PRESS CUTTINGS & SHOW REVIEWS FOR KYLE ESPLIN

Great balls of fire - what a stunning performance from Kyle Esplin at the Whitby Pavilion Theatre!

Proving worthy of the title "Wild man of the piano" himself with a storming rendering of Jerry Lee Lewis's hit, "Great Balls of Fire". But it was the culmination of a set which moved from up-tempo opening into two slower numbers, "She Sure Makes Leaving Look Easy" and a lilting song penned by a friend from Norway, "One For The Moon".

Kyle's enjoyment and playing shone through, and his talent and versatility were boosted by a blend of outright showmanship with an easy and relaxed on-stage manner"

Mesmerising Display of Keyboard Wizardry

Kyle Esplin, from Forfar in Scotland, has already flitted with fame after guesting at Jerry Lee Lewis's birthday celebrations in Memphis Tennessee last year.

And now, Kyle is well on the road to stardom after banging out a rendition of the great one's "Great Balls of Fire" which almost blew the roof off the Blackpool Pavilion Theatre.

The talent at the end of the his smouldering fingertips is out of this world. And his fingers danced manically across the piano keyboard, the appreciative Pavilion audience knew it was watching someone with a remarkable gift.

It is one thing following in the footsteps of your idol, learning his songs by heart and copying his moves. It is entirely different thing to play at his birthday party. But Kyle Esplin has done just that.

Just back from playing the Jerry Lee Lewis Fan Club convention in Rotterdam, Kyle is fast developing a reputation as Scotland's leading rock'n'roll piano player and singer, with a strong following not just among Jerry Lee fans but within Lewis' own band. "I don't set out to copy Jerry," says the piano pounder. "But there is always going to be a connection to him because he has been such a strong influence on me. I have a great love of rock'n'roll piano in general and Jerry Lee is synonymous with that."

Based in Forfar, Kyle grew up in a showbusiness environment. His parents are the Scottish entertainers Joss Esplin and Sandra Wright and by the age of ten he was spending his school holidays playing keyboards for them in hotels throughout the region.

"There was always a piano sitting open in the living room and as far back as I can remember, I would always sit at it and play away on the keys. "It's something I just seemed to pick up." By his early teens Kyle knew he wanted to make a career out of music.

He recorded his first CD - named Great Balls of Fire after Lewis' best-known hit - when he was 16. By then Kyle had become great friends with Lewis' band, whom he first met on holiday in Tennessee. He so impressed them with his playing that he was invited to perform at Jerry Lee's 65th and 66th birthday parties in Memphis. "Having seen so many of Jerry Lee's concerts and performance videos, it was a great honour to sit at his piano and lead his band through a song."

Kyle recorded his new album, To Memphis and Back, in the US earlier this year with Lewis' former band member Joel Shumaker playing bass. The CD is currently available at Kyle's website

Here's a talent that will get known around the world in no time. From Angus, Scotland, he has picked the example of Jerry Lee Lewis to emulate.

Friends with the great Jerry Lee, he has even gathered up some of the killers band to record and play with him. In a short time (or with a hit record), there should no stopping this guy. His CD, To Memphis And Back, is excellent.

Recorded at Abbey Road Studios with great musicians and self produced, this recording cooks, soothes, teases and satisfies - big time. He is a rockin' boogie pianist, a singer, and leader of a great band ready for you to make his acquaintance. Check him out at his website to learn more...

"A great album full of super singing and music recorded in Memphis with a band of Memphis musicians. Kyle provides some great piano, vocals and keyboards on all tracks. Kyle has also attended Jerry Lee Lewis's 65th and 66th birthday parties and you will know whywhen you listen to his rendering of "Great Balls of Fire".

These class tracks come over best: "I'd Rather Be Sorry", "She Sure Makes Leaving Look Easy", "The Bigger The Fool The Harder The Fall", and "Great Balls of Fire". I also enjoyed the following good offerings: "Sweet little Sixteeen", "You Don't Know Me" and "One For The Moon."

