Last saturday saw another night of Tru Thoughts excellence…I played an acoustic set with Max Gilkes to my 30 favourite people (those of you who were there will understand…and right there and then it was absolutely true!)…followed by a Live PA set with the brilliant DJ Thomas Dusseune. Master of the decks `Hint` could be heard downstairs and the night rounded off with the talented Will `Quantic`and his salsa grooves…

Thanks again to those of you that made it down…Live music cannot exist without you!!!

So, its come to the time of year when im going to pull out my winter wooleys..hang up my voice (aka no more live shows for 2009…nothing more sinister!) until the turn of the year and wait for Santa.

Happy Christmas tout le monde!!! Have a great break and i`ll see you again in the new year with lots of 2010 musical treats!

Click here to check out the last in the series of my interview with the French internet based magazine www.fr2day.com

It would seem that im slowly but surely making my mark on my new homelands…

Check out this online article for `fr2day`…feature interview still to come next week!

www.fr2day.com/showbiz/jazz_singer_on_the_french_riviera

Hey all….Just a quickie! When I was in last in London I met a lovely young lady who has a lovely young company in the fine lands of Brighton. They have a range of originally designed and hand crafted knitwear. Since `tis now the season to be jolly, click here and check out their website. Santa may just come in the form of a cardigan!

www.larkrising.com

I will be wearing one of these on christmas day!

Last night I was kindly invited to go down and `hang`out with Mars Blackman @ Radio Grenouille in Marseille…and what fun we had!

The first half of the show consisted of a little chat and interview with France`s own very talented Wax Taylor (www.waxtailor.com)

For the second hour I bought a bunch of my all time favourite tunes to the station to play on air and threw in a couple of LP live tracks for good measure.

Listening back its fair to say that no matter how used to singing into a microphone you may be…talking into one is a completely different ball game. The words `sounds like a 5 yr old` spring to mind but hey, there`s time to work on my newly found radio voice!! (oh and im working on the french I promise!)

If you fancy checking out for yourself how the evening unfolded, here`s a link and playlist…Enjoy x

Click here to listen to Lizzy`s Live hour @ `Hangtime` on Radio Grenouille 18th Nov 09

Track 1: Im Wishing / Lorez Alexandria
Chicago born in 1929, this blonde bombshell started her early singing days in the church. This track featured on `Gilles Peterson Digs America 2` released in 2007. She has to be one of my alltime favourite singers (and I believe Mars feels the same!)

Track 2 : Backstreet Lust / Kinny & Diesler
Aka Caitlin Simpson (a fellow TT label lass) originally came to Tru Thoughts with the `Kinny and Horn` project. With a hugely mixed heritage, born in Canada, raised in Sweeden and residing in Norway, Kinny is a great modern day diva. This track has been remixed by the TT signed French producer `Azaxx`  but the original version features on Kinny`s debut solo album with TT released earlier this year `Idle forest of Chit Chat`.

Track 3: Sort of Revolution / Fink
I bumped into this guy in a park in London almost half a decade ago. We got talking, exchanged our mutual love for music and he ended up co-writing a couple of tracks on my first album `Watching Space`. Then he was a DJ and producer with a dream of being a live artist and now he is one of the Britains best! Released on `Ninja Tune`, this tune is the title track of his 2009 album,  remixed beautifully by `The Cinematic Orchestra`. Watch this space for future Lizzy Parks/Fink collaborations!

Track 4: Les Fleurs / Minnie Ripperton, remixed by 4 Hero
A timeless classic…`nuff said! I`ve sung this song many a time with `The Heritage Orchestra` another signing on Gilles label `Brownswood` and loved every minute (except for the really high bits!!) Oh and check out the `Ramsey Louis` instrumental version if you havent already!

Track 5: You Made Me So Very Happy / Lou Rawls
…and who wouldn`t feel happy after this tune! Rawls released more than 70 albums, sold more than 40 million records in his life time and was named “The Funkiest Man Alive”…and he was certainly one of them!

Track 6: Everyday People / Dionne Warwick
One day when I was about 10 yr old, my step dad came home with a Dionne Warwick CD for me that he picked up at the local cash and carry shop for a £2!  Money has never been better spent!!! This track comes from the album `Only Love Can Break A Heart`, it is and will always be an absolute all time favourite of mine. Check out her website now…she`s gone all glossy and even has her own SkinCare range!!! Ummm???!!!

Track 7: Take Care / Lizzy Parks LIVE Originally from the album `Raise the Roof`.

Track 8:  Seven Day Fool / Lizzy Parks LIVE Originally from the album `Raise the Roof.

Track 9: Wildflower / Nostalgia 77 / Lizzy Parks LIVE Originally from the album `Everything Under The Sun`. Check out the trombone solo on this! Dope.

