Press
What the Media have to Say...
Read about Jim Low's visits Carisbrook in the Carisbrook Mercury
‘Journey’s End’
"I think it's the sense of anticipation when I press play on a new Jim Low album that gets me in. Where is he taking me this time and what wonderful characters am I going to meet? Journey's End is quite an adventure. Folk at its finest.'
(Anna Rose, Country Music Capital News)
“Great album”
(Tim Kingston, Hobart FM)
“Jim’s songs deserve to be heard. They are genuine story songs that have a direct link to this land and this precious culture of ours.”
(Warren Fahey, OAM)
“Jim’s album has some great stories. Jim has an easy vocal and presents the songs well. I will definitely be adding tracks to my playlist.”
(Ian Crombie, Home-Grown Country on ZFM Country, the Hume Travel Network, Radio16.com.au & 1629am Newcastle).
“I love Jim’s stuff. You can be sure Journey’s End will be played right through on my show.”
(Jan Nary, Bay FM)
“Thank you for the copy of Jim Low’s new CD that I received at the station this week. It’s a great CD of new Australian folk and I will be playing it on my show.”
(Bob Cady, Minstrels Gallery, Highland FM 107.1)
“Thank you for the copy of Jim low's Journey's End. I shall include it into my music schedule. I enjoy his music.”
(Brian Amos, Radio Eastern 98.1, Croydon Victoria)
“I put the title track on high rotation today.”
(John Nutting, Australian Country)
“I was listening to the album again this morning, this time while reading the lyrics. To be honest, when I listen to a CD the first time I often do just that - listen - before checking out the sleeve notes and back stories. There are some beautiful narratives in there which Jim’s gentle delivery suits so well. His voice hasn't aged a bit. How does he do it?”
(Bruce Cameron, Come All Ye, 2MCE)
Revealing Australian histories (Anna Rose, Northern Daily Leader)
THERE’S always a sense of anticipation when I receive a new album by Jim Low. I immediately think: Where are we going this time?
On the new disc, Journey’s End, I thought it might have been the end of the road, but the title track is a song in tribute to his beloved Blue Mountains, where he lives, loves and writes.
A true storyteller, Jim gets you in with his words and weaves a spell so you really do take a journey out of your lounge room.
I sat down to write this column at 11.30pm on Tuesday –Half An Hour From Midnight – and when the words wouldn’t come, I decided to get up early and attack it again.
That is the title of the album’s opening song, and tells of the autobiographical tale of Jim travelling home late at night from a gig along a lonely mountain road:
At Bogan Gate by a cattle grid/ That leads to the farm’s front door/ There’s a cardboard box of children’s toys/ The buyers have ignored.
Jim took the words of a poem by Jim Butler to convey the desolation felt when a farm is sold off by the bank.
Jim’s songs reveal more than a little of Australia’s history. If you were to gather together the albums he’s produced to date, you would have a fairly accurate picture of some of Australia’s significant places, people and events.
The Loch Ard tells of a shipwreck, where only two souls were saved of the 53 on board –Tom Pearce, an 18- year-old ship’s apprentice, and Eva Carmichael, the woman he rescued.
If you didn’t love Smoky Dawson, you’d better check your pulse. What’s not to love about this remarkable man who painted pictures with words and song?
Jim salutes his hero, Smoky Dawson, in The Man With The Smile and Song. He’s old enough to remember hearing The Adventures of Smoky Dawson on radio, and to have
cheered on Smoky and Flash in the Waratah Festival parade in Sydney.
Take a wander through Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park with Jim and discover The Broken Soldier – a little piece of Egypt under Australian skies ...
Just Fair Game is a chilling tale of the mistreatment of a Chinese gold prospector in the late 19th century.
It’s a real history lesson, listening to a Jim Low album. Perhaps his music could be introduced into high school curriculums to make stodgy old stories come to life, as he does, like his hero, Smoky, painting word pictures in song.
Each track of the 15 is a gem in itself, with the album not surprisingly dedicated to the late Gary Shearston, who had been a great inspiration and encouragement to Jim.
Much kudos to the young couple, Chloe and Jason Roweth, who have become true friends and champions of this gifted man from the mountains.
Jump on Jim’s website and have a listen to a track or two. You too, will be entranced.
“This album is a welcome addition to the collection of Australiana albums that tell the story of the nation, its people, history and environment. Respected Australian folk singer songwriter Jim Low paints pictures in song honouring an ancient fragile land and the history of the region.”
(Garry Coxhead, Capital News)
‘Across The Blue Mountains’
"Thanks for sending Jim’s new album – I really enjoy his work. I can assure you the album will be given good air time on Sweet FM."
(Merle Scott, Sweet FM)
Thank you for Jim's album. I LOVE the music he puts out. He is terrific and has a great sound.
(Warren Fuller, 2NUR)
Thank you for sending Jim Low's new CD Across The Blue Mountains, It's real pioneer music and I'm sure that Jim will entertain many an audience with these songs.
(Country Roads)
‘The Further I Travel’
Many thanks for Jim Low's The Further I Travel album. He is certainly a man of reflection who nicely writes his songs recalling Australian historical events in the form of country ballads. I'll certainly feature a few of his songs in my radio programme.
Please convey to Jim my sincere compliments for his album."
(Roland Lanzarone,
RCF-Haute Normandie Radio / Le Cri du Coyote Magazine)
Leader Review - November 2012 (PDF Format)
Country Music Capital News Review - November 2012
I was really taken with Jim’s album The Further I Travel. It’s gorgeous. What a fabulous person he is too.
