Press

Review of The In-Between Worlds in October 2009 edition of Acoustic Magazine
Jon Lawrence has a great pop voice and has mixed it with varied ingredients, resulting in a light, easy going album, although not without its strong messages. His lyrics are thought-provoking and emotive and have most impact when lightly arranged. The highlight is Ten Little Men, a moving description of Lawrence’s thoughts on the current situation in Iraq, beautifully delivered with just voice and guitar. It’s definitely worth a listen. Acoustic Magazine October 2009

Norfolk singer-songwriter Jon Lawrence is back with another finely-worked album, along with Stefan Judd (bass) and drummer Craig Brown. With a voice in the Neil Finn/Paul Carrack area, what you have here is guitar based pop with a nu-country tinge, and opener Should've Been Better Than This, has a touch of Paul Heaton whimsy. But Jon writes from the heart too: Little Hands is inspired by a personal tragedy, while Ten Little Men is an anti-war song in the Pete Seeger tradition. In short, the set is polished, tune-packed and well played.
By Trevor Heaton June 26th 09 Review of The In-Between Worlds in the Eastern Daily Press

West Norfolk singer-songwriter Jon Lawrence follows up 2007’s Albatross Bay Project with this his new album. The lecturer in musicology at Lynn’s College of West Anglia knows his onions when it comes to music and studios, writing, playing and recording all 14 tracks here doing all vocals and using instruments ranging from guitars to charangos. Jon is square in straight-down-the-middle rock territory but with the confidence to dabble in good-time jazz (Brandy’s Burlesque) and even a bit of yee-ha country (Grave Digger’s Hoe-Down). Varied and accomplished. Trevor Heaton 6/6/08Review of Isolated Incidents in the Eastern Daily Press. Accomplished Album

Review of Albatross Bay - Rock n Reel Magazine.
Jon Lawrence is a songwriter from Norfolk who debuts an album Albatross Bay, that displays his wide palette of musical influences - from Indiantraditional music to western pop, African Rrhythms and crisp funky bass lines, Mexican charango and aboriginal drones. It's an intelligently put together collection of adult oriented compositions that straddle pop, rock and world music genres. It's reminiscent ast times of the work of Peter Gabriel, especially on the more musically upbeat 'Life Going Up' and on 'Freedom Lullaby', whilst the celebratory 'Up the Coast to Mosquitia' brings to mind a more ethnically inclined Crowded House.

Say hello to album number four from singer-songwriter Jon Lawrence. The day job - lecturer in music at the College of West Anglia in King's Lynn - will give you a hint that world music influences feature here. As well as the familiar guitar or organ there's didgeridoo, 10-string charango and more in a well-recorded, played (all by Jon) and sung album. A strong singer he slides effortlessly up the key changes with a voice reminiscent of Paul Carrack but - with the exception of the gospel-tinged openner 'The Slightest Spark' - with a contemplative new-age vibe. 'Walk on the Beach' and 'Waves and Curls' are two more stand-outs on a 14-track album which doesn't short-change. Review of Albatross Bay in the Eastern Daily Press (23/4/2007)

Friend s song tribute to Trade Centre terror victim (Kings Lynn News)

MUSICIAN Jon Lawrence (25) is hoping that his tribute song to a friend who died in the World Trade Centre atrocities on September 11 will become a big hit. For money raised from sales of the song will go to families of British victims killed in the New York terrorist attack. UK children s charities will also benefit.
Mr Lawrence, a music lecturer at Lynn s College of West Anglia, wrote, performed and produced the song, Just Like the Rain, in a studio at his home, Keeper s Cottage, Low Road, Walpole Cross Keys.
"The song itself is a feelgood pop tune a celebration of the human spirit, using the rain as a metaphor for rebirth," he said. As well as singing, he plays all the instruments on it.
He wrote the song in memory of his friend Karlie Rogers (26), global head of promotion for London-based company Risk Management, who he went to school with in Leicestershire.
She was attending a convention run by her company near the top of the first tower to be hit and had been due to fly back to England that day, he said.
"I composed the tune for Karlie s memorial service, which took place last week in Somerset," he said. "I had about 50 copies made and after the service they sold like hot cakes."
Mr Lawrence said he had connections in London, where Karlie lived, who would be pushing the song, and copies could be ordered from him at his home address, or by phoning him on 01553 827433.
He also hopes to supply Andy s Records in Norfolk Street, Lynn, with copies of the CD single for sale at £4, from next week.
The proceeds would help the immediate families of Karlie and the other British victims to rebuild their lives, and children s charities would also benefit because she loved children, he said.
On September 11 his initial concern was for another friend, from Washington DC, who he subsequently learned was in London. But then he learned that Karlie was at the World Trade Centre.
"It was terrible luck that she happened to be there at that point," he said.
ols he had seen the enjoyment it brought and wanted to expand the experience to children in other areas.

