Excerpts from an article By Richard Mays, Entertainment Reporter,
“The Evening Standard” (Palmerston North)
For some, being compared with 60s American folk-protest icon, Joan Baez would be more than complimentary. However, local musician, singer and songwriter Suzy Hawes feels awkward about it. The American born and bred musician has no desire to be pigeon-holed as an old folkie, or anything else for that matter. It goes against her eclectic approach to music making.
It was the reference to Baez in the media release announcing the launch of Paradise, Hawes’s debut CD that did it. Its writer, Hawes’s daughter Rebekah, was not to know when penning her mother’s publicity brief, that Baez would again be in the news. The 64-year-old protest movement veteran was headlining an anti-Iraqi war rally near the ranch of President George W. Bush, and images flashed around the world.
Two Wrongs, a generic anti-war song on Paradise written at the time of Desert Storm in 1990, is nevertheless addressed by Hawes to both Bushs.
The liner notes succinctly observe that the song “seems just as appropriate now”.
Hawes arrived in Manawatu from America’s East Coast in 1986, and like a number of other imports, never managed to escape. Her musical career had seen her perform solo and as a band member around Baltimore in Maryland, and at festivals, venues and restaurants in Virginia and West Virginia, combining elements of folk, rock, spiritual and klezmer.
Having written all the songs on Paradise, her CD maintains the same eclectic feel, a style that is hard to pin down.
“It’s more than folk, it’s folkrockjazzblues - all one word.”
Hawes has recorded before, but on collaborations with others. She played on the Gitbox Rebellion album, Pesky Digits with friend and fellow ex-pat American, Nigel Gavin. A founding member of the Nairobi Trio, member of The Jews Brothers Band, Bravura, and accomplished solo performer, Gavin established Gitbox along the Guitar Craft principles set down by King Crimson guitar legend Robert Fripp. Hawes had attended Fripp’s Guitar Craft Seminars at Claymont School in West Virginia, and helped to organize the only New Zealand Guitar Craft seminar.
“Guitar Craft, very simply put, uses music as a vehicle for personal growth and discovery.”
Her compositions have been used as a soundtrack for the hand-painted animated frames created by sister Janie who has an animation company in Sweden. The film has been on release at festivals around Europe. Hawes has two other sisters, Louise an author, and Helen an artist who uses painting and drawing as part of a therapeutic and counselling techniques.
Studying voice as a tool for healing, balance and growth, under Ruth Weimar and Isabella Bates over the last 17 years, the New Zealand-based member of this creative quartet conducts her own music, voice and movement sessions. She sometimes uses techniques from these teachers as well as many others found, borrowed, or created. She also shares her music and movement classes with people who have cognitive and perceptive as well as physical disabilities.
Quietly spoken, Hawes downplays her own guitar playing abilities.“I never pretended to be a guitar player. I’m a singer, but as I wrote songs and music for theatre pieces, I’d end up playing them. I got better because I had to. “Her original pieces and clear vibrant singing have enhanced recent Summer Shakespeare Productions The Tempest, Comedy of Errors and Twelfth Night, as well as productions written by Massey’s Angie Farrow. Paradise, the title track on the CD was written for Farrow’s play of the same name.
Another track, Metamorphosis was composed to accompany Farrow’s play After Kafka. There are ongoing contributions the musician makes to Massey’s annual Festival of New Arts, and the School of English and Media Studies Creative Processes course.
Recorded at The Stomach, Pryde Recording Studio, and at Progressive Studios, the musician’s guest list includes Nigel Gavin, James Tait-Jamieson, Kane Parsons, Bruce Sinclair, Kyle McDonald and Richard Ellis.
