SIMPLY ALISON JIEAR release 1995
Show Music Magazine U.S.A. Review
Currently in the West End, in THE HOT MIKADO, Australian Alison Jiear was part of the girl group The Fabulous Singlettes, who appeared in the 1988 London Musical revue Stop in the Name of Love. Simply Alison Jiear is her appealing debut solo album.
Jiear is a soprano with a “belt” range, which she uses to hilarious effect on the hysterical “I Can Sing” from Tales of Tinsel Town. The inclusion of that number should tip the fact that Jiear’s program does not contain the expected songs.
It opens with a warmly sung “How Could I Ever Know?” from The Secret Garden, then Jiear belts out The Goodbye Girl’s “No More” in a performance that might curl Bernadette Peter’s hair even more than it is already. She sings Nine’s “Simple” and “Unusual Way” with clear-voiced emotion, races through Starting Here, Starting Now’s tongue-twisting “Crossword Puzzle” and performs Ballroom’s “Fifty Percent” with rueful feeling.
Among the remaining selections are “When the Sun Comes Out”, Sondheim’s “With So Little To Be Sure Of” and “Goodbye For Now” (the latter from the film Reds) and Big River’s “How Blest We Are”, which shows Jiear’s range through her gospel interpretation. The talented Jiear is accompanied by Andy Vinter at the piano; his playing never gets in the way of her expressive vocals.
FORGIVENESS' EMBRACE release 2000
Cabaret Scenes CD Review
David Friedman calls Alison Jiear “a songwriter’s dream” in his liner notes for Forgiveness’ Embrace, and from a songwriter of Friedman’s calibre, that’s hefty praise indeed. But Jiear earns every ounce of that accolade with this dynamite collection that mines matters of the heart and strikes gold.
From the soaring optimism that works to heal a broken heart in the opening Trust the Wind, Friedman’s tribute to Nancy LaMott, which initially brought Jiear and Friedman together when she was selected to sing it at a London benefit in 1996, to the moment of inner revelation of How Can I Win to the pure and inspiringly beautiful I Believe to the downright hilarity of the closing Diva, Jiear makes every moment of Forgiveness’ Embrace ring with truth and passion, whether she’s tracing the lineage of a mindset in Stephen Schwartz’s title track, coming to terms with the curves the road of life has in store in What I Had in Mind or celebrating the wonders of life in her self-penned My One and One Miracle.
Joyous and heartbreaking, loving and reflective, Forgiveness’ Embrace and Jiear crawl into the listener’s heart and touch it from deep inside.
THE FABULOUS SINGLETTES : STOP IN THE NAME OF LOVE
Live at The Piccadilly Theatre, London
ALBUM NOTES : On Monday August 15 th 1988, they came, they saw, and they truly conquered! Before a capacity audience of celebrities, instantly converted critics, ageing rockers, and teenagers far too young to remember the sounds that were being so lovingly recreated, The Fabulous Singlettes created their own small part of West End theatre history. Three unknown Aussie girls, Naomi Eyers, Alison Jiear & Lisa Shipley brought a cheering West End audience to its feet, after an incredible two hours of America’s musical best of the Sixties.
This LP is not only a tribute to the American girl groups, but also to The Fabulous Singlettes, and to all those “friends” who helped me and them prove that the West End theatre can be a warm and welcoming home for every kind of theatrical talent.
Bill Kenwright
“The splendidly jolly Alison Jiear delivers the soaring phrases of the Ronettes hit Be My Baby in a voice clear as a bell.”
JEREMY KINGSTON : The Times
“They are all terrific, but Alison Jiear, the pleasingly plump little blonde, is a riot and must have a tongue that should appear in The Guinness Book of Records”.
PENELOPE BAILEY : Hong Kong Standard
“The strongest singing came from Alison Jiear. She provided a one-woman wall of sound on The Ronettes Be My Baby. Alison and her partners could sing the designer labels off any contemporary girl pop outfits.
