Julie Roberts        

This website is about Julie Roberts (UK) - the singer/guitarist based in Sussex. She sings a wide range of songs - blues, folk, jazz, contemporary including self-penned numbers. There is more about her singing lower in this column. She should not be confused with the American singer of the same name.

For other recent gigs see Latest.

Recent dates include

Sunday 5 April, 8 pm, The full Airs and Disgraces show with Leonie Mansell and Gary Holder at Horsham Folk Club, The Normandy Centre, Horsham. Comments from the audience included "Superb!" and "Absolutely brilliant. I'd like to book the whole show for my birthday party." This has been arranged.  (More details on Latest page): 

Saturday 28 March
Julie was one of several guest singers with the Dave Fellingham Big Band at State Hall, Heathfield, Sussex. See Big Band page for some pics.

2009
Julie sings most Sundays at Horsham Folk Club and has a few more dates lined up for 2009.

NEW  Julie NOT on I-Tunes etc

Thursday 18 September  -  Cella, Sanctuary Cafe, Brighton
Airs and Disgraces. See  Latest pagefor more details. Julie and Leonie talked about the show in BBC interviews  on Radio Kent, Radio Southern Counties, Radio Solent, Radio Berkshire, Radio Oxford on 10 and 11 September.

Saturday 20 September - United Nations International Day of Peace Concert, Market Place, Burgess Hill. Julie and Gary.

Sunday 21 September  -  Windsor Fringe Festival 
Airs and Disgraces. The full show.

Sunday 26 October - Julie sang two or three songs in the Woodies ladies' night show. See Latest page.

5 November -  Julie sang with David Fellingham, trumpet and keyboard. Private event, Cuckfield.

29 November - Concert, Julie did a solo set at the Church of the Ascension, Haywards Heath.

Wednesday 27 August - Arundel Festival  
Performance of the Airs and Disgraces show with poet, Leonie Mansell, and Gary Holder on double bass. 

Sunday 27 July 2008
Julie and Gary did a "Spotlight" set at The Woodies Folk Club, Patching.  See Latest for details.

Friday 28 March
Julie and Leonie Mansell were at a  Brighton Festival Fringe taster session in the fabulous Floating Fish Cabaret in Worthing. See Latest.

Friday 14 March
Julie and Gary were at The Airport Club, Shoreham.

Sunday 24 February
Julie's gig at Horsham Folk Club was a great success - and wonderful to have a packed audience on a Sunday night. The gig began with the very appealing song, Pour (When it's love) by Lorri McKenna, and ended with the amazing high speed double bass and vocal tour de force of Route 66. Both of these songs are on the new CD.
Also performing the same evening was Playing Rapunzel,  two young singers with wonderful voices, great harmonies and great songs. We and the rest of the audience loved them.

Julie's singing

Julie Roberts has sung and played at a variety of venues across Sussex and Surrey in the last few years, winning  enthusiastic support . She accompanies herself on the guitar and performs mainly with bass player, Gary Holder, for much of the time.  
She sings in Brighton Goes Gospel choir. This year she was in the Brighton Fringe Festival three times -  with the Brighton Goes Gospel gospel choir, the Airs and Disgraces show with poet Leonie Mansell and with the Dave Fellingham Big Band. 
Julie joins other musicians on occasions. In fact she rarely turns down an invitation to sing.

Great Voice: great songs
Julie's music ranges from folk, to sensitive jazz influenced song arrangements and blues. She has a wonderful mellow voice with a unique quality, and the ability and experience to interpret songs in many styles. Her material includes the songs of Nina Simone, Billy Joel, Tracy Chapman, Peggy Lee, Tom Waites, Jackson Brown, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and many more. Gary Holder's double bass adds a rich resonance to their arrangements.

Julie's music
As a student in the late sixties and early seventies she sang folk music and in jazz and rock bands. In the last couple of years, having given up the day job (almost) she is back enjoying herself singing and playing to appreciative audiences. Having teamed up with double bass player, Gary Holder, they have developed their own distinctive arrangements, including some original songs.

