“This EP punches above its weight, with good musicians, writing, recording and production belying their professed session musician status. I hope this taster will lead to another longer project from these three.”
Full review
(Review by Lance at Bebop Spoken Here).
Four tracks – The Day’s Too Dark; Man Down; Déjà Blue; It’s All Good. The latter title perfectly sums up this EP. In fact, the term good undervalues it, it is so much more!
Remember how knocked out we all were upon first hearing Madeleine Peyroux? Well this has that same effect ‘cept the songs are better and the accompaniment jazzier and, dare I say it? but Scots lassie Flora Munro has a greater emotive range across the folksy/jazzy spectrum. The notes describe her as “Having a storytelling voice” and I’ll go along with that.
Roger Niven wrote words, composed music, played guitar and, on Man Down, threw some banjo and ukulele into the mix – he is forgiven.
Walker does the necessary on drums as well as helping with the producing, engineering and mixing of the disk. There’s more on this 16 minute EP than on many an hour long CD.
It’s All Good is also available as a single.
http://www.lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/ep-review-circus-fm.html#more
Thank you for your album. I have played it tonight on Jazz Tourist Radio. I really do like it. Good one, Thank You.
Tony Catzanaro (Radio Diversefm 102.8 Luton)
Thank you for sending me the Circus FM EP
May I congratulate you on a superb production! The whole peice is very well produced and the audio quality impeccable. I am also an audiophile so very (some say over) critical of balance detail etc. This quite superb! I will start giving it airplay from next Monday night. Is there an album planned? Deja Blue is a unique title and a lovely piece – well done to Roger and Graham and all involved.
Flora’s voice is as good as it gets in my opinion.
Mike Richards, Lincoln City Radio The Jazz Hour
The EP is “All Good”
Stephen Duffy, The Jazz House, BBC Radio Scotland
Have the CD in the car and thoroughly enjoying!
A Harrison Producer/Presenter (The Otherside)
104.5 CVFM Radio
Have had your music on Spotify on repeat while cooking dinner.
It sounds really good, beautifully recorded. Flora has got an amazing voice hasn’t she? The guitarist ain’t half bad either. I have a couple of Melody Gardot albums and it has a similar feel.
Hope it does really well
SA Cambridge
Fantastic!….well done
AM London
CD is great!
SW Inverness
Sounds great, It’s All Good!! it’s ALL good.
PS Liverpool
The tracks sound great, I’m really enjoying them, the production’s amazing! Flora sounds wonderful, she reminds me a bit of Katie Melua, she looks a bit like her as well come to think of it.
RA Cambridge
I have been enjoying your album. Deja blue is sublime and sounds as if it is a standard
RM Aberdeen
Congratulations, I wish you great success with your project.
HB London
I absolutely love the CD! Playing it in the car in between Annie Lennox’s Christmas CD. Songs, singer and musicians are brilliant. You should be very pleased and proud of it. I’m looking forward to next one!
LC Aberdeen
Circus FM are very talented and the CD sounds so professional. I did enjoy it and am playing it to all my friends.
KP York
At long last I’ve managed to listen properly to your CD. It’s brilliant. Really enjoying it. Well worth every penny!
CC Inverness
Classy and informative –Love the colouring. The lyrics are very deep..in true jazz style and Flora’s voice goes beautifully to that level
GM Tain
Your CD is bloody brilliant! Scuse my language. You do know that I am not a great lover of jazz, but that is something else. Fabulous. Hope you have sent it to Jools!
EF London
I’m soooo impressed. The lyrics are poetic and meaningful, the tunes make you want to sing along and the arrangements have just the sort of mellow bluesy feeling that I like. I await the follow up album with anticipation!
MA Oxford
Jeg har lyttet til CDen til Circus FM. Den er veldig god! Jeg visste ikke hva jeg måtte regne med, men den er fantastisk. Jeg likte især spor 3, “Déjà Blue”. Gratulerer!
RW Elgin
Beautiful voice, strong arrangements and perfect production.
MM Perth
Really enjoyed the EP, great stuff
Thought vocals were superb. Of course the backing is good too!
DY Aberdeen
Great CD, I think you’ve captured something special there.
AB Dundee
Your CD is Great!
JR Aberdeen
CD arrived and it’s brilliant. Outstanding performances all round especially guitar and vocals.
MM Edinburgh
Brilliant! Really love the vibe you’ve got there! My favourite one is the first one. I have visions of you all in some dimly lit bar in New York in the 20s and there are some gangster type gentlemen huddled round the table in the corner with their drinks, discussing business. Great music and lyrics! The singer has a lovely voice too -she reminded me a bit of the Katie Melua. It is a great CD and I hope you get loads of interest.
LW Aberdeen
CD is most impressive and I’m sure that its relaxingly cool jazziness will help anyone to chillax! The musicians are all top class, as is very clear from their impressive pedigrees, while the guest musicians are all top sessions men. I have to admit that this musical genre is not quite my scene, but I have to respect its phenomenal quality and the dazzling musicianship of the players on the album.
JA Norwich
Great EP Roger. Love it. 🙂
DF Warrington
Great songs, great playing and great singing!
TB Caithness