Track 10: Forever and A Day / Lizzy Parks ) From the album `This & That`, 2009.

Track 11: A Perfect King of Love / Nicole Willis & The Soul Investigators
One of my favourite tunes from the `Keep Reaching Up` album released in 2005.  The song `Feeling Free`was a BBC/Gilles Peterson World Wide Winner award in 2006. A classic sound with a modern edge. Check out `If This Ain`t Love` from the same album!

Track 12: A Little Bit of Feel Good / Jamie Lidell
This energetic English singer,songwriter lives in Berlin and can be seen hangin` out with the likes of Gonzales and Feist. This track features on his latest album `Jim`. In my opinion, this is where simple soul songwriting is it!!!

Track 13: Pushing on / Quantic - Featuring Alice Russell
Aka Will Holland, originally from the UK and now residing in Columbia. Will was one of Tru Thoughts first signings. He`s moved through Funk, Soul and Hip-Hop and has landed with a great Latin sound for his latest album.
Miss A.Russell is currently touring her new `Pot of Gold` remix album. Get to it if you missed her in Marseille earlier this month!

Track 14: Raise the Roof / Lizzy Parks - Title track of the 2008 album!

PS you can catch up with the `Hangtime` show every wednesday online on the `Radio Grenouille` website (www.grenouille888.org)

My oh my where does time fly? Although the sun in The South of France has only just begun to lower its beautiful head, I cannot believe we are in the month of Bonfires and Fireworks and shops sneaking their Christmas decorations into shop windows.

Its only fair to update you on the recent goings on in the life and work of LP so here goes….I had a great night at the start of September at the Roundhouse with `Quantic and his Combo`. I played an acoustic set with the talented Max Gilkes on guitar (and forgot my words for the first time in long enough!)…durrr.

Then came the Tru Thoughts 10th Birthday Bash at The Vibe Bar in Brick Lane. The masses that attended were treated to Kylie Auldist all the way from Oz, the dulcit tones of Kathrin Deboer and Belleruche, Stonephace, Hint, Nostalgia 77, Natural Self and a beautiful acoustic set from little Miss Alice Russell…and the list goes on! Much fun and debauchery was had in `True`Tru Thoughts fashion!

Click here to watch the unofficial goings on!

The `real`summer went out with a huge `Bestival` bang. My good old guitar companion Tom Robins and I played an acoustic set on the new Redbull Transmission Live stage which went down a treat on a peaceful sunday lunchtime. We were closely followed by the very talented 2009 `Mercury Prize`Winner, `Speech Debelle`who does what it says on the tin with sass and style, if you havent checked her out already then get to it…http://www.myspace.com/speechdebellemusic…and as ever the fancy dress efforts were unrivaled by any other festival i`ve ever been to…(I could be found donning a black bobbed wig, huge eyelashes and a ridiculous amount of glitter and fairy lights wrapped around my bod!)…photos on request!

Then we all calmed down a bit, took a trip to Marseille to the very cool `2009 Marsatac`Festival. I broadcast a live PA set across the wires and hung out with my buddy Pierre from the `Hangtime` show on Radio Grenouille (http://www.grenouille888.org) who incidently interviews cutting edge artists from all over the world weekly on his show (all in English with a French Translation for those of you without your French GCSE!)!

Next up it was back to London town for me and a little pub on Upper St nameth `The Albert and Pearl`. A lovely young chap who goes by the DJ name of `Sattaman` hosts live music events called `Real Roots` throughout London which are always free and definately definately worth attending…http://www.myspace.com/sattamann

We then played our live debut gig of the Acoustic Ensemble at `The Daffodil` in Cheltenham swiftly followed by an epic night at The Jazz Cafe in Camden with DJ Vadim and his live band. I took the handsome DJ and my PA side man `Thomas Dusseune` all the way from Cannes and popped him in front of a roaring Camden crowd with whom he proceeded to warm up in all the right places in time for Vadim!

The following night we were back down in the label homelands of gloriously gay Brighton for its celebration of the ever young Tru Thoughts label. This time we were joined by Flevans and Elodie Rama to name but a few. And finally I rounded of the autumn in style with a live sell out show at `The Queen of Hoxton` supporting the geek chic sounds of `Mayer Hawthorne` from the heavy label `Stonesthrow`….

So…you can see why I havent been attached to the computer writing numerous blogs! I `ve been hanging out, living it up, and pushing it round in the best way possible and it doesnt stop there! You can look forward to some new collaboration tracks that are currently in the pipeline with Natural Self and Azaxx.

Alors, Mes amies! I`ll sign off here and promise to be back shortly with another LP update. Stay smiling, try and resist the pretty christmas lights until December and most importantly, keep listening! Much love x

http://www.marsatac.com/

Hey folks!

