Kerri Simpson sings the Blues like Kerri Simpson, not imitating but initiating, singing from the heart. Whatever genre of music Kerri places her vocal abilities in she mix's all she's absorbed in her life and musical experiences and develops her own unique sound which comes straight from her soul."
Paul Parello Radio WRMN Chicago

Few singers anywhere have so successfully traversed musical genres as Kerri Simpson. The woman dubbed as “Australia’s own Blues diva” by Bruce Elder of the SMH has made herself a home in a myriad of genres. This led MHS critic Lee Howard to write of her commanding vocal abilities “ Kerri Simpson could sing the phone book and knock an audience out!” In the 90's her original rock albums inspired author and music critic Andrew Masterson to call her “ The "thinking mans Courtney Love" and along with her band Veve she was featured alongside Beth Orton on Fritz radio in Berlin when her " The Arousing cd " was their number one. Her dance records saw her compared to Patti la Belle and Chaka Khan and “ Higher” became popular on the London underground dance scene, she toured with Kylie and ,although due to contractual reasons they remain unreleased, Todd Terry remixed songs she recorded with EXP alongside Ollie Olsen and Gus Till. But it is in the roots music field that Kerri is really at home. Having spent her formative years as a musician playing and writing in the US and Europe her blues albums are showcased on Chicago radio and receive regular play there. Crossing over into world music Simpson's 'Vodou Songs of the Spirits' was Rhythms Magazines world music album of the year. Her 2003 award winning album 'Suns' Gonna Shine' stayed in the Australian roots charts for nine weeks. “Maybe by Midnight” saw Kerri and her band knockin on country’s backdoor with dreamy barroom ballads, laments of long lost loves and raunchy rockabilly all recorded with the bands inimitable style. Her next release due later this year highlights Simpson’s production and writng skills with tracks co written with Australi’s finest roots musicians, Matt Walker, Jeff Lang, Geoff Achison, Shannon Bourne and the inimitable Charles Jenkins. She can also be heard wailing through the title and gospel tracks on the soundtrack of Bran Nue Dae.

In 1998 Kerri traveled to Haiti and New Orleans to make field recordings of Vodou rituals and compose songs for her forthcoming "Songs of the Spirits" cd. Compositions for the album were co written with David Bridie, Ollie Olsen, Ray Periera, Chris Wilson, Paul Kelly, Lou Bennett, and Simon Polinski and in New Orleans with Norman Caesar, Jason Neville and Tajee Quilens. A double cd, one disk features songs recorded with the Achade Group from the hounfor cd of Houngan Edgar Jean Louis in Port au Prince, whilst the other cd features the original tracks. The recordings were featured on the US documentary “ Island of Salvation”

Later in 1998 she recorded "Confessin' the Blues" , which was nominated for an Aria award , with a host of the country’s finest players. The cd received airplay in the US, Canada and Australia and was nominated in the 1999 ARIA Awards. After the band’s showcase at the East Coast Blues and Roots festival, Patrick Donovan from The Age newspaper dubbed Kerri "Australia's Queen of blues" and the band "one of the country's finest blues bands" their overall performance as a "highlight of the festival". Shortly after Kerri supported Dr John and Keb Mo on their national tour. As a result of that release and her previous work in New Orleans, Kerri was invited to perform with Norman and Ricki Caesar, Jason and Aaron Neville Jnr at the 1999 Jazz and Heritage Festival, making Kerri one of the few Australians to appear at the prestigious festival and the first Australian female to perform there.

Her first cd “Vévé”, was released early 1993 the songs demonstrating a musical maturity matched by the vocal performance within. “Vévé” was followed by the full-length album “The Arousing” in 1995, and in 1996 Kerri's third album “Speak” was released with much critical acclaim.

CD Releases

Veve Ind
The Arousing Ind
Speak Ind
Confessin the Blues Viridian
Vodou Songs of the Spirits Ind
Sun gonna shine Belmore
Knockin at the backdoor series
1 Maybe by midnight Mescalito /Origin

Projects
Higher Razor records
Kiss her goodbye Razor records
Turkey Neck lasso Ind
Psy Harmonics comp #1 Psy Harmonics

Film

Big Night Out (Australia 1990)
Last Drinks (Australia 1998)
Island of Salvation (US 1998)
Tempted soundtrack ( US 2000)
Nomad SBS tv special 1993
Bran Nue Dae

Print
"Lakes of memory' chapter: Witch; a magikal year by F Horne (1999)


Web address: www.kerrisimpson.com
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