Babe Gurr

"In which Gurr departs from her usual singer-songwriter folk-influenced pop to make this surprising record. A little Latin, a little Italian, a shot of blues form the foundation to her own songwriting". - Tom Harrison, The Province

The Garage CD of the Week: SideDish
"As the title of SideDish suggests, Babe Gurr has taken a detour from her usual high standard singer-writer offerings to make a record that embraces rhythms of a global nature. She has adapted her own songwriting to latin, European and middle-eastern arrangements with one trip to New Orleans for “Voodoo Love,” her take on Bo Diddley blues. From mournful (the Italian ”Solo Mia”) to timely (“The World Is Calling” makes you think of the uprisings in Northern Africa), Gurr reveals breadth as well as depth." Tom Harrison, The Province
- The Province

Babe Gurr – SideDish
2011, Elan Records Canada

Babe Gurr continues her rise through the world of folk and Americana. Her last album, Chocolate Lilly, earned rave reviews in both the U.S. and Canada, and led to a series of high profile concerts in both countries. Gurr’s songs have also been featured on a number of shows on U.S. television, including the FOX series Higher Ground. Gurr’s songwriting has also been lauded in venues such as the Billboard World Song Contest, the 12th Great American Song Contest, and the Sonic Bids Nashville Song Contest, the latter of which she won. Gurr recently released her latest effort, SideDish, a collection of eight originals and two covers with an international flair.

SideDish opens with “I’m Just Here To Dance”, a gritty tango, and Gurr’s voice is as sultry as the dance itself. Gurr is a master storyteller, and proves it once again here. “Solo Mia” is an absolutely gorgeous performance, with Gurr’s earthy alto the perfect complement to a great arrangement. “The World Is Calling” is a wonderfully dark world/rock number that blends Middle Eastern and Western sounds in a vibrant and driven arrangement. “I Will Be” is a pure love song; a promise of devotion with surprisingly melancholic undertones. The song is dark and urgent; moving in an almost needful way.

“Voodoo Love” is bluesy, elemental folk/rock ala Bonnie Raitt; a catchy number with an unforgettable chorus. This is Gurr at her finest. “My Love” and “Let’s Find A Way” are both solid entries, and lead to the closer, “Rio’s Lullaby”. The song is an apt closer, a gentle goodnight that highlights Gurr’s voice as the supreme instrument it is.

Babe Gurr’s SideDish definitely walks a different musical line than we have heard from her in the past, but it is a worthwhile one to follow. Gurr shows a versatility of language and style that is unique in modern music; not just an ability to cover different ground but a depth of perception and musical understanding that is startling. Gurr’s voice, as always, is a pleasure, and the journey she takes on SideDish is one that listeners will prize.

Rating: 4 Stars (Out of 5)

- Wildy's World

SideDish CD Review "Eclectic mix of assorted styles - Spanish, Italian, South American, Middle Eastern - make for an interesting listen. Guitars, violins, mandolins, accordions, horns, stand-up bass, pianos, synths and exotic percussion add a wide range of colours and nuances to Gurr's rhythmically propulsive pop. Her voice is rich and warm, complementing the subjective lyrics. DOWNLOAD THIS: "Let's Find a Way". 4 out of 5 stars

- TV Week, Greg Potter

Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Review: Babe Gurr - Chocolate Lilly


Babe Gurr - Chocolate Lilly
2008, Elan Records Canada

Babe Gurr. What a name. The folk/rock singer-songwriter from Vancouver Island, British Columbia has been turning heads for years with her blend of roots/blues/pop. Shaped by intelligent, sometimes funny lyrics, memorable melodies and strong arrangements, Gurr lights up her songs with an engaging presence and a sandy and sultry voice you won't forget. Gurr's latest release, Chocolate Lilly, continues in the vein of her earlier works. It's a stunningly beautiful and poignant musical experience.