So the bad news is im totally terrible at keeping a blog…(I should probably scrap the blog page but apparently some people want to read on!?)….the good news is, the reason im so bad at keeping you up to date is because im so damn busy with gigs, recording and potential future album ideas…and im sure you`ll admit thats the real stuff!

So far this year we`ve seen the release of the acoustic album `This and That`which you guys seem to have taken a liking too. As usual these things take a while to filter through but its a subtle little number that I hope will have a lengthy shelf life.

TT released a brilliant covers compilation album earlier this yr which features artists serving up an exciting mix of specially recorded cover versions of their favourite tracks. For me ìt was a very good year`, Frankie eat your heart out!

As im sure you know its the 10th anniversary of those wonderful people at Tru Thoughts and they`re celebrating all through the year with parties all over the UK including huge helpings of gigs from lots of very exciting TT artists PLUS very special guests…watch the gig listings and be sure not to miss the party!

Im now in that wonderful place that is facing a concept and ideas for a new album. Its a weird and wonderful moment that can be a bit dauting where nothing is laid in front of you but have no fear, im basking in the glory of unpredictability, ambiguity and the unknown.

In the face of this moment I took the decision to spend a little time in The South of France, basking (swealtering) in the sun , breathing in the fresh sea air (if you dont count the fumes from my scooter!) and generally enjoying life from a new perspective. So you can expect a little `Je ne se quoi` in the coming months, a touch of the `òhh la laas`or just `un petit peu de France` in the music I`ll be offering up.

In the meantime keep listening, stay in touch, enjoy whats left of the British summer (not too much im told), and be sure not to miss the gigs and events we`ve got planned in the UK and Europe for the rest of 2009.

Bisous…Miss Parks x

Hello Hello. How nice to see that people have started using the site! That gives me all the more reason to write a blog without feeling like a friendless twerp! So thanks guys…

So…the album was released last monday. It’s a funny time for artists as much of the work has already been done so you kind of just sit back and watch the feedback come in. Speaking of which, this has been really positive so far. Mark Lemarr played ‘Seven day fool’ last week on his radio 2 show ‘Gods Jukebox’. We’re in the i-tunes ‘recommends’ list and there have been lots of great reviews and some really lovely and humbling messages from people everywhere showing a bit of love.

I popped down to ‘The Rainbow’ in Brum last week for a gig with the new Birmingham based project ‘Maylight’. It was my first gig with the group (who were only 1 gig older), and it looks like its going to be a fun writing project to get stuck into so watch this space.

I’m really excited about this fridays big show in The Town Hall, Birmingham. It’ll be the 1st time my band have played the entire new set which doesnt allow any gaps for breath! It’s the official album launch (although fear not, we are working on some rather delayed London dates) so we’ll be giving away some Tru Thoughts goodies and then there’s the delight of The Heritage Orchestra who are performing the music of Amon Tobin and with whom I’m going to sing a couple of tracks.

After that im going to let my hair down on saturday by attending my sisters fancy dress party with some chums. The theme is something inspired by your initials (now thats inspired!)…any ideas?… be nice!

Oh, and just in case you were wondering. We shot a really simple but lovely video with just me and Riaan Vosloo on Bass a couple of weeks ago that we’ve been meaning to put up on u-tube for those poeple who have no idea who were are. Except, I was really poorly the day of the shoot so i’ve been dragging my heals in order to get another one done in full healthy LP glory! But keep an eye out and see if you can guess if I get bullied into putting it online or not! In the meantime, we’re working on the next.

So have a great week y’all. Hopefully I’ll see many of you on friday and the rest soon after. LP x

On a wintery day in August 2008 (what’s going on with the british summer??!!)…’Raise the Roof’ the single was released! Yes ladies and gentlemen you can now buy and download the single with varying B sides depending in which form you choose to purchase it. I’m really excited about this record and I hope you will be. The band have been beavering away in the studio rehearsing for our first show at Brightons ‘Loop Festival’ this weekend (nb, we’re on at lunch time on saturday 16th aug so make sure you’re up with the milkman so’s not to miss us!).

We’ve had some great online reviews already and the likes of Gilles Peterson and radio DJ’s nationwide are supporting the record!

For this weeks reviews check out:

http://www.bluesandsoul.com/review/517/lizzy_parks__raise_the_roof/

http://www.jellyjazz.com/main%20pages/record%20reviews.html

http://www.bluesandsoul.com/live_item/39/lizzy_parks_big_chill_02082008/[1]

Alot of fun was had by all at this years big chill fest! Tom Robins (guitar) and I played a couple of acoustic sets over the course of the weekend featuring tracks from the new album which went down a treat!

Now its back to the rehearsal rooms to get ready for the full band gig at the Brighton Loop Fest gig on Sat Aug 16th @12.30pm. Hope to see you there. LP x

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