 [Photo: Stuart Blythe] |
The voice of Ian Moss has modestly purred beneath his searing guitar playing for more than 30 years – but no longer. For his sixth solo album, Soul on West 53rd, Ian’s sweet, soaring vocal is the pivot around which famed American producer Danny Kortchmar has built a rich, soulful sound, drawing on classic songs from the likes of Sam Cooke, Al Green, Otis Redding and Bill Withers. Unleashing this surge of soul power has unlocked a whole new chapter in Mossy’s performing career, which ironically was triggered by his appearances on the television series It Takes Two that highlighted vocal duets.
“When I put aside the guitar and sang a few soul ballads on that show, people were suddenly listening to me differently. They’d say ‘Yeah, we knew you sang, but we didn’t know you could really sing’. It was both flattering and frustrating. I kept wondering what they thought I’d been doing for past 30 years. It showed that there was a different side of my music that hadn’t really been heard by enough people before.” |
The vehicle for this expression is Soul on West 53rd, named after Avatar Studios in New York City (previously known as The Power Station) where the album was recorded. Its genesis was a strong rapport between Ian and Danny Kortchmar, who suggested a stunning array of songs that fit neatly with Mossy’s ideas. Working together, they mined a reef of classics – including Standing In The Shadows Of Love by The Four Tops and Shake by Otis Redding – and unearthed forgotten gems that oozed ageless charm. “I’d never even heard Any Day Now by Chuck Jackson until Danny played it to me, but you instantly recognise it as a great song. It’s classic soul that’s still going to sound fresh to an audience’s ears.” They even took a fresh slant on familiar songs, injecting rich soul to BB King’s great blues ballad Hummingbird.
And now Ian Moss will be taking his songs old and new on the road ‘round Australia with special guest Wes Carr on the national ‘Shake It Up’ tour.
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OCTOBER Thu 08-Oct – PROSERPINE CULTURAL CENTRE – Prosperpine QLD Fri 09-Oct – CIVIC THEATRE – Townsville QLD Sat 10-Oct – BROTHERS LEAGUES CLUB – Cairns QLD Sun 11-Oct – IRON BAR HOTEL – Port Douglas QLD Tue 13-Oct – MAGPIES MACKAY – Mackay QLD Wed 14-Oct – GLADSTONE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE – Gladstone QLD Thu 15-Oct – THE BROLGA THEATRE – Maryborough QLD Fri 16-Oct – THE AVONDALE TAVERN – Avondale QLD Sat 17-Oct – CALOUNDRA RSL – Sunshine Coast QLD Sun 18-Oct – THE BOARDWALK TAVERN – Gold Coast – Hope Island QLD Wed 21-Oct – HALLAM HOTEL – Hallam VIC Thu 22-Oct – SANDBELT HOTEL – Moorabin VIC Fri 23-Oct – FERNTREE GULLY HOTEL – Ferntree Gully VIC Sat 24-Oct – CHELSEA HEIGHTS HOTEL – Chelsea Heights VIC Sun 25-Oct – SHOPPINGTOWN HOTEL – Doncaster VIC Thu 29-Oct – MACKSVILLE EX-SERVICES CLUB – Macksville NSW Fri 30-Oct – SAWTELL RSL – Sawtell NSW Sat 31-Oct – BELMONT 16FT SAILING CLUB – Belmont / Newcastle NSW NOVEMBER Sun 01-Nov – IMPERIAL HOTEL – Tamworth NSW Wed 04-Nov – THE BASEMENT – Sydney NSW Thu 05-Nov – THE BASEMENT – Sydney NSW Fri 06-Nov – GOVERNOR HINDMARSH – Adelaide SA Sat 07-Nov – GOVERNOR HINDMARSH – Adelaide SA Sun 08-Nov – ESPLANADE HOTEL – Busselton WA Wed 11-Nov – SETTLERS TAVERN – Margaret River WA Thu 12-Nov – RAVENSWOOD HOTEL – Mandurah WA Fri 13-Nov – FLY BY NIGHT – Fremantle WA Sat 14-Nov – CHARLES HOTEL – North Perth WA Sun 15-Nov – WINTERSUN HOTEL – Geraldton WA Thu 19-Nov – PARRAMATTA LEAGUES CLUB – Parramatta NSW Fri 20-Nov – DEE WHY RSL – Dee Why NSW Sat 21-Nov – ROOTY HILL RSL – Rooty Hill NSW Fri 27-Nov – LAUNCESTON COUNTRY CLUB – Launceston TAS Sat 28-Nov – WRESTPOINT SHOWROOM – Hobart TAS DECEMBER Thu 10-Dec – VILLA NOOSA HOTEL – Noosa QLD Fri 11-Dec – SOUTHPORT RSL – Southport QLD Sat 12-Dec – MANSFIELD TAVERN – Mansfield QLD Sun 13-Dec – VICTORIA POINTS SHARKS CLUB – Brisbane Eastern Bayside QLD Thu 17-Dec – MITTAGONG RSL – Mittagong NSW Fri 18-Dec – DAPTO LEAGUES – Dapto NSW Sat 19-Dec – DAVISTOWN RSL – Davistown NSW |
Tickets on sale at venues or usual outlets.
www.ianmoss.com.au / www.liberation.com.au
Ian Moss – Soul On West 53rd
Released on Liberation Music October 16, 2009