Christopher Rees – I Shiver
Free Cinema Screening & Live Solo Performance at The Phoenix, Ton Pentre, Rhondda 8th Feb, 9pm.
Rhondda based singer songwriter Christopher Rees will present a ‘Free Cinema screening of his new music video ‘I Shiver’ at The Phoenix Cinema, Ton Pentre, Rhondda on Thursday 8th February at 9pm followed by a live solo performance.
The cinematic short film was shot on location around Llanwonno forest in the snow between
Christmas and New Year by multi-talented film maker / musician Chris Summerill from Cwmaman and features
some epic aerial photography by Aberdare drone pilot and photographer Les Davies. Set to the dramatic
intensity of Christopher Rees’s clawhammer banjo driven roots rock song ‘I
Shiver’ from his latest album ‘The
Nashville Songs’, the video shows the Rhondda landscape in all its glory
and recalls the widescreen beauty of a winter western.
“Initially I approached The Phoenix just to ask if it might be possible to just screen the video for our own pleasure of seeing it on the big screen, as we felt that it would look amazing on that scale”, said Rees. “But then Chris Summerill encouraged me to make it more of an event and let other people see it too. I also wanted to try and raise awareness of the amazing community run facility that we have in Ton Pentre so that more people might come out to help support and sustain such an historic and beautiful venue in the heart of The Rhondda”.
The cinema screening will begin at 9pm followed by a live solo performance by Christopher Rees. Entry is free to all.
The Phoenix, Church Rd, Ton Pentre, Rhondda, CF41 7EH.
Preview the video here… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5gOOne6W9g
Christopher Rees will open the show for the excellent Hayes Carll
at The Maze in Nottingham on Sunday 28th January 2018.
Zervas & Pepper - Plus support Christopher Rees.
Saturday 14/10/17, Clwb Ifor Bach. 8:00pm | £10 | 18+ (Ticket link...)
Zervas and Pepper are songwriters Paul Zervas & Kathryn Pepper from the South Coast of Wales. Hailed by tastemakers for their “Exquisitely harmonised, blissed-out Folk Rock” MOJO. While locking themselves away from the world in a cabin in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the duo wrote their forthcoming album, Wilderland. https://zervasandpepper.com/
Swn Festival 2017 Presents:
Tom McRae, Lowri Evans, Christopher Rees
St John's Church, St John's Crescent, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1NX
SQUEEZE - Support!!!
https://npttheatres.co.uk/pontardawe/events/squeeze/ SOLD OUT!
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Latest Press Interviews
Interview for Lonesome Highway check it out here...'To get some background on his latest Music City based album and life in general Lonesome Highway recently had the opportunity to catch up with Christopher'. http://lonesomehighway.com/interviews/
Interview for Americana UK
"Wonderfully sung, sharply recorded and must be one of the best British Americana records this year". (Americana UK)
http://americana-uk.com/christopher-rees-2
Christopher Rees to open the show for the legendary MAVIS STAPLES at Tramshed, Cardiff. 7th July 2017.
Christopher Rees will open the show for the legendary Mavis Staples when she visits Cardiff, Wales to perform at The Tramshed on 7th July 2017.
NEW ALBUM - OUT 30th June 2017.
Welsh singer-songwriter
Christopher Rees returns with his
long awaited new album, 'The Nashville Songs' on 30th June 2017 - an inspired collection of songs co-written with some of ‘Music
City’s finest writers.
Over 4 years since the critically acclaimed 2013 album ‘Stand Fast’, ‘The Nashville Songs’ displays a real maturity towards his craft while maintaining his individual sound and style. After first stepping onto the legendary Music Row back in 2009 Rees continued to make annual visits to Nashville to write and soon accumulated a healthy batch of songs that would became this his 7th full length album.
As a singer-songwriter who has toured with and earned the respect of ‘Country Outlaw’ legends like Steve Earle and Billy Joe Shaver, (who, actually inspired the song ‘A Place Upon My Face’) Christopher Rees has always written alone, finding his own distinct voice and path through music. The initial collaborative experience, although new and somewhat daunting, was exciting and immediately rewarding. Working with a diverse range of Nashville based writers, Rick Brantley, Mando Saenz, Amy Speace, Vida Wakeman and Sandy Cherryholmes (who’s CVs boast some serious country credentials, including songs for big hitters Miranda Lambert, LeAnne Womack, John Fullbright and regular favourites at The Grand Old Opry) the results were proof positive that the process was working.
While the raw work-tapes did the rounds, Rees was determined to develop the songs further, put his stamp on them and ensure that they see the light of day on a full album release of his own.
The album accommodates a wide range of styles from vintage old time country (The Unfamiliar Road, Forget To Regret), featuring the Pedal Steel Guitar of Canadian virtuoso Aaron Goldstein (Daniel Romano, City And Colour), to upbeat Rockabilly twang (Dance With Desire), featuring Welsh guitar hero John Lewis. Dark Appalachian clawhammer banjo, rustic bluegrass and stripped back acoustic storytelling are also employed to serve the songs. Lyrically, the recurring themes of life and death, sin and salvation, hope and despair are further explored with philosophical depth.
Recorded back home in Wales with drummer Dan Tilbury (Redlands Palomino Company), Rees plays almost everything else on perhaps his most accomplished album to date. Informed by the inspiration he found in Nashville with its rich history of country and folk music, the 14 songs assembled here provide a coherent insight into his dynamic, passionate and profound talents.
UNCUT Magazine (August 2017)
This months UNCUT reviews 'The Nashville Songs'!!!
“Offers a rich stylistic spread of Rees’ talents, topped by the ringing authority of his voice” (UNCUT)
Listen again to Christopher Rees performing 2 songs live in session and conversation with Janice Long on BBC Radio Wales here... http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08tn4f4
Interview begins at 1:14:40 into the show.
For your listening pleasure, here's the Penarth Soul Club show, ( 24th June 2017) featuring Christopher Rees live in session. He also picked some of his favourite soul records. Christopher will be supporting Mavis Staples at the Tramshed on Friday 7th July.
Click on this link to hear the show:
https://www.mixcloud.com/neil-muntte/penarth-soul-club-radio-cardiff-24-6-2017-christopher-rees-in-session/
Here Christopjer Rees perform a solo acoustic version of the Mavis Staples song 'You Are Not Alone' and 'The Unfamiliar Road' from the forthcoming new album 'The Nashville Songs' on BBC Radio Wales with Jamie Owen 11th June 2017. You can listen again here... http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08t3qlk Song 1 - from 15m.30secs and Song 2 - from 37m.30secs. Enjoy! ;-
