• Winner of the IAP USA Album of the Year 2009
• Nominee for BBC Folksinger of the Year 2008
• Sony Radio Academy Award Winner 2007 with The Radio Ballads
• Best Lyrics for Northern Echoes: Indie Acoustic Project's Best CDs 2008

A few samples of Jez's music are available in the format:

• London Danny from the Bad Penny CD
• Tom Tom from the The Parish Notices CD
• Spitting Cousins from the The Parish Notices CD
• Parish Notices from the The Parish Notices CD

Jez Lowe, both solo and with his band The Bad Pennies have been playing their songs and music of Northern England for a decade and a half around the folk festivals, clubs and concert stages of the world. "Acoustic simplicity coupled with electric vitality" was how they were described in their early days, and with half a dozen albums to their credit, along with solo albums by Jez and by other members of the group, their following has continued to increase. In 2006 alone they played in America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Belgium and of course all over the UK and Ireland. Strong vocals, backed by outstanding instrumental back-up on guitar, cittern, fiddle, fretless bass, keyboards and Northumbrian Pipes, have made them one of Britain's top attractions on the folk/acoustic/celtic circuit.

Jez Lowe has built an enviable reputation as a songwriter and performer in the world of acoustic music, and as a recognised musical ambassador for his native North East England, with more than a dozen albums and countless live performances around the world over the last twenty years.

Among those who have recorded their own versions of Lowe's songs, are Fairport Convention, The Dubliners, The Tannahill Weavers, Cherish The Ladies, Gordon Bok, The Black Brothers, Liam Clancy and literally hundreds of others. Songs like BACK IN DURHAM GAOL, THE BERGEN, GREEK LIGHTNING and THESE COAL TOWN DAYS have generated scores of cover versions around the globe, and are now classics of their kind.

He has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in the world, both solo and with the Bad Pennies, including the main stages at Edmonton Festival (Canada), Tonder Festival (Denmark), The Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian (US), Port Fairy and Byron Bay Festivals (Australia) and at concerts and festivals in New Zealand, Hong Kong, Ireland, Holland, Germany and Spain.

In 2006 Jez participated in a hugely successful radio documentary series for the BBC, entitled THE RADIO BALLADS, for which he composed 23 new songs, many of which are already finding their way into the repertoires of his peers, and also formed the basis of a new album for Jez himself "Jack Common's Anthem" released in 2007. The RADIO BALLADS went on to be honoured with two SONY RADIO ACADEMY Awards and Jez himself was nominated for "FOLKSINGER OF THE YEAR" in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards 2008.

Jez's 2009 started with a hectic world tour that took in New Zealand and Australia with his new album of 2008 "Northern Echoes" winner of an Indie-Acoustic Award in the USA in 2009 in the "Best Lyrics" catergory. Most recently he collaborated with Karine Polwart, Stu Hannah, Emily Smith, Mark Erelli and others on songs for the "Darwin Song Project" featured on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 2. Recording for a new one-off BBC Radio Ballad programme should also be starting soon, and is shceduled to be broadcast in March.

While there is only one Richard Thompson, Lowe is a songwriter from his tradition, full of an Englishman's ironies, practical jokes and tomfoolery. His music sounds traditional, but it's a new tradition he's making up as he goes along.
J.M., FAIRFIELD COUNTY WEEKLY

Some of the best contemporary folk songs since early Richard Thompson are coming from the pen of Jez Lowe.
Andy Nagy, BOSTON GLOBE

• JEZ LOWE 1980
• THE OLD DURHAM ROAD 1983 & 1999
• GALLOWAYS 1985 & 1997
• TWO A ROUE with Jake Walton 1986 & 2001
• SELECTIONS FROM THE PENGUIN BOOK OF ENGLISH FOLK SONGS with Various Artists 1986
• BAD PENNY 1988
• BRIEFLY ON THE STREET 1990
• VOICES with Various Artists 1991
• BACK SHIFT 1992
• BEDE WEEPS 1993
• TENTERHOOKS 1996
• PARISH NOTICES 1998 & 2003
• LIVE AT THE DAVY LAMP 2000
• HONESTY BOX 2002
• DOOLALLY 2004
• JACK COMMON'S ANTHEM 2007
• NORTHERN ECHOS 2008

In 1990 Jez Lowe began working with The Bad Pennies, a quartet of singers and musicians with whom he has recorded three albums. They have gone on to be one of England's top folk bands, combining what has been called "acoustic simplicity with electric vitality" at festivals and concerts across Europe and North America. Their 1996 album Tenterhooks, for the Green Linnet label, has won them rave reviews, and their contributions to the top selling album of acappella folk songs Voices was one of the outstanding tracks.Parish Notices, was chosen for one of Billboard magazine's best of 1998 lists and Jez's newest CD Live at the Davey Lamp was just been released in late 2000.

Jez is joined in The Bad Pennies by Kate Bramley, David De La Haye and Andy May. Kate plays fiddle and does some vocals. David De La Haye plays bass. Andy May brings new instrumental variety to the group on accordion, whistles, keyboard and Northumbrian small pipes.

Click here to listen and see a live performance at the Kennedy Center's Millenium Stage on January 9, 2001.

Lowe and the Bad Pennies sing and play with a luminous sparseness that rises above the current trendiness of Celtic music and harks back to its wild heart.
John Foyston, THE OREGONIAN,

http://www.jezlowe.com
Tantobie Records

Click here for the promo kit.