By Jack Arnhold, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Carioca singer Beatrice Mason will be stopping by the Blue Note Rio this Thursday to play a tribute show to British folk icon Nick Drake. She will be playing songs from her new album, ‘NICK’ which is a selection of covers taken from the iconic British singer’s oeuvre, encompassing his short-lived but hugely influential career.
Beatrice Mason, who has already released two well-received albums, 2009’s ‘Mosaico’ (Mosaic) and 2014’s ‘12 seconds,’ is now returning with something very different. Inspired by the life and music of Nick Drake, she has decided to release an entire album of his songs, exploring the melancholic and dream-like compositions of one of British music’s most under-appreciated talents.
Nick Drake was a singer-songwriter whose haunting and intricate folk songs gained him very little recognition during his lifetime, but after his tragic death in 1974, at the age of 26, they have since been hailed as some of the finest music the country has ever produced.
Beatrice Mason’s album, ‘NICK’ includes some of his most well-known songs, such as ‘Northern Sky,’ ‘River Man,’ ‘Saturday Sun,’ and ‘Pink Moon,’ which have since been used on movie soundtracks, adverts and have been covered by a host of other well-known artists.
She will be sure to play many of these tracks during her intimate show at the iconic Blue Note Jazz Club in Lagoa, one of the city’s premier jazz clubs.
After the release of her second album, which saw Beatrice Mason performing at festivals such as Midem in Cannes, Youbloom in Dublin and CMW in Toronto, as well as touring extensively in England, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Hungary and the US, the singer has decided to return to the studio and pay tribute to an artist whose bittersweet compositions have touched many.
This Thursday will be a great opportunity to see these songs brought to life in front of an appreciative audience. And for anyone who missed out on Rio das Ostras Jazz and Blues Festival over the weekend, witnessing this performance will surely go some way to making up for it.
What: Beatrice Mason at Blue Note Rio
When: Thursday, June 21st; show starts at 10:30PM
Where: Blue Note Rio, Av. Borges de Medeiros, 1424 – Lagoa, 22430-042 Rio de Janeiro
Entrance: R$40-R$80, available here