Gurr starts with great songs and one of the tightest backing bands south of the arctic circle. Chocolate Lilly opens with Hard To Get Over Me, a soulful warning that's part Lucinda Williams and part Bonnie Raitt. If you ever want to court Gurr or a woman like her, listen closely to Love Is Tough. It's a statement of terms for a relationship, and probably one of the most commercial songs on the album. I Give Myself To You is destined for weddings, mix-tapes and scenes involving young men with box radios below the windows of ladies they adore. This is one of those classic love songs that with the right bit of commercial exposure would become the wedding theme of a generation. It avoids cliché while making an honest and forthright statement of devotion. The melody is memorable and won't leave you anytime soon. Gurr also pulls back a little back here vocally, sounding more like Shawn Colvin than Bonnie Raitt.

Babe Gurr is absolutely inspired on her cover of Ray Charles' Unchain My Heart. The song drips with soul and desire driven by Gurr's sultry voice. Larger Than Life frames a philosophy centered on taking life by the horns and having no regrets. It's a great Americana arrangement with real pop hooks. Make sure also to check out Understanding, a poignant look at inequality and the ultimate remedy. Other highlights include the title track, Chocolate Lilly, Now You're Gone and Break Thru.

Babe Gurr is the sort of talent who doesn't come along all that often, and her star is on the rise. Her music has already been tapped for the US television show Higher Ground, as well as being a guest on Canadian shows Canada AM and The Jim Byrnes Show. It's only a matter of time before Gurr's star rises above the Canadian Content Rule and she truly becomes an International artist. Chocolate Lilly is the clearest sign that she is ready, taking everything Gurr has done so well to this point in her career and raising her game another notch. It's an inspired performance.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5) - Wildy's World

GARY ALLEN’S MUSIC CITY BEAT

January #42 EDITED BY GARY ALLEN & TAMAR FLEISHMAN

Gary Allen's Sonic Bids Song Of The Month Winner!

Song: Hard To Get Over Me

Artist: Babe Gurr

Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada

Babe Gurr is the debut Sonic Bids Music City Song of The Month Winner for 2009, and raised the bar for the new year! The producer for The Neville Brothers and Ramones, say her songs are the best he has heard in years. I agree. Babe's songs are well written and frankly she sings her ass off. A great song has to have a catchy melody, believable delivery and a hook. I honestly struggled with trying to pick the best one of the four she submitted. If I were a record label and looking for an artist that is "radio ready", I would sign Babe on the dotted line. And you know what else? She is cute as a button, humble and polite. Pay attention Nashville, Babe and I have done all the work. If you would have signed Bonnie Raitt or Sheryl Crow you would sign Babe Gurr. I have spoken, and I didn't stutter. This Canadian chick rocks!

Gary Allen
(JJ Cale, The Charlie Daniels Band, Stonewall Jackson)
- Gary Allen's Music City Beat

A single-malt & a pair of Daytons
Babe Gurr
“Chocolate Lilly”

by Lyndell Montgomery

So I received Babe Gurr’s album Chocolate Lilly in the post the other day, put the disc in my computer and went into the kitchen to
chop up the necessary root veggies for the perfect post snowshoeing soup. Hard To
Get Over Me started playing and immediately I went back to the computer to turn it up. I
didn’t actually make it back to the kitchen or out into the pristine winter day for a snowshoeing
adventure or near any other item on my perpetual to do list until the last chord of the album, combined with the smell of burning
onions, snapped me back into reality.

Her voice is as smooth and transcendent as 15-year single malt and makes me want to
pour myself a generous glass of the amber libation. I find myself conjuring up artists like
Mary Gauthier and Gillian Welch, thinking of places like 12th & Porter in Nashville, wanting to put on a cowboy hat, a pair of Dayton
boots and swagger through town like I’d just won the big poker game.

Lyrically, Babe can sculpt an image that leaves you thinking like Auguste Rodin. Lines such as “Your face embedded in me like a
religion” from the track Love is Tough leave no room for doubting the authenticity of this
songwriter. The musicianship, instrumentation choices, production value and most importantly songs themselves are all top shelf
and friends come join the party because it’s an open bar. If roots/folk/rock/Gospel is even
your part time thing, then add Babe Gurr to your list of artists worthy of your time.
- BC Musician Magazine

Babe Gurr / Feb 21, 2009 / Wosk Cabaret / Vancouver, Canada

The Wosk Cabaret including the stage was completely shrouded in darkness on the evening of February 21st, at the Chutzpah! Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, as the first few lines of singer / songwriter Babe Gurr’s song, “Understanding,” broke the silence. It was a fitting way to begin Gurr’s concert, by putting the focus on her voice, because despite being an excellent songwriter and an adept acoustic guitarist, it is her smooth, effortless vocals that leave you breathless. The Canadian west coast artist’s music which would be considered Americana if she lived south of the 49th parallel and in this case might be more appropriately described as Canadiana, is drawn from her life experiences, and ranges from love songs such as the pretty, “I Give Myself To You,” and the social commentary of, “Newsreel Paranoia.”

