The songs of legendary artist Carole King will be performed by two of Australia’s most loved vocalists, Vika Bull and Debra Byrne, along with jazz chanteuse Monique diMattina and the The Brill Band at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 August 2016.
Tapestry was released in 1971 and is one of the best-selling albums of all time, with over 25 million copies sold worldwide. Featuring timeless pop tracks such as I Feel the Earth Move, You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman and You’ve Got a Friend.
“A true singer songwriter Carole King doesn’t write to get on the radio she writes because it is all coming from her heart. That is why I love her,” says Debra Byrne.
Tapestry was the album that made Carole King a household name, and one of the most successful and revered songwriters in pop music history. This album will form the centrepiece of the Tapestry concert created by the producer/director of the smash hit At Last: The Etta James Story. All three performers have been inspired by the work of Carole King and the Tapestry album.
For 25 years, the glorious voice of Vika Bull, has comprised one of the most distinctive, versatile and emotionally charged sounds on the Australian music landscape. Since a multi-platinum conquest of pop radio with the Black Sorrows in the late 1980s, Vika Bull has forged a diverse pathway into soul, gospel, blues, country and the island music of her Tongan ancestry.
Her rich solo vocals and instinctive harmonies have spawned eight albums with her sister Linda, as well as studio and concert performances by Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, John Farnham, Hunters & Collectors, Tim Finn, Kasey Chambers, John Butler and Dan Sultan. Since 2013 Vika has been performing to packed houses in theatres around Australia in the smash hit concert At Last – The Etta James Story.
Like Vika, Debra Byrne is an Australian music icon. At age 14 she was chosen as one of six original team members of Young Talent Time. By the time Debra was 16 she had won a Logie and the Queen of Pop award and had a single at number one for seven weeks.
In the 80s she found her true home of musical theatre with roles in Cats, Jerry’s Girls, Les Miserables, Hot Shoe Shuffle and Sunset Boulevard. She has recorded three solo albums and starred in many Australian television series, most recently as Judy Moran in Fat Tony and Co.
A formidable musical talent, singer/songwriter/pianist and radio personality Monique diMattina recently returned to Australia after years living and working in New York City with the likes of Lou Reed, Bjork and a who’s who of jazz greats. She has released five albums on Head Records, including the celebrated Nola’s Ark, live in New Orleans with an all-star cast of musicians from the bands of Harry Connick Jnr and Dr John, and performs with Clare Bowditch and The Melbourne Tango Quintet, and her music features regularly on ABC, BBC London and local radio.
Tapestry: The Songs of Carole King
Playhouse – Arts Centre Melbourne, 100 St. Kilda Road, Melbourne
Dates: Friday 5 & Saturday 6 August 2016
Information and Bookings: www.artscentremelbourne.com.au
Image: Vika Bull and Debra Byrne