grand opera house - york
york press - june 2005
While we were aware who Elkie Brooks was - a singer who sang Lilac Wine and Don't Cry Out Loud - what we did not realise was just how talented this dainty lady is. Backed by five incredibly-talented musicians, she took us through two hours of jazz, rock and blues music that had the theatre cheering and clapping throughout.
Elkie, who has a powerful voice, has handpicked her band with precision from the French piano player Jean Rousell, totally at ease recreating the jazz joints n downtown Memphis, to the saxophonist Steve Jones who made us feel as if we were back in New Orleans. Lee Noble provided backing vocals with a bouncy enjoyment that made a refreshing change to the usual more sedate style of backing singers.
Elkie sang an electic mix of songs from Rod Stewart, The Carpenters and Gallagher and Lyle and really won our hearts with her version of Travelln' Light, giving Billie Holiday a run for her money.
We hadn't realised just how wide Elkie's vocal range was - hitting the excessively high notes not just once, but holding them for some time with out the need of an inhaler!
In the second half, we were treated to a selection of self penned numbers starting off with a great bouncy number called Electric Lady, and finishing with several rock numbers which had the audience tapping and swaying in their seats.
The evening finished far too soon for out liking, and Elkie closed of the best versions we have heard of the song "We've Got Tonight". An excellent evening of entertainment by a very talented lady.
- Beth and Brian Dale
cabot hall - london
the guardian - september 2005
It has been a great month for veterans. The Rolling Stones and Dionne Warwick are on tour and in remarkably good form after 43 years apiece; now, here comes Elkie Brooks to show that she too can still bring an audience to their feet after nearly 45 years in the music business.
Brooks has never quite shaken off the MOR image that she acquired in the 1980s, thanks to the bestselling Pearls albums - but she should never be dismissed simply because she became the darling of middle England. She started out as a jazz singer working with Humphrey Lyttelton, and was a key member of the 1970s rock band Vinegar Joe, in which she co-starred with the late Robert Palmer.
Even after all these years, she was still at her best when she forgot the standards and switched to blues and gutsy blues-tinged rock songs.
On stage in London's docklands, she looked in great form. Her appearances with Vinegar Joe were notoriously wild and alcohol-fuelled, but here, she was elegant and still raunchy when required.
She opened the concert with a burst of rock nostalgia - Rod Stewart's Gasoline Alley - and then proceeded to show just how versatile she can be. Her own hits were included, of course, with Fool If You Think It's Over and Lilac Wine embellished with some good solo work from her band. There was a sturdy new country-rocker, co-written with her son, and there were the predictable grand ballads such as
Don't Cry Out Loud.
Then came the reminders of how great a singer she can be. The first set included a delicate treatment of Billie Holiday's classic jazz ballad Travelling Light, along with a driving Muddy Waters blues number. And the highlight of the second was her stomping yet subtle version of the Doors' Roadhouse Blues. Elkie Brooks is still one of the great British voices.
- Robin Denslow
the playhouse - weston
bbc cornwall - november 2005
Elkie Brooks performed at The Playhouse in Weston-super-Mare on Tuesday 22 November, 2005. BBC Somerset reviewer Mike Elliott went along to the gig to check it out. Any performer, who makes a living from live performance, knows the importance of making an impact as soon as they step onto the stage.
Her first two numbers hit the audience right between the eyes. She started with a funky version of The Hollies' classic, Gasoline Alley and then continued with a classic, popularised by The Carpenters. The show continued in this vein, with classic following classic, many of which have been hits for Elkie Brooks herself.
Elkie had celebrated an important birthday this year - she was 60 in March. As she turned professional at the age of 15, it means she's now in her sixth decade as a performer. She looked a little slimmer than when she visited Weston a year ago, and certainly has a figure that would be the envy of ladies half of her age.
One new innovation for Elkie was to include some blues numbers, previously recorded by Billie Holiday and Muddy Waters, as well as a number she penned in conjunction with her son, Jermaine. The six-piece band that she has assembled were excellent, particularly Jean Roussel, the Anglo-French keyboard player.
This was a significant date for this concert, as it was the second anniversary of the day that England lifted the Rugby World Cup. Surprisingly, it passed without mention from the stage - I thought the entire population of the British Isles watched that match. Obviously, I am wrong!
What I know that I am right on, though, is that Elkie Brooks is a consummate performer - well worth travelling to see, wherever she plays in this area. I look forward to watching her for decades to come.
- Mike Elliott
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