Not every show on this tour can be hosted by a library but when so, an extra sparkle enters the room. The fit was obvious when Boo Hewardine and Yvonne Lyon’s Things Found in Books touring project secured a slot at Thimblemill Library. A project born in lockdown coming to fruition five years later with a record, a book and a run of gigs the length of the land. Urban festivals have helped bring the performance to the Midlands with the twelve-day Lichfield event staging a show last week and now the turn of the Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival to add this intriguing evening to a vast array of music events across the West Midlands. You could argue in the ‘spirit of San Francisco’ that the festival is ‘hardly strictly jazz and blues’ but there were no arguments to its artistic quality when two exceptional singer-songwriters stopped off in the borough of Sandwell to share their story songs and a little bit more.
The idea was spawned when Yvonne Lyon came across a notice board in Culzean Castle’s second bookshop displaying items left between the pages of books donated for reuse. Scraps of informative paper, photographs and small fragments of literally anything each told a story and proved rich pickings for a songwriter searching inspiration. Though an esteemed songwriter herself with a large body of work in the vault, Scottish-based Lyon felt this would provide the fruit for a collaboration with English songwriting extraordinaire Boo Hewardine. Good things come over time and folks can now enjoy the double strand of interesting stories and prime songs.
After a run of full band shows, Thimblemill Library reorientated its adaptable performing space to house a smaller stage ample for a duo on keyboards and guitar. Boo Hewardine is no stranger to the venue, while Yvonne Lyon is far from a familiar name in the area. This degree of awareness didn’t matter as the pair gelled from the start performing two lengthy sets of songs impeccably played, immaculately sung, entertainingly introduced and engagingly received; all the recipes for a successful evening.
The first half saw most, if not all, of the album played. The stories behind the songs are what makes them special, hence the importance of the book. The pair exchanged lead vocals on titles such as ‘Marion and Sydney’, ‘Salvadore Dali and Me’, ‘Montepellier’ and ‘Paul McCartney in 1970’. One different mode of delivery saw Hewardine narrate a letter from the King dated 1919. One voice and Lyon’s understated keyboard playing brought the contents to life. The interval was reached with universal applause, a rush for the merch table and the promise of the ‘hits’ in the second half.
Perhaps it is not seeing much of Yvonne Lyon live that elevated the remainder of the show to one of supreme enjoyment. She shared a handful of songs from a back catalogue including the popular ‘Everything’s Fine’ , the feisty ‘Tell It Like It Is’, the hugely engaging ‘Sail On’ and the utterly adorable ‘Enjoy Not Endure’. Singalongs needed little prompt and the Scottish lilt to the vocals adds a layer of warm assurance. When the Things Found in Books project runs its course, there is a definite space for Yvonne Lyon to fill evenings down south more with her affable demeanour and gracious style of fine music.
Boo Hewardine brought his usual straight man humour to the house, built for bonding in the duo format. Apart from his usual array of brilliantly constructed songs including the ‘hit’ Patience of Angels, there was a twist in covering ‘What a Beautiful World’, totally random but a timely reminder. There have been many Boo Hewardine collaborations over the years with Brooks Williams, Jenny Sturgeon and Heidi Talbot immediately springing to mind. His liaison with Yvonne Lyon is up there with the best and maybe ripe for something else in the future.
The Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival is now in its 41st year. A commendable run for an event mixing free and ticketed events extending from the city to the neighbouring boroughs of Sandwell and Solihull. Many genres of music are incorporated with a string of fine accessible shows attended over the years. The arts programme of Thimblemill Library is made for such participation and the decision to stage Things Found in Books proved a wise choice as exemplified by a healthy turnout and an appreciative response. Boo Hewardine will no doubt return to the area in some form or another, and it would be good to see Yvonne Lyon do likewise. In the meantime, when perusing books in libraries, charity shops and second hand stores, stay alert for what may be lurking. Stories can appear anywhere and in any form.
