“As if Björk had coincidentally met Herbie Hancock in a pub just before a John McLaughlin concert.” This kind of poetic critique can probably be expected when a young technically savvy jazz vocalist like French Laura Perrudin sings slightly experimentally arranged songs, accompanies herself on a special harp and adds a few hip hop inspired beats to the blue notes, as was the case in her impressive solo debut “Impressions”. And the harp is actually an instrument used in Celtic folklore – remember Alan Stivell? Is this why Dublin was mentioned even though the harp is also associated with illustrious names like Alice Coltrane, Zeena Parkins, Ruth Berman, Iro Haarla and Joanna Newsom. Anyway, she reminds us more of Joni Mitchell than Björk. And it should not be forgotten that the lyrics Laura Perrudin sings come from Oscar Wilde, W.B. Yeats, James Joyce, Edgar Allan Poe and Norma Winstone. And from William Shakespeare, which may be a nice connection to Caroll van Welden’s concert on 19/10. In her Café Prag concert, Laura Perrudin is highly likely to also present brand new songs from her new album “Poisons & Antidotes” released at the end of September.
