Nick and Livi Graham are now something of an institution on the Edinburgh Free Fringe.
They first appeared here as guests for a one-off event. Now they perform an entire run of one-hour gigs, with pleasingly variable setlists, at Fingers Piano Bar in Frederick Street, throughout the festival. The final one this year will be on Sunday 30 August at the usual 7.50pm.
As their collective moniker suggests, conservatoire trained jazz/soul vocalist, pianist and music teacher Livi is the daughter of veteran singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitars, bass, piano) Nick Graham – now approaching his eighth decade, but still in fine form. Nick’s own considerable musical lineage includes forming proto-prog rockers Atomic Rooster with legendary drummer Carl Palmer back in the late 1960s.
Their Edinburgh shows, however, put the accent on the contemporary: their own high quality songs, alongside a few well-delivered covers each evening. I have heard them twice during this run. Their range of material, audience engagement and musical synergy make this very much a show to catch if you simply want to unwind from the bustle of the Fringe in a friendly, not over-packed nightclub environment.
Style-wise they move between hooky power ballads like the gorgeous ‘Martha’s Garden’ and Nick Graham’s worldwide hit for Cheap Trick, ‘The Flame’, right through to soul and jazz inflected numbers and (on the last occasion I saw them) a well-harmonised version of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Feelin’ Groovy’. Then there’s the new folky song from Livi, ‘A Home You Share with Me’, Nick’s rocker ‘Midnight Train’, the moon-cycle and goddess number ‘Selene’, and much more. Around eleven songs per set.
Aside from ‘The Flame’ (“You always have to play your hit” declares Livi on her old man’s behalf!) the other continuing staple is the closing song, ‘Ain’t No Blues (in Paradise)’, which they wrote together. All their material is melodically strong and musically interesting. This one, harking back to the great jazz songstresses, but still sounding of-the-moment, deserves to become a widely performed standard. Absolutely spine-tingling in its haunting beauty.
Another feature of the gig – alongside the fun, and Nick switching from acoustic, to electric, to bass guitar as needed – is that almost all the songs they choose have a strong narrative element. They tell a human story. Both are also good lyric writers, as well as supplying supple tunes and delivering solidly in an unforgiving small-stage amplified acoustic.
Altogether, Nick’s Daughter have built a regular following and small community for their annual series of short-but-well-formed Free Fringe shows. Long may they continue to provide musical respite from the festival storms. Do catch them if you can.
Nick’s Daughter play Fingers Piano Bar, 61a Frederick Street, EH2 ILH each night at 7:50pm until Sunday 30th August. You can also find them both on Bandcamp and Instagram.
Simon Barrow writes regularly for the Edinburgh Music Review.
His latest book is Beyond Our Means: Poetry, Prose and Blue Runes
