Leah Cotterell & Jamie Clark – Running Creek

Cotterell and Clark present four original songs resonant with traditional melody and bluegrass guitar. “Leah Cotterell could sing the shopping list and melt your heart.” – Rhythms Magazine.

CD REVIEW – by Jane Harding

Running Creek Road is a collection of four songs from Queensland based duo Leah Cotterell & Jamie Clark.

Leah Cotterell has 30 years experience singing in folk clubs, theatres and cabaret venues around Brisbane.

Jamie Clark has been accompanying her in one form or another since the early 1990s.
They’re clearly old musical friends who know each other very well and their comfort with playing together is clearly audible on the CD.

This recording is characterised by strong contralto vocals and sweet fingerstyle guitar, delivered in a faintly melancholic style.

John Rogers plays fiddle on two tracks and Danielle Bentley plays cello on another.
It has taken a while for this offering to grow on me, I found the vocals a little heavy and mournful-sounding.

I can’t help wondering what it would be like to see the duo play live to see if they could achieve a lighter tone.

Having said that, Jake McRail’s banjo on “Blue Sky Highway” is bright and breezy which helps to make this my preferred track on the CD.

Leah lets her vocals soar in a country gospel style that suits her voice well.
It’s well worth a listen.