Martha Wainwright sings Piaf

Wednesday 11 November 8pm

Produced by the Barbican

 

One of the greatest of today’s crop of torch singers, Martha Wainwright tackles the legacy of mighty French chanteuse Edith Piaf. In a show co-created by producer Hal Wilner for New York, Wainwright featured many of Piaf’s rarer songs in a performance recorded for DVD by Jamie Catto.

This is the London debut of that show, featuring New York musicians including pianist Thomas Bartlett, electric guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Doug Wieselman, and bassist Brad Albetta. 

Wainwright, the daughter of American folk/blues musician Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian folk singer-songwriter Kate McGarrigle, has become known in recent years for powerful renditions of Edith Piaf’s Adieu Mon Cœur during her live sets. Her last album, I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too, featured contributions from Pete Townshend, Donald Fagen and Garth Hudson – as well as brother Rufus Wainwright.

‘I think it was Rufus who played me mom’s records of Piaf’s when we were kids,’ Martha recently told wearsthetrousers.com, ‘I must have been eight or so, and ever since then she has lived in a little apartment in my heart. A French apartment, of course.’

 
Tickets £18.50/20/22.50
 

Concerts at the Barbican Hall, Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS

Box Office: 0845 120 7550     

www.barbican.org.uk