The exciting line up for this year’s eighth jazz festival in August just gets better and better as organisers are delighted to confirm the appearance of award winning singer and songwriter Rumer at St Mary’s church, Rye on Saturday August 24.
Rumer and her partner composer/arranger Rob Shirakbari are travelling especially from America to perform a UK exclusive and truly unique afternoon solo concert. The performance will include Rumer’s favourite songs from her collaborations with the legendary Burt Bacharach and her own impressive highly esteemed repertoire.
Rumer is a British pop singer songwriter whose debut album “Seasons of My Soul” (2010) sold over a million copies worldwide and since then she has released “Boys Don’t Cry” (2012), where she did justice to some of pop’s finest melodists, including Todd Rundgren, Hall & Oates, Jimmy Webb, Paul Williams and Isaac Hayes.
She was nominated for two Brit awards in January 2011 and has performed at several major international festivals including Glastonbury. In 2010 she performed with British jazz singer Jamie Cullum at the Royal Variety Performance and in the same year Elton John invited Rumer to be his special guest at his BBC Electric Proms concert.
On May 9 2012, Rumer performed at the White House in a tribute concert honouring the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, singing the Bacharach-David song “A House Is Not a Home”.
Rumer, who has been called “heir to Dusty Springfield and Karen Carpenter” by Q magazine, has earned rave reviews for her live shows across the globe and has already dazzled audiences all over the world. Her success has seen her perform for President Barack Obama at the White House, as well as the Queen at Buckingham Palace.
In November 2016 she released an album entitled “This Girl’s In Love, A Bacharach & David Songbook” which features Bacharach himself on piano and a collaboration between Rumer and her musical partner.
“This lady has a golden voice” – Burt Bacharach, “Sensational” – The Sunday Times
Rumer’s concert announcement completes an all star line up of six world class headline concerts taking place at St Mary’s, August 24-26. Tickets are on sale and selling fast for these superb concerts, which include Beverley Knight on the evening of Saturday August 24. New Orleans jazz and blues giant Jon Cleary performs a special afternoon show on Sunday August 25 and on the same evening American blues icon Lucky Peterson and his band perform at the headline concert.
Monday August 26 sees the highly acclaimed British jazz group the “Kansas Smitty’s House Band” perform an afternoon show with their unique blend of jazz and closing this year’s festival with an evening concert will be folk, rock guitarist, the legendary Richard Thompson.
The festival programme also includes superb free outdoor music performances, music workshops, marching bands and music taking place at many fringe venues across the town – think New Orleans in Rye!
Remember to put these dates in your diary, tickets are now on sale through the festival website and can also be purchased at Grammar School Records on the High Street.
Image Credits: Rye Jazz Festival .