Judith Owen & Harry Shearer Christmas EP Announcement
Christmas has come early with an announcement from Judith Owen and her husband, actor Harry Shearer (The Simpsons, Spinal Tap). The pair are set to release a festive three-track, digital EP entitled ‘The Best Things’ on November 20th 2015.
The new and original collection of songs comes as an additional holiday treat to the duo’s U.S Christmas Without Tears shows, continuing the tradition of Owen and Shearer’s own Christmas gatherings around their family piano.
As Harry Shearer tells it, “the show started as a party in our home to try to comfort Judith, a Welsh woman prone to melancholia, who could not stand the fact that Christmas in Southern California was about 78 degrees and sunny.” What began as a humble holiday house party to chase away Judith’s yuletide blues became a charity event and performance in 2005 when they staged it to aid the people of New Orleans after Katrina.
The first two tracks on the release come from piano singer songwriter Judith, including bright holiday number ‘The Best Things’ and a classic festive ballad ‘(I’ll Sing) Silent Night For You’. Two contrasting tracks that summarise the singer’s feelings towards to the season.
“These two songs sum up Christmas for me in all its bitter sweetness. I miss the people who are gone and cherish the ones who remain. I have a good cry whilst dressing the tree and remain thankful for all that I have and all that I’ve known” – Judith Owen
The third track ‘Too Many Notes’ comes from humourist Harry Shearer, poking fun at the over embellished, over-sung singers around a Christmas theme. Harry’s take on all-star charity singles features names including Jane Lynch (Glee), London based jazz vocalists Alice Russell and Ian Shaw, and “Prince Of New Orleans” Davell Crawford.
“Every Christmas, it seems, there’s at least one “all-star” charity single with singers competing with each other to embellish a simple seasonal song with Too Many Notes. I decided it was time for an all-star charity single that celebrated the art of seasonal over-singing. Jane Lynch, Alice Russell, Ian Shaw, and Davell Crawford made it happen.” – Harry Shearer
‘The Best Things’ celebrates Judith and Harry’s own special brand of yuletide cheer and becomes available before they celebrate the 10th anniversary of Christmas Without Tears, with a string of U.S December dates. All sale proceeds from the release will be given to Elton John Aids Foundation.
Judith Owen and Harry Shearer.
Glenn Sargeant
Judith Owen and Harry Shearer’s new digital three-track Christmas EP ‘The Best Things’ will be released on Friday 20th November 2015 on Twanky Records. In addition, Judith Owen will be touring the UK with Leland Sklar (Carole King, James Taylor, Jackson Browne) as Nell Bryden’s special guest on the following dates:
Wednesday 4th November 2015 – The Caves, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom http://unusualvenuesedinburgh.com/venues/the-caves
Friday 6th November 2015 – The Stables, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom http://www.stables.org/
Saturday 7th November 2015 – Harborough Theatre, Leicester, United Kingdom http://harboroughtheatre.com/
Monday 9th November 2015 – The Globe, Cardiff, United Kingdom http://globe.gigantic.com/venue/cardiff/the-globe-cardiff
Tuesday 10 November 2015 – Temple, The Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom http://o2institutebirmingham.co.uk/
Wednesday 11th November 2015 – Komedia, Brighton, United Kingdom http://www.komedia.co.uk/brighton/
Friday 13th November 2015 – Met, Bury, United Kingdom http://themet.biz/
Sunday 15th November 2015 – The Fleece, Bristol, United Kingdom http://thefleece.co.uk/
For more information visit: www.judithowen.net
(Feature photo credited to Sue Flood. Thanks to Republic Media for help with this announcement)
