03 Jan Janet Russell Sings
We are pleased that Janet Russell will be at our Festival on MONDAY 27 APRIL at the Bohella Club in St Mawes.
Janet first made a name for herself on the folk circuit in the ‘80’s as a young singer songwriter writing with hard-edged humour about issues affecting women. Her “Secretary’s Song” was the most requested song on “Folk on 2” in 1987/8, and “Breastfeeding Baby in the Park” has been taken up by the pro-breastfeeding lobby nationally and internationally. Whilst resident in London Janet started working with Leon Rosselson, Sandra Kerr, and Roy Bailey in the Political Song Network, and that relationship continues to the present with the Anti-Capitalist Roadshow although we sadly lost Roy Bailey last year.
Whilst bringing up her two sons, living in Yorkshire with partner Jim Woodland, Janet became an established voice workshop and community choir leader, and a member of the Natural Voice Practitioners Network, established through Frankie Armstrong’s work. Janet’s performance work ranges between very tradition – based interpretations of old ballads and songs to recent songwriting by herself and colleagues on the folk scene. Janet is likely to be seen at concerts celebrating anything from the songs of Robert Burns, to treasured songwriters of our time, and participating in traditional singarounds or focussed sessions on the position of women in today’s society, along with other issues of peace, ecology, and social justice.
Discography:
Solo recordings :
“Gathering the Fragments” – Harbourtown Records, HARC 003
“Bright Shining Morning?” – Harbourtown Records, HARCD 026
“Love Songs and Fighting Talk” – Harbourtown Records, HARCD 052
With other artists :
“Janet Russell and Christine Kydd” – Greentrax CDTRAX 011
“Dancin’Chantin’” – Greentrax CDTRAX 077
“Take These Chains from my Heart” a narrative CD with songs about a performer’s fightback from a stroke. With Taffy Thomas, storyteller. TT 006
“The Stones of Callanish” (various artists) DOG 005/6
“No Limits” with Sisters Unlimited, – Harbourtown Records, HARCD 013
“No Bed of Roses” with Sisters Unlimited – Fellside FE104
“No Change of Heart” with Sisters Unlimited, SISU Records 003
“Doodle i Doe” with JigJaw, Doodle i Records 001
“The most striking feature of Janet Russell’s arresting voice is a lower register whose distinctive power and edge make dramatic listening” Tony Rose, The Guardian
Janet, I just wanted to let you know how moved everyone was by your version of “The Song of the Olive Tree”. The ultimate compliment is that the Palestinian singer, Reem Kelani, who is usually very critical was mightily impressed. Leon Rosselson
‘The meat in this sandwich, singer-guitarist Janet Russell confirmed that she’s one of the Scottish folk scene’s forgotten treasures’ …….. “This return to her formative stamping ground was great fun and I’d go so far as to say life enriching, a tonic that bears repeating often.” Rob Adams, the Glasgow Herald.
For more information about Janet see her website: http://harbourtownrecords.com/janet-russell-harbourtown/