther’s poetry and images vividly evoke the World War II ravaged landscape we grew up in. With heavy industry in decline, a predominant working-class multi-ethnic mix and brutal city planning, the seeds were sown amongst the rubble and decay for the perhaps more optimistic Birmingham emerging today. Esther captures the essence of post-war Birmingham and hints at the humour, determination and creativity that thrived despite the decay and deprivation of the era’
Pete Whittaker – Hammond Organist & Jazz Musician
‘I like the way you integrate description with narrative genres… and how you deliver it as a blend of prose and verse styles to complement the visuals’
Dr of Linguistics – Jane Pollard