Girl Talk is an album of previously unreleased recordings in loving memory of singer Beaver.
Beverly Jean Morrison, better known as Beaver, one of NZ’s finest jazz singers, sadly lost her battle with cancer on 23rd May 2010. She was 59yrs old.
Beaver had a warm, vibrant voice. She had great phrasing & could deliver a ballad with a total lack of pretension. She was a bright, lovely woman, very down-to-earth & was loved by the whole musical community.
Beaver was a long running member of the ground-breaking Blerta co-operative & later of the similar troupe Red Mole. Her 1988 album Live At Ronnie Scott’s was awarded NZ’s Best Jazz Album that year & her voice could also be heard performing the theme song to the infamous late ‘80s TVNZ soap opera Gloss.
In 1994, a four-part harmony group comprising Beaver, Candy Alderton-Conway, Julie Mason & Linn Lorkin, all soloists in their own right, came together “for fun”, becoming a popular fixture in jazz clubs & at festivals throughout NZ during the ‘90s.
As the First Ladies Of Jazz, “the four chick singers” (as Beaver calls the group on track #11) had tremendous fun, musically & socially, on stage & backstage.
Julie, Linn & Candy chose to call this album Girl Talk, remembering their favourite collective pastime, the harmony our harmonies brought us all & the love for their dear friend.
