As expected, we have the pleasure to announce a brand new album from Jez and the band, his 14th collection of original songs since his debut album back in 1980. The new album is called DOOLALLY, and is out on July 12th - BUT READ ON, for details of how you can order your copy NOW from us here at Lowe Life Music, to wherever you are in the world!!

There are 12 tracks on the album -

YOU AND YOUR GOLDEN VANITY

DONNINI DOOLALLY

SUGAR WATER SUNDAY

REGINA INSIDE

VIKINGS

THE FAN DANCER'S DAUGHTER

HOI POLLOI

CALICO

KEEP THEM BAIRNS AWAY

A PENITENT'S LENT

GULL'S EYE

BLOODSTAINED

The Bad Pennies - Kate Bramley, Andy May and Sean Taylor, are featured throughout the CD, and are augmented by the vocals of Jez's old mate Bob Fox on several tracks. The first review of the album is in, and speaks of a quite different and more lyrical collection than the last release, HONESTY BOX, and as usual for a Jez Lowe album, points to some neat and unexpected twists and turns to both the arrangements and the songs themselves. The band is playing better than ever, with a lead vocal from Kate as well as her usual fiddle contribution, Andy doubling on both Northumbrian and Irish pipes along with various keyboards, and Sean's bass driving things along. There's an acapella 4-part harmony track, and Jez himself moves from guitar to cittern to dulcimer to mandolin along the way. There's some great tongue-in-cheek artwork on the CD booklet, along with lyrics and notes to the songs from Jez himself. There's almost an hour of music on this CD, and the pace and variety never lets up.

    Copies of the album are available from Lowe Life Music here in the UK at £12.50 - cheques payable to J Lowe - at PO Box 25, Peterlee, County Durham SR8 3YZ, UK - inclusive of postage and packing. We can send out airmail to anywhere in the world. The album will be available through Proper Distribution in most music shops in the UK from the end of July, but much later in the rest of the world, so why wait that long??? Also check out the on-line payment method at www.jezlowe.com, which accepts payment in any currency.

    As you will see by the enclosed gig-list, Jez's "live" appearances will be uncharacteristically sparse in the next couple of months, though a trip to America is scheduled in late July for some festivals in New England, and the whole band will convene for Cropredy Festival in August. It could be September before most audiences get a chance to buy the album at a concert or club, hence this special deal offered to us by Jez's label, Tantobie Records, to enable those of you who were good enough to sign the mailing list, and have supported so well Jez over the years, to get a chance to hear the new album before everyone else.

OTHER NEWS - New cover-versions of Jez Lowe songs coming up include Marie Little's version of WEAVE AND WORRY, and Carl Corbett's version of GALLOWAYS, as well as BEAUMONT'S LIGHT HORSE (from Jez's debut album) on his new CD.

    Jez is among a cast of thousands, both in the UK and the USA, who have contributed to a new recording by Brian Willoughby and Kathryn Craig, entitled "Rumours of Rain", due out later this year. More details of this can be found at www.rumoursofrain.com . People like Ralph McTell, Martin Carthy, Tommy Sands, Bob Fox, Jaqui McShee, Emmylou Harris and Fairport and Lindisfarne musicians are all rumoured to be involved! More news about this when we get it.

    Before heading to America, note that Jez has a slew of UK gigs in the next couple of weeks, including a gig to mark the anniversary of the UK coal miners' strike, at The Glebe Centre in Murton, County Durham on July 6th. The Bad Pennies join him for a late addition to the list, and one of their fave gigs, at Wentworth's Rockingham Arms on July 9th. And don't forget another late addition, solo this time, at The Half Moon, Bisop Stortford on July 13th.

    Fellside Records asked us to clarify something we mentioned about the BACK SHIFT compilation CD - this was in fact deleted by mutual agreement in 1996, when Jez's back catalogue was released on CD in its entirety, so making a compilation obsolete. We still have a handful of these 17-track CDs available at £15 each, by the way - see www.jezlowe.com for more details.

     Meanwhile, back up to date with DOOLALLY, and www.jezlowe.com is currently being updated DAILY on the "Latest News" page with details of the album, and much more besides.