This CD is a quality release with a nice mix of country music and rock 'n' roll, it will be very popular and have wide appeal.

KYLE ESPLIN…TO MEMPHIS `N` BACK… Billed as Scotland’s No 1 Boogie-Woogie Pianist - Singer Kyle made the trip to Memphis to record a large part of this Cd while the remainder was recorded in Glasgow. Forfar based Kyle first came to the notice of the country fan with a track on the Hot Disc and through Ken McLeod’s radio programme on Radio Tay. Unashamedly in the Jerry Lee Lewis style, his piano playing is outstanding as commented on by James Burton and BB Cunningham (Jerry Lee’s bass player ). Joel Schumacher leads the Memphis musicians Don Marrs, Randy Smith and Mike Lamm. The album alternates between country ballads and out and out Rock `n Roll tracks, a great mixture in the Jerry Lee mould.

Tracks: "Why You Been Gone So Long?" "She Sure Makes Leaving Look Easy"; "Sweet Little Sixteen"; "Makin’ Whoopee"; "Folsom Prison Blues"; "You Don’t Know Me"; "Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee"; "The Bigger The Fool", "The Harder The Fall"; "Great Balls Of Fire"; "One For The Moon"; "I’d Rather Be Sorry." Running time: 39:49.

Kyle Esplin is from Forfar,Scotland. He is a full-time professional musician and the son of the well-known Scottish entertainers Joss Esplin & Sandra Wright. Kyle is the Scottish for a narrow strait or channel, a very apt name for this young piano player because at the end of the channel is Jerry Lee Lewis and this laddie is so good he was invited to play at Jerry’s 66th birthday party.

Born into the world of entertainment he has been playing the piano as long as he can remember, he sang on one of his father’s recordings at the age of 10. He can also play clarinet and guitar but his first love is the piano, at the age of 15 years he played in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Jerry Lee Lewis’ band heard him and thought his playing sensational for his age.

When most 16-year-olds are checking out their birthday presents Kyle was recording his Great Balls Of Fire CD and appeared with his parents in New York the same year. The following year he took over as musical director for a three-week tour of Canada by the "Breath Of Scotland" company when the Musical Director fell ill.

As a boogie-woogie pianist/singer he has more than earned permission to use the title international. Whenever and wherever he chooses to play I can assure you he will have the place jumping, I defy you to sit still when this album of classic numbers is playing.

Half of the album was recorded in Memphis with a band of Memphis musicians, the other half in Glasgow with Scottish musicians. It was then mastered at the famous Abbey Road Studios.

There is only one word to describe how I felt listening to the awesome talent of Kyle Esplin and that’s one of Jerry Lee Lewis’ top ten hits “Breathless”.

"Tickling the ivories at a concert in a Blackpool is a young man from Forfar, Kyle Esplin who’s described as Scotland’s number one boogie woogie pianist/singer.

He’s never had a music lesson in his life, but knows the keyboard so well and gives it so much abuse that he practically turns the keys inside out. That’s because he idolises Jerry Lee Lewis and that shines through in his performances. Kyle has played at fan club conventions and was even invited to play at Jerry’s 65th birthday party.

When Kyle’s was still at school he teamed up with his Mum and Dad - Scottish entertainers Sandra and Joss Esplin and played on their shows.

Promoter Jack Diamond tells TV presenter Pauline Fraser: “He will come out on top in the end because he has what it takes. Although he is still a young man, he has the experience and has certainly got a great future. The cream will come to the top.”

"The worst release of the year was "Kindred Spirits" - a tribute to Johnny Cash by various big-name artists. All those responsible should be made to listen to Kyle Esplin's tornado attack on "Folsom Prison Blues" - a quote from Country Music People Magazine January 2003.

The same issue of Country Music People named Kyle's CD as the best by any British Artist!