"Lorna's third album is a top-class production, featuring 11 original songs of beauty, distinction and subtlety, which are shot through with the same fragility and delicacy as the late Eva Cassidy's cannon. Lorna posseses a charmingly honest lyrical manner.... the great Eric Bibb joins Lorna on One more time" Musician magazine
"From the opening song, Lorna grabbed the audience with her exceptional, distinctive, powerful voice and delivery. She wooed the attentive listeners early on with a selection of her well known songs, such as the brilliant Tired, and held them in awe with an amazing, heartfelt rendition of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah." BBC website
"With little more than a 12 string acoustic and a songbird sweet voice, Lorna delivers note perfect renditions of her own songs in a voice that soars and dips in a complex weave of melodies and harmonies." Evening News
"Lorna Brooks is fast becoming one of Scotland's outstanding singer/songwriters" Scotland on Sunday
"Lorna Brooks has the kind of voice you'd want to spend the rest of your life with" Record Mirror
"Scotland has a long tradition of producing talented female singer/ songwriters. And the grittily soulful Lorna Brooks is looking set to follow in the footsteps of her predecessors." The Evening Times
ABOUT LORNA Lorna has opened for various artists including Loudon Wainwright III, Janis Ian, Michael Marra, Shawn Colvin, Martin Stephenson, Iris de Ment, James Grant, Sharon Shannon, Bert Jansch, Tuck and Patti and Beth Nilson Chapman also worked as a session musician with various artists including backing vocals for John Martyn. And so a relationship was born. Eric then asked Lorna to open for him at his show at the Queen's Hall in Edinburgh. Next, he brought his family up to Scotland for a few days so that he could take Lorna into the Sound Café Studios and record some of her own material and so came the beginnings of a new album. Eric accompanies Lorna vocally on the title track 'One More Time' and the blend of those two voices is heavenly. The album also features Hilary Brooks (vocals and accordion) Lorna Thomas (bass) Keith Burns (percussion), Althea Stentiford (vocals) Allan Bertram (guitar) and Wendy Weatherby (cello) She has played trumpet in a punk rock band, performed in theatre throughout Europe, busked in streets in New York, written for theatre, lugged keyboards in and out of vans - maybe the cause of a prolapsed disc!! and the reason for taking up guitar which is much easier to transport whilst spending her life playing music. Lorna has successfully released two previous albums 'Kowtow' and 'Just' THEATRE Lorna has worked in Theatre as an Actor/Musician, Musical Director and Vocal Coach. She has played various roles from Mrs Campbell in Whisky Galore the musical premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe to Lead Female in Magical Rhythms of Ireland II, touring throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. She started her career as an actor/musician with the wonderful company of Wildcat on their production of the Complete History of Rock and Roll. She also worked as composer and Musical Director for Clyde Unity Theatre and been Musical Director on various shows. She most recently was Vocal Coach for Dundee Rep's award winning Sunshine on Leith and their production of Gypsy.
However, after finding herself in the company of Eric Bibb one night and being invited to play some of her own songs on one of Eric's beautiful guitars, she couldn't resist. And here is when a beautiful union was forged. Hearing the thunderous applause in this hotel bar in Edinburgh, Eric asked her to play and play…
Born in Glasgow - her mother a pianist and a music teacher and her father, who sadly was tone deaf but had a huge appreciation for music (especially jazz) and a very large record collection, influenced Lorna's early years and at quite a young age she grudgingly set off to piano lessons. Her love of music encouraged her to then learn trumpet and guitar. Not until she was in her twenties did she find her voice.