More From The Heart follows the critically acclaimed 2022 debut, Heart of Mine by composer,
songwriter and pianist Ross Lorraine. Produced by Claire Martin, the recording features
leading vocalists Joanna Eden, Iain Mackenzie, Noemi Nuti, Irene Serra, Christine Tobin and
Charlie Wood.
Lorraine has chosen six contrasting vocalists who sing two songs each to better serve the
many genres and moods of the music. “Christine Tobin’s rich and emotional tones were a
natural choice for the more folk-oriented tracks,” explains Lorraine. “I was very pleased to
discover the voice of Charlie Wood, with its warmth and humanity, which seems to suit my
songs perfectly. I already knew and loved the singing of Irene Serra – she has a strong,
rhythmic style with a lot of character, that suited some of the more upbeat numbers, and
Noemi Nuti’s sweet, expressive singing suited the gentler tracks. And I was delighted to get to
know the singing of Joanna Eden, with her amazing vocal technique and emotional honesty,
who perfectly realised the two songs that probably mean the most to me on a personal level,
‘After You’ and ‘Down On My Knees’.”
Most of Lorraine’s songs come from personal feelings or experiences, often starting with an
improvised riff or melody that evokes a memory or emotional response including ‘After You’,
‘Down On My Knees’, ‘Human Kindness’ and ‘After All’. Others are imagined stories from
people’s lives – ‘Dear Betty’ was prompted by a genuine three-line Victorian letter: Dear Betty/
I hate you/ Love, George. ‘Scissors Paper Stone’, ‘Finding Our Feet’, and ‘Sleep My Darling’,
have associations with childhood, seen from the perspective of older age. Songs, such as
‘What You Got’, ‘He Said She Said’, Downtime’ and ‘You Never Knew Me’, have a more ironic
view on life and relationships.
I’ve always loved music from a wide variety of genres – jazz, classical, folk music from all
round the world, rock and pop. I was particularly influenced by singer-songwriters like Joni
Mitchell and James Taylor, and the story-telling style of Jacques Brel and Tom Waits; and my
own music has ranged from contemporary-classical, to music for theatre, tango, free
improvisation, jazz and everything in between,” says Lorraine. “I came to writing my own
songs quite late in life and with Heart Of Mine, I finally found my own voice as a lyricist. But it
is only in the collaboration with singers and players that the songs fully come to life.
Sometimes I am amazed at how close the interpretations come to my original idea of the
song, and sometimes I am pleasantly surprised by a version that I would never have thought
of.”
Wednesday 18 September 2024
Launch concert at Piano Smithfield, London
with Nicki Iles, Laurance Cottle & Ian Thomas
featuring Joanna Eden, Iain Mackenzie, Claire Martin, Noemi Nuti,
Irene Serra, Christine Tobin and Charlie Wood
More From The Heart is released on Ross Lorraine Records in association with ECN Music.
The album features Nicki Iles on piano, Mike Walker on guitar, Laurence Cottle on bass guitar
and drummer Ian Thomas. Joe Giddey plays cello on tracks on ‘Scissors Paper Stone’ and
‘Sleep My Darling’. The album was recorded and mixed by James McMillan who also plays
trumpet, flugelhorn and keyboards; mastered by Michael Scherchen and co-produced by
Ross Lorraine, Claire Martin OBE and James McMillan.
