At this year's Perth Fringe World, Jessie Gordon and Mark Turner are offering audiences both intimate and improvised performances with two "very different shows”.
The duo have been friends for more than 20 years, performing together across that time – Jessie a jazz-blues singer, Mark a guitarist and vocalist.
After winning both the 2019 and 2020 Fringe World Weekly Music Awards, Jessie and Mark bring back their 'Best Friends' show presenting a range of cover songs and originals that are selected by the audience.
"'Best Friends' is a musical jaunt through our 20-year history together," begins Jessie. "We write a list of 30 or 40 songs and take requests before the show (and sometimes during). . . It's set-list roulette and it creates a completely different, improvised show every night."
Adds Mark: "For 'Best Friends', we want you to come away feeling delighted and entertained and engaged. . . that you as an audience member helped to create the magic."
Their second show, 'Songs From The Hill', finds the duo performing their own originals in an intimate, acoustic setting – no stage or production, just their music, voices, and stories.
"For 'Songs From The Hill', we want to really share our stories with you," Mark says.
"So we hope you come away feeling uplifted, connected and held by people who have been through a lot together and want to invite you along on that journey."
Jessie is equally excited to present 'Songs From The Hill'. "It's at the acoustically stunning Moana Hall and we are presenting a show that is entirely our original music; some we have written separately and lot we have written together over the past year.
"It's very intimate and the audience sits surrounding us. It's just like a private living room concert but with the addition of a really great bar.
"We have been doing weekly concerts for the last few months at Moana Hall and it's just such a pleasure to work with my best friend, who makes everything feel easier," continues Jessie.
"Mark is just one of those incredible people who creates situations where anything is possible, because I'm always safe and supported and that means we both take great risks together musically.
"There's a lot to look forward to. The music, the connection with the audience, the atmosphere, but spending time together is top of my list."
'Best Friends' plays The Ellington Jazz Club 27-30 January. 'Songs From The Hill' plays Moana Hall 31 January-3 February as part of Fringe World.
