A Double Shot of Roots: Ben Jansz and Simon Phillips
Event description
A DOUBLE SHOT OF ROOTS
with Ben Jansz and Simon Phillips
Don’t miss the artistry of these two singer/songwriters and multi instrumentalists.
Recently The Coolroom has experienced spell binding skills from a number of singer songwriters and instrumentalists. This will be another such night. Ben and Simon have both filled big festival stages and small intimate venues with their incredible musical skills and soulful songs.
Ben Jansz
Prepare to be transported to another realm of music with Ben Jansz, the soulful and exhilarating singer/songwriter whose performances capture the hearts and minds of all who watch him.
Armed with a formidable array of instruments, including didgeridoo (yidaki), guitar, foot percussion, vocals, and various FX, Jansz blends together Folk, Rock, Aussie Roots & Blues, to create his signature sound. Inspired by nature's symphonies and the likes of John Butler, Ben Howard, and Matt Corby, Jansz brings his own unique vocals and skillful use of instruments to the mix to create something truly magical.
Having toured Australia several times, Jansz has graced audiences up and down the East Coast and NT, playing at intimate and popular venues and supporting local and national talent. He's also made appearances at festivals such as Rootbound, Orin Aya, Jungle Love, Rabbits Eat Lettuce, Dragon Dreaming, Wallaby Creek, Earth Frequency, and Byron Bay Guitar Festival, leaving audiences spellbound with his fiery expression and emotive message.
As a self-proclaimed "emotional activist", Jansz is more than just a musician - he's a storyteller who shares his experiences and emotions through his music. Once you hear his message and feel the raw emotion he brings to his performances, you'll be left feeling a little closer to yourself and the world around you.
‘A soulful and exhilarating singer/songwriter...’ TRIPLE J UNEARTHED
Simon Phillips
Simon Phillips has been described by Tommy Emmanuel as “a serious talent”. Simon is far from your typical guitarist, with a vast range of vocal melodies and using every limb in his body – his foot percussion that brings the beat, a tambourine and the sweet sounds from his Cole Clark. This virtuoso blends a distinctive and skilful sound that’s heavily steeped in soul, gospel, finger style and blues & roots. Did we mention the harmonica and mouth trumpet? Simon redefines the meaning of a one-man-band with the artistry that The Freemantle Herald called “Quite literally amazing…he should be listened to obsessively”.
His evocative lyrics express a voice deep within which talks of a raw human emotion that we all implicitly know. “It’s all about the fragility of the human condition, there are so many beautiful stories that need to be told… We need to document how people make change, and hopefully that will inspire change for the future”, Simon says.
“When you write something that you really feel in your heart, something so real from your own personal existence that it brings you to tears, you’re going to play it no matter what, isn’t that what it’s all about?” A natural born storyteller, Simon expresses his philosophy and poetry through his music, a modern day tambourine man that chooses not to play by society’s rules, and for good reason.
Time and again his musicianship has established him as a force to be reckoned with, earning him the respect from the likes of Tommy Emmanuel and Robben Ford, who said he “Plays his ass off…sings his ass off”. Simon’s sweet sound stitches together in perfect harmony. That’s the magic that makes all the difference, being able to tap into a place that is deeply personal, vulnerable, and true. Many music festivals, thousands of gigs and four albums later, his musical maturity and stirring songwriting continues to inspire.
“Phillips’ technical ability both as a singer and a guitarist, is perfectly matched by a remarkable breadth of intelligence as a songwriter and lyricist”, DRUM MEDIA Sydney.
“Exhibiting the vocal acrobatics of Jeff Buckley and a song-writing style comparable to John Mayer”, SOULSHINE.COM.AU
‘Phenomenal! I can’t recommend this enough. But I can try. Five Stars’, TWENTY600 MAGAZINE Canberra.