Krysia Kocjan RIP

[Mastrid]

A contributor to the "Time Has Told Me" website reports the death of
this Scottish singer on 21st February. She had lived in Oregon, USA,
for several years working as a singing teacher. I'm sure some here
will remember her work with the Natural Acoustic Band on their two
albums from the early Seventies, and as a backing singer for the likes
of Al Stewart, The Kinks and Mike Heron, as well as her 1974 RCA solo
album "Krysia" featuring the customary number of Fairports. She
sometimes used the name Krysia Kristianne when working as a backing
singer.

Her most recent major work was an excellent album consisting of
English romantic poems set to music under the overall name Tyger and
Other Tales. Her singing on this was her best yet, I think, including
a new version of the Keats poem "La Belle Dame Sans Merci" which she
also had done a long time before on her solo album.

Very sad.

M.

[mar...@gmail.com]

Sad news indeed. Krysia was in attendance at an Al Stewart concert in
Portland, Oregon a few years ago -- I believe it was January of
2004. I had spoken to Al at his concert in Seattle the night before,
and he told me that Krysia was going to be there the following night
at the Aladdin Theater in Portland. I went to that show prepared with
my CD booklet from "24 Carrots", the Al Stewart album most prominently
featuring Krysia and the Shot in the Dark band.

Krysia was sitting in the audience and she joined Al onstage to sing
"Roads To Moscow," and apparently Al didn't know if she was going to
do it until she actually appeared on stage. In introducing the song,
Al announced that "a former member of the band" was in attendance, and
that this person may or may not be joining him for the next song. She
appeared onstage after the song had begun. You would never have
recognized this woman as the glamorous creature on the Shot in the
Dark LP cover.

I spoke to her for a moment or two after the show, and she very kindly
autographed my 24 Carrots booklet. She was pleasant and very gracious
but somewhat reserved, so I didn't try to engage her in conversation
other than a few pleasantries. I had heard by then that she was
teaching voice lessons through a legendary Portland independent music
store. I had inquired there some time earlier and they gave me her
phone number, but I got the sense that she enjoyed her privacy and so
never used it.

I always looked to see if I could find her in the audience at Al's
subsequent shows in Portland and wondered why she never sang with him
again; perhaps we now know why.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet her.

Mark Moerman