2007
Julie and Gary worked on a new CD called Don't tell me to stop, which is a line in one of the songs. The performance of this song and arrangement are stunning - partly thanks to the brilliant playing of jazz violinist, Mike Piggott, and Gary Holder on double bass.

Monday 2 July, the final two tracks were  recorded with another outstanding and internationally famous musician, keyboard player, Mark Edwards. (He was at the Brecon Jazz Festival in August.)

More CD news in the next column.

2008  news on the LATEST page.

Events in 2006
In the Summer a track of Julie's short CD, States of Mind, was featured on BBC Southern Counties Radio South Live and won some lavish praise. Other events included two festivals: at Horsham Park and the Streatham Arts Festival, The Arts Cafe at the Studio, Capitol Theatre Horsham in June, and at Horsham Town Hall in November, two gigs at the prestigious Pallant House Art Gallery in Chichester; two charity gigs in Redhill and others in Warlingham and Haywards Heath, support at the Tom Neilson Concert in Haywards Heath, music on the terrace at The Plough at Plumpton, United Nations Day event at The Market Place, Burgess Hill in September, Washington Music Club in December, and recording, as time has allowed. Julie sang in the Brighton Festival in the ("non-religious") Brighton Gospel Choir in May and in their December concert. 
More details and photographs may be found on the Events 2006 page.

Festival 2005
In August 2005 Julie and Gary played four gigs at Broadstairs Folk Festival. They received a great response from their audiences.  The Streatham Festival gig in 2006 came as a result of being spotted at the Broadstairs Festival. For details of their many other gigs in 2005 see Gigs.

Julie's first CD
In 2004 Julie and Gary made a short album, 7 tracks, States of Mind. This has now sold out. More details about this first recording can be found at Julie's CD .

See Latest for recent news.

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Julie Roberts, 21 June 2008 in ForumFest in Horsham 
More pictures on Latest page.

Julie Roberts and Gary Holder at Gary's Live Music Club,
Coolham, 6 June 2009. They returned for a longer show on 5th November 2009, see Latest.

Julie is delighted to be associated with a superb guitar shop: Guitar Junction, who are now sponsoring her (August 2008). See www.guitarjunction.co.uk

In the BBC Radio Kent studio with Roger Day  before the interview which went out on Radio Kent, Southern Counties Radio, Radio Solent, Radio Berkshire and Radio Oxford. 10 September 08.

More about Julie Roberts on the BBC website. Link at the bottom of this page.

Julie's two shows

1. From folk to the blues  - with Gary Holder (double bass)

2. Airs and Disgraces - poetry and song with Leonie Mansell (performance poet) and Gary Holder
   

Julie's second CD  - Don't tell me to stop
The 14 track recording is available at gigs (£10) or we can supply it by post. See the contact page for information about how to get in touch.  More about Don't tell me stop.

From Julie - a personal statement - 2007
"I feel so lucky to be able to sing. I love singing. I feel it's what I was born to do. 

It's live gigs that I enjoy most. I love to see people relaxing and enjoying what we do. Last summer it was great to have such appreciative comments from top professional musicians, too." Julie Roberts,  January 2007.

Gary Holder
Gary is in great demand as a versatile double bass player and electric bass guitarist. He performs with a number of bands. Since the Spring of 2009 he has been running his own music club featuring local and big names on the music scene.
See Gary's web sites  www.bassistgaryholder.com  www.myspace.com/garyholder

David Roberts

Julie with Gary Holder, The Hoffners and others in the finale at Richard Durrant's Airport Club, 14 March 2008. Richard can just be seen at the far right playing piano.

Website editor's other activities (I do have another life.)

My EU book
I have recently spent three years writing a book about the European Union. It explains how the EU works and examines the many problems it needs to resolve. 

For more information about The European Union and You go to www.saxonbooks.co.uk . For my website on developments in the European Union go to www.EUnow.eu  

War poetry
And if you are interested in First World War poetry and contemporary war poetry why not try my warpoetry website? www.warpoetry.co.uk

David

www.julierobertsmusic.co.uk

Last updated 15 August 09

Website edited by David Roberts
Copyright 2009 © David Roberts

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More about Julie Roberts on the BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/southerncounties/content/articles/2007/01/08/south_live_14012007_feature.shtml