Looking to take it easy (well – forced to due to Congress’s massive circle jerk bash in Zhonggnanhai) I found myself sitting back at the continuously surprising courtyard space 27 Yuan and it’s cozy little livehouse, Yichang Cafe, which has slowly become quite the magnet for singer-songwriters, folk artists, and other small stage warriors of the music scene. On the bill for the evening was the ever charming and vigorous Ember Swift, whose candid, earnest, and rock and roll worthy catalogue has been a fixture of the scene for years. Class act through and through, the Canadian born singer went through her extensive songwriting career, performing jazz-infused tunes passed down from her grandma to headstrong hook-filled singles from her latest release Stick and Stones (her twelfth album). Singing seamlessly between English, Chinese, and a bit of French, adding personal touches to some of her more rousing numbers, and even providing her own ‘doo wop’ backing group, she handled it all with ease and adept pop aplomb. Dig it I did. Ember Swift will be touring Europe next month — if you get a chance to catch her live don’t miss out. (Hat tip to Elie for additional pics)
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