Julie Roberts    

2012 and a new band

Julie joins Swingbandit jazz trio (Plus guests!)

27 February -  Julie sang jazz and blues in Montgenevre, France at LaTourmente accompanied by Dave Fellingham on keyboard.

13 April - Julie performed solo with keyboard at the opening of the Evershed Arts Centre in Billingshurst.

15 April - Open air concert. Julie sang with Swingbandit and the great Bob Mackay on saxophone and flute. A windy day in Horsham Park!

Earlier this year

Wednesday 4 January - The Queens Head, Barns Green near Horsham. Julie with Gary Holder.

Sunday 8 January 2012 -   Double bill with Classical Folk. Horsham Folk Club,. See opposite column.

Tuesday 17 January - Storrington Acoustic Club, GJ's Guitar Emporium,  West Street, Storrington
West Sussex. Julie with keyboard and Gary Holder on double bass.

Julie Roberts's second CD
Available at gigs - a great studio album.
CLICK NOW TO HEAR JULIE SING

Julie Roberts, singer, guitarist, pianist, UK

Julie Robertsis based in Sussex where she is well known for her distinctive and wonderful voice - a singer of ballads, blues, traditional songs and jazz standards. She performs on her own but often with other musicians and, from time to time with the illustrious Dave Fellingham Big Band. Julie has now joined jazz trio, Swingbandit.

Monday 1 October 2012 - Capitol Theatre, Horsham with Leonie Mansell and Gary Holder as part of a big show with many musicians and singers..

Gigs 2011

Sunday 18 December Julie sang two carols - a superbly beautiful lullaby by David Fellingham, and The Angel Gabriel, specially arranged for her by David Fellingham-  accompanied by guitar, cello, bass, flute and djembe, as part of the Simply the Best Christmas Concert at Tanbridge House School, Horsham.

Friday 16 December - Coolham Acoustic Club, Coolham. A short (revised) version of Airs and Disgraces.  Glowing comments from the audience.

Wednesday 30 November - A spot with Gary Holder at the Tanners Arms, Horsham.

Wednesday 7 December - Julie, Gary and Leonie at The Queens Head, Barnes Green near Horsham.

Friday 21 October YMCA Redhill - Fund raising gig with Full Shanty and Classical Folk.

Saturday 1 October -Shoreham Wordfest festival in St Mary de Haura church Shoreham by Sea. Part of a concert with Shoreham Singers by Sea. A great show with huge applause.

Julie sang again with the Big Band  in the Uckfield Festival on Saturday 9 July 2011.

See the Big Band page for more details.

Friday 8 July 2011  -  Findon Acoustic Club, Findon Village Hall
High Street Findon Near Worthing
West Sussex BN14 0TA

Julie Roberts, Leonie Mansell and Gary Holder (double bass and tuba) with a 2011, half hour version of their Airs and Disgraces poetry and song show as the last act of the evening - 9.30 - 10 pm.  (More on this.)

Friday 25 March 2011
Honeywood Lane Acoustic Club, Oakwood Hill, Surrey
Julie Roberts, Leonie Mansell and Gary Holder (double bass) with the 2011 version of their Airs and Disgraces poetry and song show. (More on this.)
Another very successful, highly praised show. A thirty minute version of the show was immediately booked for Findon Acoustic Club.

Friday 25 February 2011
At the Floating Fish Cabaret Club, Worthing

Friday 12th November 2010

CELEBRATION/FUNDRAISING DINNER
To Celebrate the 3rd Anniversary of the
Ashenground Community Centre
 Haywards Heath.

Concert for UNICEF success

Haywards Heath
Saturday 30th October 2010

Everyone involved and present at the concert rated it a huge success. Both Classical Folk trio and Julie Roberts with Gary Holder on double bass performed brilliantly.
Very many members of the audience enthused about the evening's performers, the quality of the singing of Sylvia Golden and Julie Roberts and the professional musicianship - most notably the violin playing of Andrew Wickens who plays with the Philharmonia Orchestra.

The final piece was an arrangement of Scarborough Fair. The blending of double bass, violin and Peter Golden's guitar with the wonderful harmonies of the voices of the  two singers made a magical ending to a superb concert. The sustained rapturous applause said it all.

There was a near capacity crowd of about 50 in the small hall and £570 -20 was raised for UNICEF.

DR

More about UNICEF . . .

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 many Sundays at Horsham Folk Club

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.

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 occasionally keyboard) and performs mainly with bass player, Gary Holder. 
She sings in Brighton Goes Gospel choir and a choir in Shoreham whcih has two gigs at the Dome in Brightin (March 2010).. 

In 2008 Julie was in the Brighton Fringe Festival three times -  with the Brighton Goes Gospel gospel choir, her 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.

To top of page

Sunday 8 January 2012 was a very special concert

Julie Roberts with Gary Holder at Horsham Folk Club - Double bill with Classical Folk

One of the largest audiences ever seen at Horsham Folk Club. A great show from both bands.

Julie's styles

Julie sings folk and jazz.   She has performed at numerous festivals including Broadstairs, Brighton Fringe, Arundel, Shoreham, and Windsor Fringe. Julie plays guitar and piano, often accompanied by double bass celebrity,  Gary Holder. From time to time she is a guest singer with the Dave Fellingham Big Band. She sings jazz and popular standards with Swingbandit.

Recognition

"Julie Roberts is a fabulous singer... I love that dark smoky voice . . . She's really brilliant. . .a great singer." - Claire Martin, presenter of the Radio Three programme, Jazz Line-up.

Fantastic event !
The Dave Fellingham Big Band Concert for Haiti
Good Friday, 2 April, 2010

Julie was one of the soloists performing to an audience of over 700 people. The concert raised £13,007- 06 for projects in Haiti run by the Tear Fund charity. Congratulations to all who worked to make this concert an outstanding success both musically and as a fund-raising project. It was a truly brilliant evening. 

Julie Roberts performing at Horsham Forum

Honeywood Lane Acoustic Club, Oakwood Hill, Surrey

Julie Roberts and Gary Holder
Friday 29 October 2010

Friday 10 December

Redhill YMCA Fund raising concert with a variety of artists including Julie Roberts and Gary Holder
More details to follow

Julie will be singing as a choir member of Brighton Goes Gospel choir at the Dome, Brighton, before Christmas and with the Shoreham-Singers-by-Sea choir also before Christmas

Past events

Friday 24th September

Honeywood Lane Acoustic Club

Gary's Live Music Club
Coolham, Sussex
Saturday 17th July 2010
Elsie's Band
plus
Julie Roberts, Leonie Mansell and Gary Holder performed their latest Airs & Disgraces show

Gary's Live Music Club
Julie was a support act in the
Steve Hicks and Lynn Goulbourn show 
Saturday 6th March

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 principle shows

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 clubs 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 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 It's number one in Google for "war poetry".

David

www.julierobertsmusic.co.uk

Last updated 5 November 2010

Website edited by David Roberts

Website copyright 2010 © David Roberts, but it may be freely quoted. All photos are by David Roberts. Free use if accompanying media stories.

To top of page