SPENCER BRIGHT : Evening Standard
THE JURY : ITV Television Series (released on Polydor)
Film Score Monthly, Dec. 2001
"… hiring Alison Jiear to vocalise for The Jury transformed the music … her soulful voice just exploded from with speakers with spectacular poignancy."
amazon.co.uk review
"I was really pleased to be asked to write the musical score for the JURY for two reasons. One was that the story was so stark, sad & powerful that, for a composer, it was a rare opportunity to write some resonent, heartfelt and expressive music. Another was that I would be working back in London, the town I left some years ago when I'd got the call from Hollywood. The JURY became a real adventure & a challenge. The work was so epic in scale, the tone so strong & deep & dark, & I had director Pete Travis egging me on, exhorting me to develop the soulful qualities he needed. It was his idea to have a female voice in the score, & my good fortune to meet Alison Jiear whose voice elevates the music, giving it the poignancy Pete & I had hoped for."
Rolfe Kent ( Composer )
BEING JULIA
Alison appeared in the film as the nightclub singer and has two tracks on the soundtrack.
Movies into Film Review
"... cabaret singer Alison Jiear’s warm contralto voice graces the final scene, imbuing “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” with more empathy than the song usually receives."
Cast Recordings
JERRY SPRINGER THE OPERA
The New York Times Review
Alison Jiear may have the best scene, as a fat woman in a tiny skirt, with long blond hair. The perfect trash-TV name, Shawntel, and the perfect trash-TV dream: she wants to be a pole dancer. When Ms. Jiear sings, "I just want to dance," in a big, bring-down-the-house pop voice, she makes that dream seem touching, something the real "Jerry Springer Show" never does.
Paul Taylor, The Independent
There are some powerful passages where unparodied, genuine feeling gushes out. One example of this is the baroque, soaring number where Alison Jiear’s Shawntel reveals her dream of being a pole-dancer… I could have done with a few more of these moments.
I Just Wanna ******* Dance
Alison recorded a "demo" recording of I Just Wanna Dance from Jerry Springer the Opera, produced by Marius Devries, which was due to be released by Sony in August 2004. Due to various legalities, the release was cancelled. The track, however, made its way into the public domain and continues to be played in dance clubs all over the world. It only served to fuel Ali's lifelong ambition to become a gay icon! Ali was proud to be the Opening Act for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2009, performing the song to over 12,000 screaming fans. Alison has NEVER been paid for this recording and anyone licensing/selling it is doing so illegally.
The video on the right was created by Manny Patel Jnr for Gay Pride in 2004.
The Hot Mikado : Original West End Cast
“Pitti-Sing (Alison Jiear), with the red-hot For He’s Gonna Marry Yum-Yum... gives the kind of uninhibited full throttle singing you still expect only blacks to deliver in hot jazz.”
ALASTAIR MACAULAY : The Financial Times
“... the former Fabulous Singlette now emerges as a major star...”
MAUREEN PATON : Daily Express
“... Alison Jiear, a soul-sister under the skin.”
RHODA KOENIG : The Independent
“... the deep gospel style of Alison Jiear’s Pitti-Sing, an actress who, if Australian and blonde, has the heart of a red-hot mamma”
DARRYL McCARTHY : Kentish Times
Hey Mr. Producer : The Musical World of Cameron Macintosh
Alison & company perform Day by Day at The Royal Gala, Lyceum Theatre, London.
A Spoonful of Stiles and Drewe
Whilst appearing with Stiles and Drewe in WARTS & ALL at The Watermill Theatre Newbury, George & Ants wrote the song DIVA for Alison to feature her curious fascination for singing out of tune. It became my signature tune in cabaret for years to come and still never fails to amuse.
“…gives way to another stand-alone piece, 'Diva' from 1996. Alison Jiear revels in the amusing characterisation of the song's desperately inept singer.”
DOMINIC MCHUGH : www.musicalcriticism.com
