{"id":5755,"date":"2023-09-06T06:26:38","date_gmt":"2023-09-06T06:26:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/?p=5755"},"modified":"2023-09-06T10:28:11","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T10:28:11","slug":"album-review-greek-street-friday-ian-shaw-words-sammy-stein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/2023\/09\/06\/album-review-greek-street-friday-ian-shaw-words-sammy-stein\/","title":{"rendered":"Album Review: &#8220;Greek Street Friday&#8221; &#8211; Ian Shaw. Words: Sammy Stein."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-spotify wp-block-embed-spotify wp-embed-aspect-21-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: Greek Street Friday\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/67f2SXDbJSGIfrVDUGHLYc?si=N--PhaDQSLWRVe8KZMAxuQ&#038;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-1024x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5756\" srcset=\"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-1024x1024.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-768x768.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-435x435.jpeg 435w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday-60x60.jpeg 60w, https:\/\/platinummind.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Greej-Street-Friday.jpeg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>I first heard Ian Shaw in 2021 when I reviewed Hannah Horton\u2019s album \u2018Inside Out\u2019 on which Shaw was the guest vocalist on tracks \u2018Frozen Light\u2019 and \u2018Breathing Out\u2019. Horton told me, \u201cI mentioned I was recording a new album and he (Shaw) offered to take a listen and then wrote the lyrics for \u2018Frozen Light and \u2018Breathing Out\u2019. He had met my late father a few times so the lyrics for \u2018Frozen Light\u2019 are about me and my father \u2013 really special. We recorded the track exactly a year after my father was buried.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u2018Greek Street Friday\u2019 is released on Shaw\u2019s label, Silent Wish Records. The album is out on digital platforms as well as CD, with a vinyl release on 20th October. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The album is a glimpse of life around the streets of Soho, where Shaw landed when he was eighteen and has never got out of his system. He will tell you he grew up in Wales, listening to music on a record player and tapes, unknowingly imbibing influences he would later bring to music and that would help him develop his own style. An engaging listen from the start, Shaw brings emotions, characters, and observations to life as he portrays them through the music. The opening track, \u2018People Who Say Ta Dah\u2019, features Shaw in rich vocal form, with sassy undertones \u2018Welcome to my show. It\u2019s all packed in here like an overstuffed carry-on. Life is a carry-on my best friend shrieked\u2019 sings Shaw as he invites the listener to step into a world where \u2018suits\u2019 meet to show off their supposed achievements \u2013 even if they haven\u2019t done much. He prefers, quite rightly, people who have actually done things \u2013 those people who go \u201cTa-dah!\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The seeds for the second track, \u2018Greek Street Friday\u2019 were sown as Shaw people-watched while waiting for friends in Louche, a venue at 5 Greek Street, Soho, and listened in on conversations. It explores his attraction to the underbelly of Soho \u2013 and basement bars like Gerry\u2019s Bar in Dean Street, Marylebone and the people who frequent the areas. Shaw captures the essence of the people and the diverse backstories they bring in this reflective number.<\/p>\n<p>The album is a series of evocative, brief interludes with descriptions of characters, fleeting encounters, and humorous sketches of meetings, characters, and interactions Shaw has observed, stored, and kept alive in his mind. The evocation of atmosphere, characters and vignettes of their lives creates a sense of observing short skits where the listener is gifted a taste of the atmosphere of Soho and its people, who flit across the stage lyrically and musically as depicted by Shaw. On \u2018Jackie\u2019s Blues\u2019 Polly Gibbon\u2019s outstanding vocals add atmosphere. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u2018To Be Held\u2019, inspired by a Truman Capote interview with Dick Cavett, is a clever, beautiful song that celebrates the simple comfort of being held, and loved, despite life\u2019s trials and mistakes. \u201cCome and be my ghost or hunt me down. Come with one good eye, you clumsy clown. The least we\u2019re bound to get without a fight \u2026the most we can expect from the hungry night\u2026 is to be held and told everything will be alright, everything will be alright.