"A lot of people think these are not particularly trendy audiences, but you'll never have a more appreciative audience. When you work with schools, and special needs schools, there's so much enthusiasm for the music."

And he hoped the project would bring musicians from different areas and backgrounds together, giving them a life-changing experience outside their normal "comfort zone".
Volunteers will be able to take part for between two weeks and three months – all they need is an interest in music and a reasonable level of performance.

"People might go out to play music or teach instruments. They could be composers or have an interest in music technology and go out to record children singing or talk about the history of music. As long as they can be useful," he explained.

"The core values are fun, knowledge and music – when you put the three together something amazing happens."
He said the project could also include taking dancers to the communities to perform.
But he was keen to stress the scheme would be a two-way learning process with musicians learning just as much from the children they worked with and using their experiences to inform their later work.
Before the schemes start this summer though, Jon, who is also studying for a masters degree in ethnomusicology, will be promoting his new CD Albatross Bay, all proceeds from which will go towards the volunteer project.

UTOPIA

His fourth album, it features 13 tracks plus a bonus song. Jon said the work was originally inspired by the novel Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux. It follows the story of a man who renounces the modern world to live in the Honduran jungle and build his own utopian world.

"The main character is quite dark and has quite a rocky relationship with one of his sons, but I like what he stood for.

"I think we've lost our way on commercialism. A lot of the things which are important we take for granted in place of things that aren't important," he said.

As the album developed over the 18 months it also became more about one of the book's other themes.
He said: "I recently had a second son so what started as an album, which was quite political, ended up being a lot more personal about fathers and sons."

And while he said he did not profess to be an expert on all the instruments he played, or intend Albatross Bay to be a specifically world music album, he said he had wanted to use different instruments to add "colour, textures and flavours" to the sound.

And by using the charango on several tracks he felt it had provided a common theme for the work.
To hear for yourself and support the volunteer music project pick up a copy of the Albatross Bay CD from the college, priced £10, from Monday.

Log on to www.albatross bay.blogspot.com for more information about the Albatross Bay Music Volunteer scheme. A further website www.abmv.org is still under construction but should be running later in the year.
karen.patient@lynnnews.co.uk

Bringing people together through the power of music (Kings Lynn News) 01/06/2007

ACOUSTIC music from some of the country's best singer-songwriters is on offer at Wisbech's Angles Theatre this evening – and it's all for a good cause. Walpole Cross Keys-based musician JON LAWRENCE (31) has organised the concert, featuring performers including STEFAN JUDD and ADAM MOORE, to support a charity very close to his heart.

Audiences can expect top solo performances from JASPER TAYLOR and MICHAEL BIRT from indie band THE BIRTONS, and ROSS GRIGGS from old school rock band BONED.

Jon, a lecturer in ethnomusicology – the study of music from around the world – at Lynn’s College of West Anglia is working hard to raise funds for the Albatross Bay Music Volunteers (ABMV) project, which works with children in some of the world’s most deprived communities.

The project aims to bring people together through the power of music, and give musicians from all backgrounds a life-changing experience outside their normal comfort zone.

Volunteers will be able to take part for between two weeks and three months, and all they need is an interest in music, a reasonable level of performance and bags of enthusiasm.

In addition to launching the ABVM scheme, this year has seen Jon promoting his fourth 13-track album, Albatross Bay.

The album features a variety of unusual instruments from around the world, all played by Jon, including the Arabic lute, the oud, the charango and the double-reeded Armenian duduk – as well as the more familiar guitar and piano.

It was originally inspired by the novel Mosquito Coast, by Paul Theroux. It follows the story of a man who renounces the modern world to live in the Honduran jungle and build a utopian retreat.

All the money raised by the album – which has attracted considerable interest – will go towards a trip to an orphanage in Bangalore, India, this August, to get the project under way.

To hear it for yourself and support the ABMV, order a copy by emailing ambv@fsmail.net

Jon, who has just completed a masters in ethnomusicology, is three-quarters of the way through work on a new album, entitled Prelude to an Episode, which experiments with a more pop-like sound and darker themes.

