Genre-hopping singer has soul (From Stroud News and Journal)

Genre-hopping singer has soul

STROUD is to be graced this weekend with a visit from genre-hopping and redefining singing sensation Christine Collister.

Collister, who grew up on the Isle of Man, began her career in the mid-eighties but first came to prominence singing the haunting theme tune to 1987's The Life and Loves of a She Devil.

Since then, she has made a career of interpreting everyone from Smokey Robinson and Nick Drake to Tom Waits and Lal Waterson whilst becoming a more and more interesting songsmith in her own right.

Collister has recorded with Richard Thompson, Loudon Wainwright III and Bert Jansch, and also had a seven year musical partnership with Clive Gregson.

She also toured and recorded with all-female supergroup Daphne's Flight.

Since 1992 however, it has been her solo career that has taken precedence.

Her solo albums, which include The Dark Gift of Time, The Blue Aconite and her latest, An Equal Music - which has been garnering rave reviews throughout the press - have been consistently building on acclaim each time.

She has been described in the national music press as "one of the finest grown-up vocalists on the planet' and as having "so much soul you'd think she'd been signed by Motown."

Christine Collister plays at Stroud's Subscription Rooms on Friday, March 7 at 8pm. Tickets are available from the box office.