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>From the solid disco-funk of \u2018A Prayer for Baby Blue\u2019 \u2013 with its Swamp Dogg sound to the enchanting, reflective \u2018To Be Held\u2019 or the wisdom of \u2018Your Little World\u2019, Shaw covers a broad spectrum of styles, and his delivery is crystal clear \u2013 the characterisations helped enormously by the calibre of the musicians with shaw on this recording. They are: Ian Shaw on vocals and backing vocals, Jamie Safir (Kylie, Birdy, Will Young) on Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Clavinet and Hammond organ, Conor Chaplin (Momentum, The Stanley Turrentine Project) on electric bass, David Preston (Melody Gardot, Curtis Stigers) on electric guitar, Ian Thomas (George Michael, Van Morrison, C\u00e9line Dion) on drums and percussion, Alex Haines on acoustic and slide guitar, Matt Kent on backing vocals, Polly Gibbons provides guest vocals on \u2018Jackie\u2019s Blues\u2019 and backing vocals on \u2018Say A Prayer For Baby Blue\u2019, and Iain Ballamy (Quercus, Everything But The Girl, Hermeto Pascoal, Loose Tubes) on soprano sax on \u2018Blinded By The Hunt\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>The music draws on Shaw\u2019s influences \u2013 from Bowie, Billy Joel, Steely Dan, Al Jarreau, and more, with soupcons of jazz, folk and blues adding flavour and depth. Blending essences, Shaw depicts his characters in anecdotes, memoirs and reminiscences that work to recreate his observations of the people and places who have passed through or by this musician\u2019s life. Here is the winsome George, there is the bullying doorman, over there the barman pours drinks for the suits, the hustler, the downcast Jackie; here are some memories of Baby Blue, and all the might have been and maybes \u2013 good or bad\u2013 people think of when reflecting on experiences. Shaw also includes a different take on a song from Rickie Lee Jones on \u2018Blinded By The Hunt\u2019 which is quite beautiful, enhanced by the soprano saxophone of Ballamy and the fact that Shaw sings towards the top of his range, imparting an emotive quality, evocative of someone seeking peace. \u2018Years\u2019 is a gorgeous duet between Shaw and Matt Kent and reflects on the passage of time with a touch of humour thrown in among the reflective essence of the song. \u201cDid you cover your secrets with a drink and a smile\u2026A whisky in your cup, a vodka in mine. We won\u2019t wake the house up; we\u2019ll talk until nine\u201d.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The final track is \u2018We Stopped Talking\u2019, inspired by Robert Elms\u2019 book \u2018Memoir of a Shape-Shifting City\u2019 (Canongate Books, 2019) and laments how Britain\u2019s politics permeate the capital\u2019s culture and the way the UK deals with asylum-seekers.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The depictions of characters, naughty observations as well as profound and deeply emotive ones, put me in mind of another Ian of observations and lyricism \u2013 a certain Mr Dury. Shaw is influenced by blues, rock, jazz, cabaret, and popular music, though in conversation he is as happy talking about free jazz as he is about Aretha Franklin or Herbie Hancock. In person, it is difficult not to be enamoured of Shaw, his anecdotes about life (including hiding one shoe of a fellow musician just before they were due to go on stage), and his music only adds to his engaging character. This album is well worth a listen. <span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Track listing:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>1 People Who Go Ta-dah! &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>2 Greek Street Friday &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>3 Falling Uphill &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>4 George &#8211; Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>5 Jackie&#8217;s Blues &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>6 To Be Held &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>7 Say A Prayer For Baby Blue &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>8 Little World &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>9 Blinded By The Hunt &#8211; Rickie Lee Jones<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>10 Years &#8211; Shaw (Bonus track on CD only)<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>11 We Stopped Talking &#8211; Shaw\/Safir<\/p>\n<p>Produced by Jamie Safir<\/p>\n<p>Mixed and engineered (vocals and guitars) by James Johnston, Cowshed Studios; engineered (band) by Marcus Locock, Livingston Studios; mastered by Nick Watson, Fluid Mastering<\/p>\n<p>Executive Producer Charlotte Keech<\/p>\n<p>More details here<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/ianshaw.biz\/p\/albums\/greek-street-friday.php\">Ian Shaw \u00bb Greek Street Friday<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I first heard Ian Shaw in 2021 when I reviewed Hannah Horton\u2019s album \u2018Inside Out\u2019 on which Shaw was the guest vocalist on tracks \u2018Frozen Light\u2019 and \u2018Breathing Out\u2019. Horton told me, \u201cI mentioned I was recording a new album and he (Shaw) offered to take a listen and then wrote the lyrics for \u2018Frozen &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5756,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[118,181,129,52,139,31,132,30,249,37,142,140,227,73,150,175,126],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bass","category-blues","category-drums","category-guitar","category-jazz","category-keyboards","category-lyricist","category-music","category-paris","category-piano","category-producer","category-review","category-sammy-stein","category-singer-songwriter","category-songwriter","category-soul","category-vocals"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5755"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5759,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5755\/revisions\/5759"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/platinummind.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}