He told The Page creating the album – which he describes as “pop-rock with a hint of ambient” – had been a cathartic experience, following a mental breakdown in October last year.

Jon explained: “The album is particularly personal and explores the themes of madness and mental anguish. It is quite dark, and contains some black humour.”

£18,000 tribute to tragic Karlie (Lutterworth Mail) Date : 09/09/2002

A FRIEND of Karlie Rogers, the young Lutterworth woman who was killed in the tragic events of September, 11, says the first anniversary of her death will be a time of quiet reflection. But out of such a terrible tragedy, Jon Lawrence (26), who attended Lutterworth Grammar School with Karlie, has managed to raise a massive £18,000 for charity in the year following her death.

Jon, now a music lecturer at the College of West Angliain King's Lynn, said: "We have done so much fundraising over the last 12 months, I think now is the time for some quiet reflection on the tragedy.

"People will remember the tragic events of that day in their own particular way, but I will remember all the happy memories and good times I spent with Karlie.
"She was a fun, loving and very attractive girl who was a good friend to me.
"The first anniversary of her death will certainly be a difficult day and one I am not looking
forward to."

Karlie Rogers was 26 when she died in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
Since her death Jon and Karlie's father, Keith Rogers of Baker Street, Lutterworth, have taken part in a number of fundraising events in memory of Karlie.

Jon recorded a song for Karlie entitled Just Like the Rain, which in the past year has sold 1,000 copies, a musical concert was held in her memory at Lutterworth Grammar School and Mr Rogers ran in this year's London Marathon.
All three events raised a combined total of £18,000 which will be split between two charities.

Half the money will go to help widows of the New York firefighters who died on September 11 and the other half will be donated to the baby care unit at Yeovil Hospital where Karlie was born.

Jon added: "We may do another fundraising concert sometime in the future but nothing is set in stone yet.
"Now is the time for us to reflect. Wednesday won't be a very nice day for me, that's
for sure."

Musical memorial to tragic Karlie (Lutterworth Mail ) 07/12/2001

A MUSIC lecturer who had known Karlie Rogers, the former Lutterworth woman killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, for more than ten years, has recorded a song in her memory. Jon Lawrence, who lives near King´s Lynn, where he lectures at the College of West Anglia, wrote the song for her memorial service at his parents´ suggestion.

"The day I said my final goodbye to Karlie, I was walking down the lane outside my house, and the rain was pounding down on the concrete.

"Then the sun came out and the steam started to rise off the road, taking the rain back up to the atmosphere," he said.

"I felt that here was a great metaphor for the way we deal with such terrible events in our lives.

"Life often brings us crashing down to earth, but like the rain, we rise again," said Mr Lawrence, who attended Lutterworth Grammar School a year behind Karlie.

The song ´Just Like the Rain´ was recorded in his home studio and he played all the instruments.

It was so well received at the memorial service, it was suggested he record it to raise money for the fund set up to help widows and orphans of New York firemen and the children´s unit at Yeovil Hospital where Karlie was born.

More than 200 copies of the CD, which includes four other complementary tracks, have been sold, and a further 300 have been produced this week.

Mr Lawrence, who used to work with Karlie at a sandwich shop run by their mothers, has arranged a concert in Lutterworth in February when he will be playing an acoustic version of the song.

Bird song for good causes (22/12/2006 The Sheffield Star)

JON Lawrence is a man who practises what he preaches.
A lecturer in ethnomusicology and a music student at the University of Sheffield, he has just completed his fourth album for release in late January. Albatross Bay sees him play all instruments on a fusion of "popular singer-songwriter material and world music influences", central to which is the charango.
"It's a 10-string South American instrument which has a wonderful tone and really helped bring something interesting to my music," says the lad from Norfolk. "The album was inspired by the novel Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux and addresses issues such as commercialism."
Sales proceeds go toward a new project called Albatross Bay Music Volunteers. "This is a volunteer programme which offers musicians or anyone with any kind of interest in music the opportunity to visit some of the poorest and most deprived areas around the globe and engage in musical activities.
"This could be teaching music or dance to children or running workshops in a school. The beauty of the project is musicians get to meet each other while making a valuable contribution to lives."
Jon, who has an album called Troubadour Ballads out now, has programmes set to run at an inner city orphanage in Bangalore, a rural orphanage on the outskirts of the same town as well as a programme in Trivandrum, Kerala. He is also in talks with a school in Peru.