If not for the very restrictive American policy which makes it extremely difficult for Canadian musicians to perform in the United States, Babe Gurr would probably be a household name in most American cities. The lilt of her voice is not unlike Bonnie Raitt and she is backed by a superb group of musicians, which on this evening consisted of several multi instrumentalists; Lisa Simons (bass, trombone and background vocals), Nick Apivor (electric keys / percussion), Tom Neville (violin / mandolin) and Paul Pigat (acoustic and slide guitars).

During the third song of the first of two sets, “Break Thru,” Gurr traded her guitar for her ukulele, and despite the difference in instrumentation, the first few riffs of the song sounded reminiscent of America’s, “A Horse With No Name,” before the tempo changed. The song, whose theme is about wishing you could change your station in life, featured fat, deep notes emanating from Simons’ trombone, as well as superb backup vocals from Pigat and Simons.

The next two songs in the set were the gorgeous love song, “I Give Myself To You,” featuring Gurr on her acoustic guitar, with Pigat riding shotgun on rhythm guitar, and Apivor serving up some scrumptious ear candy on the electric keys, and then the band played, “Resolve,” a tune that encourages us to make sure we take of personal business and resolve the differences between ourselves and others, because we never know what tomorrow may hold. The underlying missive lies in the last line of the song, “Is it too late to love who we are?” The song possesses a slow, lazy tempo, and Babe Gurr’s sensitive phrasing evokes powerful emotions from the listener.

Highlights from Babe Gurr’s second set included, her original, “Hard To Get Over Me,” a song whose rhythm, groove and sass remind one of Bonnie Raitt’s, “Something To Talk About.” “Hard To Get Over Me,” is a foot tapping, hand clapping song, which once again showcases Gurr’s outstanding voice, and some double-stopping by violinist Tom Neville.

Gurr’s song, “Chocolate Lilly,” is a tune which was inspired by a flower native to the Pacific Northwest, the chocolate colored lilly, with a very pungent scent. Gurr uses both the flower and her song as a metaphor for people who are a little different than the rest, but turning the tables and helping them to understand that it is their differences that make them unique and special. Lisa Simons shone as she provided the supporting vocals.

Throughout the evening, those in attendance were wowed by the musical capabilities of Gurr and her bandmates, and in fact, as this reviewer was leaving the venue, several groups of fans commented about the outstanding musicians in the group. One of the real treats during this concert was witnessing the fine hand played percussion of Nick Apivor as he demonstrated his skill with the cajon. For her part, Gurr proved her proficiency on the acoustic guitar, ukulele and the banjo. The banjo came into play, when she offered up her interpretation of Bobby Sharp’s, “Unchain My Heart,” a song first recorded by Trini Lopez, but which most music fans have come to associate with Ray Charles, and in later years Joe Cocker. Gurr’s rendition was outstanding and as her concert drew to a close; her vocals were surprisingly just as strong as when she had begun the evening.

Babe Gurr is not a solitary figure on stage, but has surrounded herself with outstanding musicians, with whom she often engages in guitar duets or she simply courts the other instrumentalists during the concert. She is comfortable dialoguing with her audience and she is genuinely funny, without her humor being contrived.

You can visit Babe Gurr’s website here.

