This album was brought to life by the friendship between singer-songwriters Sally Barker (UK) and Vicki Genfan (USA) that spans the mighty Atlantic Ocean. Fifteen years into their friendship, these troubadours and roving minstrels have prepared a special collection of newly penned original songs. The project germinated over five days in the sweltering heat of a North Carolina Summer in a cabin in the shadow of Pilot Mountain at the foot of the Appalachians, was tended to during Autumn transatlantic song-writing sessions via Skype and successfully bloomed in a New Jersey in January as the snow drifts settled, knee deep, at the recording studio door. The resultant record In The Shadow Of A Small Mountain is a product of the modern age yet tells stories from both sides of the Atlantic with flavours of the American south infusing tales of a very British sort. Both sing and play acoustic guitar while Vicki also plays electric guitars, manditar, banjo-tar, bass & percussion. The only guest appearances are John Mettam playing drums on ‘Something Blue’, Finn Magill (low whistle and vocals) and (from Malawi, Africa) Peter Mawanga (nsansi & chisekese & vocals) on the song ‘Malaya’ (recorded by a mobile recording studio in a car park at Swannanoa Gathering at midnight!).
Sally, founder member of the Poozies, has released seven solo albums and toured consistently supporting artists such as Bob Dylan and Robert Plant until the death of her husband in 2003 after which she performed sporadically. She re-emerged on prime time TV show The Voice UK 2014 on which she was Sir Tom Jones’ finalist. Rejecting the offer of a deal from Island Records (quick cash-in covers album) she has continued to plough her own furrow with the release of her latest album Ghost Girl in February 2017.
Vicki holds the title of 2008 ‘Guitar Superstar’ having won the Guitar Player Magazine’s annual competition in front of celebrity judges Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Elliot Easton. She has released 4 solo albums, five instructional DVDs and tours throughout the US and internationally where she has supported artists such as David Crosby, David Wilcox and Larry Carlton.
Artists’ websites: www.sallybarker.co.uk / www.vickigenfan.com
Not on the album but…’Purple Rain’ live:
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