AS WELL as attracting iconic females from art forms across the whole creative spectrum to Kendal, the Brewery's Women's Arts International Festival has introduced artistes previously unknown to some.

For me, it was Canadian Rachelle van Zanten and what a buzz she created.

With an exquisite voice and guitar-playing skills to match, she charmed the pants off the Brewery Arts Centre's audience, sharing the bill with one of the UK's finest singer-songwriters, Angie Palmer.

Rachelle explained how hearing Led Zeppelin 2 changed her life after being brought up on gospel and country music.

And that Plant, Page, Bonham and Jones influence, mixed with her penchant for penning a stirring tune, is what makes her music stand out and should propel her right to the very top.

What struck me about Rachelle most was when she slipped the bottleneck on to her finger, cranked up her acoustic guitar and rocked, she was in a different league altogether.

Replacing the more mellow country and folky side of her extraordinary talent, with a more commanding funky blues riff-laden Rachelle, which, not only added an extra dimension and texture to her own performance but brought to the fore, the powerhouse pairing of drummer Ged Lynch and bass Hamish Tesco.

Her ability to put a song together with a strong narrative is obvious.

And Brewery music officer supremo Mike Chadwick had told me she could certainly play slide guitar.

Good enough to make Zep's Jimmy Page blush, according to the promotional blurb.

But actually seeing the funky lady perform was something else - and I can't wait for the next time.

Her CD Back to Francois, which most of her set was built around with gems such a Take Me Right Back, Yah Yahs, and The Cracks, is definitely on the must-buy list.

Angie Palmer and her band followed Rachelle.

At first I have to admit, I felt a slight anti-climax.

Slightly distracted maybe by the van Zanten zest.

But after Footprints in the Snow and the Ballad of John Henry I was soon hooked by Angie's magnetic, tough-edged voice and alluring melodies and by the time Fool's Gold and Down on Zero Street had bounced off the Malt Room walls, I was totally immersed in the Lancaster-born performer's professionalism and flowing lyricism.

Accompanied by her usual four-strong, quality line-up, Angie's swinging, poetic beauty, Michelangelo, from last year's Tales of Light and Darkness album sealed it for me, and a well-deserved encore playing the rocky Fish Tales from her previous Road CD, brought the house down.

Yet, another triumph for the all-embracing women's festival.