Liz Frencham is a warm, exuberant performer. She’s a captivating solo artist, and a veteran of many collaborations. She easily traverses genres from folk and bluegrass to jazz and blues with gentle expertise and plenty of good humor to sweeten the journey. She’s also a skilled vocalist and vocal instructor, and a treasured friend of mine.

Liz entered her professional music career as a self-taught double bass player and quickly got very busy, due to her incredible ear and ability to quickly add vocal harmonies to any song. She eventually studied Jazz Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, graduating in 2000, & she’s been working full time as a musician ever since. 2020 marks her twentieth year as a full time professional muso (that’s Aussie for musician!)

After developing her chops for years in collaborative projects like the trio Jigzag and the duo Frencham Smith, she took centre stage for the first time in 2005, with her debut solo album ‘Jericho’. It was a finalist for the ‘Presenter’s Choice’ award at the 2007 Australian Folk Alliance Convention and the title song was a finalist for the 2005 Australian Gospel awards.

In 2008 she launched a new concept project “You & Me", producing three albums of live duets over the next 8 years. The list of duet partners is long and illustrious, including Canada’s David

Francey, Kristina Olsen (USA), world-renowned New Zealand jazz pianist Mike Nock, While & Matthews (UK), Australian legends including David Bridie, Mic Conway and Doug DeVries, and some guy from the US named David LaMotte.

Throughout 2017 and 2018 she toured with the Americana-inspired John Flanagan Trio as they celebrated the launch of their new album "Honest Man", recorded in Frencham's own recording studio.

In 2018 was named the Artist of the Year by the Troubadour Foundation.

Liz lives in Central Victoria where she recorded her upcoming album,'Love and Other Crimes', which will be officially launched late in 2020. She is also half way through recording a bunch of new songs with her duo Paper Mouse.

I first met Liz at the National Folk Festival in about 2001, when I was on tour in Australia, and we were instant friends, maintaining that connection across many years and many miles. I was honored to be invited to play at Liz’s wedding to her husband Steve, whom I also count as a friend, and I wrote my song ‘Home To Love’ on the way back to Brisbane from that beautiful weekend.

I hope you can join us and meet my warm and talented friend, Liz.

David

Sustaining Our Spirits #10 - Liz Frencham, bassist and songwriter