Feb 21, 2009

Review by Joe Montague, all rights reserved protected by copyright

- Riveting Riffs

“Vancouver singer-songwriter Babe Gurr can hook you with a melody. Chocolate Lilly, latest from the indie artist, does that right from the opening rock tune Hard to Get Over Me, with its cool guitar and honky-tonk piano, to the closing Understanding, which should be a radio single. There are single possibilities all of the place…Gurr sings with a husky sensuality, delivering her lyrics with both urgency and warmth…”

Marke Andrews, Vancouver Sun - Vancouver Sun

“With Steve Dawson’s delicious slide on his Weissenborn lap steel Vancouver singer/songwriter Babe Gurr opens her fourth and best realized album to date. The song is “Hard to Get Over Me”, a feisty little tune Bonnie Raitt could have fun with and just the right start to this 10-song set. She produced and as earthy and acoustic as she’s cast the songs there’s classic R&B feel that pops up in her writing, especially on the hooky “Unchain My Heart.” “Set Free” is a solid melody but the highlight is certainly the heartbroken “Now You’re Gone.” B rating

John P. McLaughlin, The Province - The Province

"Her roots-based style is grounded and earthy, making it a great would-be companion to a film or television soundtrack. The acoustic, but rocking sound on many of the songs on Chocolate Lilly are tailor-made for (Bonnie) Raitt’s attitude-laden, gravelly voice”.

Amy O’Brian, Vancouver Sun
- Vancouver Sun

“The fourth album of rootsy, bluesy country-folk from the local songsmith whose style recalls the likes of John Hiatt and Bonnie Raitt. Rustic-sounding production lends a woodshedding appeal to well-crafted topical tunes played with genuine smarts and charm. Head and shoulders above typical indie crud.” 4 out of 5 stars

Greg Potter, TV Week
- TV Week

"blew me away…knocked me out! babe's songs are the best I've heard in years!"

Fernando Kral - Record Producer ("The Neville Brothers", "The Ramones")
New York
- Internet Review

Album: Chocolate Lilly / Artist: Babe Gurr / 10 tracks / country / blues / roots / May 24th, 2008

Chocolate Lilly, is the fourth album from Babe Gurr, an artist whose name is as intriguing as the title of her CD, begins with the original tune, “Hard To Get Over Me,” a song in which Gurr’s vocals sound like they are channelling Bonnie Raitt. The singer / songwriter plays acoustic guitar, while pianist Rick Hopkins’ playing borders on stride.

The second track, “Love Is Tough,” is more of a country love ballad, than it is a blues song. Gurr sings about how love is not an easy road, despite what the Pollyannas of the world will tell you. The message of this song is the same one that women have been trying to communicate to men for as long as guys have been trying to convince ladies to fall in love with them, “I need to feel that I am special / not just another girl you play.” The singer tells her man I do not want you to compare me to your last love, I want to be your new love, and “I wanna’ wash away your last love.” Gurr’s alto vocals convey a vulnerability that suggests she has some personal investment in these lyrics.

Two tracks on this album rise above the rest, the third song, “Chocolate Lilly,” and “I Give Myself 2U.” “Chocolate Lilly,” possesses an easygoing melody, with good hooks and some nice mellow fat notes from trombonist Brad Muirhead. The woman in the song, “Chocolate Lilly,” doesn’t fit into a vanilla world that pressures her to conform, to always be politically correct and to never step out of line. The singer’s lament asks how she will ever fit into a messed up world. “I Give Myself 2U,” is a tender love ballad, which portrays the heart of a woman who has learned to trust completely in another, as reflected in the singer’s words, “I let my guard down / My love has come around / I give myself to you.” Pianist Nick Apivor serves up a very pretty bridge. Lee Worden’s backup vocals on both of these songs, is worth listening for.

Nine of the ten tracks on the CD Chocolate Lilly, including the last track “Understanding,” are original tunes by Gurr. “Understanding,” reflects the fabric of Vancouver, Canada, the city that Gurr calls home. Perhaps Canada’s most culturally and ethnically diverse city, Vancouver is also awash in challenges posed by drug wars, violence, and immigrants trying to find their way in a new country. In a city, a province and a country that has spent billions of dollars to host the 2010 Olympics, perhaps there is message in this song ithat needs to be heard by the politicians and bureaucrats.

Gurr trades in her guitar for a banjo and ukulele on “Larger Than Life,” and as she sings Rod Murray’s muted trombone provides a pretty accompaniment.

Joe Montague, Rivetingriffs.com



- Riveting Riffs