| |
 |
Brewer & Shipley
Bitter End, New York
June
12, 1970
Brewer & Shipley a singing duo for Kama Sutra opened the bill at the
Bitter End June 12, playing second to Tom Paxton. It’s a good bet
that Paxton has never has a bad night, and his set that evening was
customarily excellent. Even so, Brewer & Shipley proved a hard act
to follow. Theirs is a striking combination of talent and taste and
poetic sensibility and kind of realistic optimism.
They made simple harmonies seem complex and complex
ones
seem |
to
come naturally. Their acoustic guitar work was full and varied
with confident skill making any added accompaniment unnecessary.
They sang about life, about specific aspects of it, the pain or it,
the enjoyment of it. They are musical poets and can phrase
even unhappiness in terms of beauty. They are serious and
earnest, not smiling much, but projecting a warm good nature in
their voices.
NANCY ERLICH
Billboard
Magazine -June 20, 1970 |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Brewer & Shipley
Bitter End, New York
November 2, 1970
Kama Sutra’s Brewer & Shipley returned to the Bitter End on Nov. 2
and made some beautiful un-electronic music. As musical gadflies to
the establishment, they shine with some great-sounding guitar work
and vocal harmonies and integrating chatter. Their gentle protest
is of the persuasive kind, and although not at all subtle, the
melodic, almost singalong material takes out some of the sting.
“One Toke Over The Line” and “Oh Mommy,” from their current “Tarkio”
album with their provocative themes and country style melodies were
audience favorites. Their closing number “Witchi Tai To,” from
their earlier “Weeds” LP showed how well the duo work together, both
musically and vocally.
Preceding them was Stuff, a new group looking for a record
company whose electronic rock ‘n’ roll and pretty material deserves
the attention of talent hunters.
IRA THACHTER
Billboard Magazine - 1970 |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Brewer & Shipley
Bitter End, New York
December 1970
BITTER END, NYC - It is still surprising to find a group that can
come off in a live performance as good, if not better than) as on
record. Brewer & Shipley is such a group. Their charm
and natural ability to combine heavily political songs like "Oh
Mommy" with ballads such as "People Love Each Other: gave them a
head start at the Bitter End this past week.
Their two albums might lead you to believe, as it did to me, that
Brewer & Shipley were part of the San Francisco/Nick Gravenites'
workshop of musicians. Just the credits on their two Kama
Sutra albums (including such artists as Mike Bloomfield, Nicky
Hopkins, and Jerry Garcia) indicate an evening of driving hard rock.
Wrong. Brewer & Shipley offered an evening of melodious
folk/rock.
The most enthusiastic response was to several of the cuts from their
most recent album "Tarkio." "Oh Mommy" which they lovingly
dedicated to Spiro Agnew. "Tarkio Road," and "One Toke Over
The Line" were among the highlights of these.
This is a group that was overlooked once. But that was a long
time ago. If the vibrations that were felt at the club are any
indication of success, then Brewer & Shipley have it made.
Opening the bill was Chet Nichols, who along with Brewer & Shipley,
hails from Kansas City. Possibly because of the good Kansas
City air, Nichols overcame the built-in difficulties of being the
"warm-up" act by being warm and winning the audience with a
friendly, down home attitude. Nichols delivered a fine and
inventive set.
CASHBOX -December 19, 1970 |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Brewer & Shipley
Bitter End, New York
August
1971 |
A year ago, Brewer & Shipley played the Bitter End as a supporting
act. The audiences, who may not have known of them before,
discovered that they had a style of music and rich harmonies and
with that brightened their surroundings and lasted like the memory
of good times with good friends. Then the duo had not only a hit
single, but a controversial hit single, and the crowds that packed
the Bitter End recently came for Brewer & Shipley.
Who were, as before, a thorough pleasure. Their
melodies are as rich as their voices, which are as full as their
acoustic guitar arrangements and strong harmonies. For all the
excellence of their Kama Sutra albums, Brewer & Shipley are better
on stage, more immediate and more directly honest.
Taking their former place as a supporting act who
would astound the audience and not be easily forgotten was Jim
Dawson, another Kama Sutra artist and a completely beautiful man.
Dawson’s gentle and moving songs are all about love, and the scope
and depth of it. His singing is an invitation to join in the
feeling and the giving; there is no way to say no. He does nothing
to control his listeners, yet they are with him, sharing his music
and his vision before the first song is over. The powerful
experience of being together comes from nowhere, from one voice and
one guitar. There is magic in that.
NANCY ERLICH
Billboard
Magazine - August 7, 1971 |
|
|
|