(Anna Rose, Capital News & Northern Daily Leader)
“The Further I Travel, released on Undercover Music's Rouseabout label, is a rare gem.
RECORDING people’s stories is a very worthwhile occupation and Blue Mountains-based singer-songwriter Jim Low does it better than most. When I first listened to his new album, The Further I Travel, it felt familiar, a bit like an old friend telling me things I hadn’t heard before.
The album is rich with Australian history and stories that had to be told.
Although he cites his musical inspirations as GARY SHEARSTON, ERIC BOGLE and COLIN BUCHANAN, he's no clone. Jim travels his own track.
About six years ago Jim had been having eyesight problems and was declared legally blind, which put an end to his performing, something he'd always enjoyed, playing at restaurants, festivals and clubs. While his public performances ceased, his writing and singing at home didn't, and he amassed quite a collection of material.
Enter JASON and CHLOE ROWETH, a couple he had met in the mid 1990s.Jim learnt they'd set up a studio at Millthorpe, near Blayney. The rest, as they say, is history. The Roweths arranged his songs and added their musicianship to Jim's vocals, guitar and harmonica and a brilliant musical partnership was formed.
He has an excellent website, www.jimlow.net filled with stories, songs and information about his ongoing activities.
If you ever see Jim Low’s name on the bill, grab a front row seat and sit down and take a trip back in time with this wonderful journeyman who’s keeping our history alive for future generations.”
(Anna Rose, Capital News & Northern Daily Leader)
“Jim Low’s new CD brings together a number of themes from an historian’s knowledge and love of Australia. Jim doesn’t adopt the twang but like (Gary) Shearston uses our accent for an unmistakably Australian album.Neither does he follow the current “folk” style of facile “it’s all about me” lyrics and breathless adolescent delivery … he’s got things to say and wants us to hear them.
Invasion and Indigenous dispossession at Myall Creek and Angledool, the dreams of explorers like Burke and Leichhardt, family and Sydney history in ‘Luna Park’, ‘Mr Eternity’ and ‘Engines of the Southern Cross’ and children’s goldrush graves create an historical framework for Jim’s songs. Most of the songs are beautifully realized and invite you to join.
The politics of Boundaries and Songs of Peace reveal Jim’s critique and vision about how Australia should be. As Jimmy Little observed, if you say it in song, people are more likely to get the message.”
(Rob Durbridge, Australian Options)
"The Further I Travel" is Jim Low's second album. If you like your music gentle and informative you cannot go past this CD. Jim is a talented singer/songwriter who deserves far more attention than he is getting. Jim sings of Australia's history and 12 of the 14 tracks are his originals. The other two are Jim Harper poems set to music by the artist. The 20 page information sheet contains the lyrics of each song together with a brief story behind each track. I would liked to have seen a foreword as Jim not only pens the songs he also goes into a lot of research to make sure the contents are historically accurate and this is not mentioned on the sleeve notes. This could be due to Jim Low's modesty as he comes across as a very decent human being.
To give you some idea the title track is about Robert O'Hara Burke, of Burke and Wills fame, and his love for a 15 year old girl named Julia. Before leaving on the expedition he gave Julia a gold bracelet which included a miniature photograph of himself.
The contribution given by Chloe Roweth on mandolin and backing vocal and Jason Roweth on fretless acoustic bass and backing vocal also deserves recognition. This is a beautifully crafted CD and I recommend it as a worthy addition to your library.
(Col Johnson, Traveller Radio FM 89.1)
“Jim Low creates and sings songs that get to the heart of the story, entertain and beg to be listened to again.”
(Country Update Magazine)
“Jim is really a very fine Settler Culture Writer and the Gary Shearston influence, combined with his own experience as Country Teacher, gives the tracks a real authenticity that is sadly lacking in a lot of modern Country / Folk releases. I am enjoying this album immensely.”
(Pat Drummond)
“Jim's album arrived today and I will play tracks of it in the coming weeks he is a very accomplished singer songwriter.”
(Ian Crombie, Radio1629am Newcastle)
Thank you very much for the copy of Jim Low's latest CD. Some of the tracks I identify with closely, having grown up in Sydney and lived in the Central West in married life. I remember the Eternity man especially 'cause I went to school in the City and often saw the word. In later life I have known Jason and Chloe (Roweth) well, and appreciate the work they do in the Folk Scene. I intend to feature Jim's CD in my Folk program "Fleurieu Folk" on Saturday 21st April on 5EFM Victor Harbor. I play 5 tracks of the featured CD and talk about the background a bit during the 2 hours. Thank you again for the CD.
(Don McChesney, 5EFM)
“ETERNITY is a small word with a very big meaning. A big thank you to Jim for immortalizing “MR Eternity” in song.”
(Raymond Phillips, Country Harvest)
“It is a pleasure to play tracks from the album. Wonderful stories, even if some are about our “not so proud” heritage.”
(Wayne Shearman, ABC Wide Bay)
“It’s a great album, I love it.”
(Warren Fuller, 2NUR)
“Jim’s always really solid quality. Happy to include the new album in my playlists.”
(Jan Nary, Bay FM)
“Thank you very much for sending us ‘The Further I Travel’ and please congratulate Jim on it. Lovely to hear some music that you can hear the words of!! And also great to hear Chloe & Jason again! He will certainly be added to the catalogue and will go into our new program.”
(Glenys & Johnny Marcus, Original Country Radio) |
