Sizzling Summer Music Season Opens in July

Otterton Mill's famous Courtyard music series kicks off with a trio of outstanding acts, perfect for summer evenings.

On Friday 2nd July, the Mill welcomes the hotly tipped Tipitina. This young threesome play a devastating mix of swing, boogie woogie, jive, blues and gospel, that has its heart and soul in New Orleans. Their name comes from the title of a piece by the late piano legend Professor Longhair, and it's from the Prof and his students - Fats Domino, Dr John, Allen Toussaint et al - that Tipitina draw much of their inspiration. Championed by BBC Radio 2's Paul Jones, Tipitina's latest CD has attracted rave reviews. Singer Debbie Jones is "as sultry as a night downtown" and piano player Justin "boogies like there's no tomorrow" (The Mail) and "New Orleans music is like an underground stream that rises to the surface every now and then. It happened for Fats Domino in the 50s, Dr John in the 70s, The Neville Brothers and The Meters in the 70s and 80s and for our own Jools Holland. I bet that Tipitina will be the next" The Guardian. Tickets for Tipitina are £10.50.

On Thursday 8th July, the Mill sees a return visit from one of the finest singer/songwriters on the roots blues Americana scene, Brooks Williams. For 23 years, Brooks has been wowing audiences world-wide with his mix of blues and Gospel-inspired finger-style guitar, soulful songwriting and pearly singing. A self-taught guitarist, he was inspired by John Renbourn, Jorma Kaukonen of Hot Tuna, and Ry Cooder to develop his own unique style, that defies categorisation. "He possesses a melodic virtuosity on the guitar that runs like liquid from his fingers and blows the socks off any other player you could name." The Irish News. Boston-based Brooks is joined at the Mill by P J Wright on steel and dobro, Keith Warmington on harmonica and Dave Griffiths on mandolin and double bass. Tickets for Brooks are £11.00.

Brooks is followed on 15th July by rising Nashville star Briana Lynn Hardyman. Singer/songwriter Briana delivers emotionally-injected, rootsy songs with hints of blues, soul, folk and country. Her powerful, passionate vocals have been compared to Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams. Raised on a farm in rural Wisconsin, Briana lived in New York City before settling in Nashville, where she has been actively performing and writing since 2006. Her fans include BBC's Bob Harris and Maverick Magazine, who describes her CD "People Like Me" as "A timeless album that we'll still be raving about ten, twenty, maybe even thirty years from now". Briana's charismatic performances have secured her invites to perform at a succession of UK summer festivals this year, including the coveted Cambridge Folk Festival. She is joined at the Mill by multi-instrumentalist Doug Sies. Tickets for Briana are £10.00.

For full gig listings and information, and to listen to the musician's music, click here.

The Mill's summer music series takes place in the magical outdoor setting of the Mill's historic Courtyard and features great menus of seasonal food (which can be ordered between 6 to 7.30pm). Tickets can be booked by calling 01395 568521 or in person at the Mill's Gallery. Note: prices cover music only.

Date added: Wednesday 30th June 2010
Latest updated: Monday 16th January 2012