The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Elkie Brooks: Byre in the Botanics
Botanic Garden, St Andrews, July 15
Elkie Brooks, queen of the blues, is coming to Byre in the Botanics (BITB) tomorrow for what promises to be a memorable concert.
It’s the fastest-selling the BITB has ever had and Liam Sinclair, artistic director at the Byre, says: “We are thrilled to be welcoming Elkie Brooks to play in front of a sold-out crowd at Byre In The Botanics.”
Known for her work with jazz musician and broadcaster Humphrey Lyttelton, and for hits such as Pearl’s a Singer, and Lilac Wine, Elkie’s illustrious career, spanning five decades, is no stranger to full houses, including venues as illustrious as the Royal Albert Hall.
In the 80s her Pearls album broke all records, staying in the charts for an incredible 105 weeks and becoming the biggest selling album by a female artist in UK history at the time.
The first step in Elkie’s musical career came in 1960, when at the tender age of 15, the young Elaine Bookbinder entered a very early reality show at Manchester’s Palace Theatre that promised to put the winner on a national pop package tour. Elkie was that winner, and so began her life on the road.
By 1997 she had achieved 15 hit albums and a new milestone was marked when the Guinness Book of Records confirmed she had chalked up more top 75 albums than any other British female artist in the last two decades.
In recent years her career has taken Elkie, now 72, in many different directions, from contemporary to traditional jazz, and even to Nashville for some country inspiration.
Famous for her bluesy voice and majestic stage presence, years of touring and performing mean her vocals are now stronger than ever and guaranteed to blow the audience away.
Still pushing the boundaries, she says when she looks back at some of her old work: “‘I could do it so much better now.”
At every performance, Elkie immerses herself totally in the songs, singing with a passion and depth of feeling few can match and the sheer joy is there for all to see.
She may have been on the road for more than 50 years but she’s not done yet. Tomorrow’s audience will see her in full flight, yet still aiming higher.
All Byre In The Botanics events take place in a fully covered and seated marquee in the beautiful Botanic Gardens in the heart of St Andrews.
There will be a fully-stocked licensed bar on site and local venison burgers on the barbecue.
BITB goes on until July 29 and tickets are still available for other major concerts, including Midge Ure and songwriting legends Gallagher and Lyle. standrewsbyreinthbotanics.com