Julia Fordham returns

She has no new album out but that is no reason for us not to take another look, and of course, listen to the sparkling music of Julia Fordham. The pop-jazz songbird performs again in Manila this Saturday, through the courtesy of the Nation Broadcasting Corporation's Joey@Rhythms 92.3 FM, which is celebrating its first anniversary.

If I remember right it was this same radio station that brought in the enchanting Diana Krall a few months ago. If I remember right too, this must be Fordham's third visit to the Philippines and the second one in June of 1999 was also sponsored by the NBC. Hence the show is billed as Joey's Concert Series Presents Julia Fordham. This will be staged at the PICC at the CCP Complex at 8 p.m., March 11. Fordham will also have a solo concert at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu next Saturday, March 17.

Fordham is one of those performers whose utter simplicity never fails to take the breath away. She will be singing backed by the 30-piece NBC Rhythms Ensemble led by Toti Fuentes but she fares just as well, if not better, because her stunning voice stands out more, when accompanied by a single guitar or piano. Take note of her latest recording Something Right that Joey has been playing on the air these past weeks. With only a piano in the background, her singing is pristine in its purity, perfectly pitched and rightly emotive like the gestures of an actress totally immersed in her role.

Fordham has been playing the guitar since she was six and singing and writing songs since she was 12 years old. You may not find her name in the hit charts like Mariah or Whitney but her following is loyal, solid and comes from everywhere in the world. Where Does Time Go, a duet with John O'Kane, I Can't Help Myself, River, Love and Forgiveness, Love Moves in Mysterious Ways, Someone to Watch Over You, Happy Ever After, Invisible War, Loving You and Girlfriend are some of the songs that all Julia Fordham fanatics expect to hear live come Saturday evening. Heard that Gary Valenciano will be her special guest so it might not be too far-fetched to start dreaming of a duet or two from them.

Joey's Concert Series Presents Julia Fordham is presented by PLDT, Smart and Listerine with Aegon Life Insurance as co-presentor. Other sponsors are Fordham's official residence while in town, the Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Infocom, the official ISP provider, Home Cable the official cable network, Fibrosine, Centrum and Nokia. Tickets are reasonably priced at P2,000; P1,500; P1,200; P923; P600; and P300 and are available at the Ticketworld outlets in major National Bookstore branches.

Over at the Academy Awards, the movie songs competing for the Oscar trophy this month are the following: Blame Canada composed by Trey Parker and Marc Shalman from the animated feature South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Music of My Heart written by Diane Warren from the movie also titled Music of My Heart; Save Me by Aimee Mann from Magnolia, When She Loved Me by Randy Newman from another animated flick, Toy Story 2; and You'll Be In My Heart by Phil Collins from still another animated film, Tarzan.

I wonder what it means for the motion picture industry but we cannot help but notice that most of the best movie tunes we get nowadays were initially sung by animated characters. Take note that You'll Be In My Heart has already won the Golden Globe Award for Best Song and that means it is already one step closer to the first Oscar trophy for British pop star Phil Collins.

Speaking of the hit charts, Amazed by Lonestar leads the latest Hot 100 listing from Billboard Magazines but it is rock stalwart Santana, who accomplished the feat of occupying two slots in the Top 10 with songs from his Grammy-sweeping album Supernatural. The complete list is as follows: Amazed by Lonestar; Maria, Maria by Santana Feat. The Product G&B; Breathe by Faith Hill; I Knew I Loved You by Savage Garden; Get It On Tonite by Montell Jordan; Bye Bye Bye by N'Sync; Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely by the Backstreet Boys; That's the Way It Is by Celine Dion; All the Small Things by Blink-182, and Smooth by Santana Feat, Rob Thomas.