Kate Westbrook
Vocalist, librettist, performance artist
Earth Felt the Wound
by Kate Westbrook & The Granite band is released on 31st July 2020 with Proper Music Distribution
“One of the most unique, expressive and flexible voices one could find between the Atlantic and the Urals’ (Jazz Magazine, France), Kate acknowledges no musical boundaries. Her distinctive, theatrically-charged vocal style, and her intensely personal lyrics, have won her an international reputation, whether in the context of Jazz/Rock band, theatre group or Contemporary Music ensemble.
In Granite, an album inspired by her love of Dartmoor and its granite quarries, Kate’s strikingly original libretto is matched by Mike Westbrook’s genre-busting score, brilliantly performed by her 7-piece Granite Band. The Band features on Kate’s most recent album Earth Felt The Wound, a further collaboration with producer Jay Auborn. Earth Felt The Wound marries state-of-the-art music and lyrics that explore contemporary themes with irony and passion, and draws outstanding performances from The Granite Band: saxophonist Roz Harding, guitarists Jesse Molins and Matthew North, bass guitarist/vocalist Billie Bottle, pianist Mike Westbrook and drummer Coach York.
“One of the UK’s most individual singers, Kate Westbrook,- her extraordinary impact is best savoured live.”
Chris Parker - The Times
“No one has succeeded in creating a more distinctive body of work than Kate and Mike Westbrook. Their mixture of jazz, music theatre, poetry, street entertainment and visuals is rich and unique."
Dave Gelly - The Observer
Reviews of Granite:
"Kate can rock out on the opening energies of Tracks of Desire, and be yearning personified on Curlew Cry…Magical."
Andy Robson Jazzwise
“An ace song cycle with a varied and versatile sound featuring forays into rock and blues with Kate’s persuasive voice as guide."
Sid Smith PROG magazine
“The South-West supergroup… very hard, granular, crystalline, and totally rock solid.”
Richard Lee London Jazz