The 25 Days of Great Singers Day 21: Tim Minchin Its easy to do a list of great singers and (understandably) stick to the classics that everyone expects, but its also an opportunity to showcase people that are a bit less well known. Tim Minchin unfortunately falls into that category. He hails from Australia where he is much more well known, but he has made quite the impact around the world. He is known for his ironic, clever, and funny songs, but his voice and phenomenal piano playing is what makes it all work on a much higher level. He has the ability to transcend the expected and become a chameleon for whatever style the song calls for. He can be funky or fun, hard rock or sentimental, sweet or in-your-face powerful. Minchin was born in Northampton, England and raised in Perth, Australia. He graduated UWA in 1996 with a degree in English and Theatre and in 2013 was awarded and Honorary Doctor of Letters. He sees himself as primarily a musician and songwriter more than a comedian. Im a good musician for a comedian and Im a good comedian for a musician, but if I had to do any of them in isolation I dunno, he said once. And man, he is funny. Peace Anthem for Palestine, Prejudice, and If I Didnt Have You are just a few of his hilarious and witty songs to listen to. I first heard him ages ago on a comedy special when he sang the song Canvas Bags which simultaneously makes you laugh and yet imparts a poignant message about waste and taking care of the Earth and Ive been totally obsessed with him since 2010 when I got the Ready For This? (Live) album. If you want to hear his incredible range and piano skills listen to Dark Side from that same album. Amazing. And for further proof of his vocal prowess he recently played Judas in the concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar. Tim Minchin currently lives in Los Angeles and still tours and he recently wrote the music for the Broadway musical Matilda. So the man is obviously versatile. This is a Xmas list, though. So here is my absolute favorite Xmas song, White Wine in the Sun. Just try not to get too choked up.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 16:28:36 +0000