Why is Live music so important?

I suppose the most obvious answer is that it is a vital source of income for so many of us - but when I started writing this I was thinking a little more holistically.

Live music is so important because it is one of the shortest routes to feeling good.

Pandemic or no - live gigs create moments of magic. We all know how evocative music can be - the hook in a melody, luscious BVs, a killer groove can transport you to another time, another place - but when it's live that imprint is a little deeper - certainly for me, both as a performer or as an audience member. The energy is palpable and elevated - I know you know what I mean.

I have been banging on about it for years - but now more than ever connection and communication are vital for our well being. I don’t mean to sound dramatic, but I do mean vital. And that feel good sensation is anything but superficial. Sound is an incredible energetic tool. The resonance and harmonic overtones created through sound enable our cells to vibrate at a certain frequencies and "spiritually” speaking (if I may) the feel good factor enhances our vibrational energy. We are all nourished by that euphoric sensation we feel coursing through our veins when we experience live music together.

And it is one of my favourite things after a tune to catch the eye of one of my band or a member of the audience and know we shared something  in that moment. When it comes down to it life is about joy and contentment and live music unlimited supplies and that is priceless which is why it's so important, in my opinion…but what do you think?

PS. This clip was taken from one of my gigs at The Pheasantry in London, featuring my friend and long time band member John Crawford doing his thing…

Parry Ray X Frtyfve - exciting annoucement alert!

So, I’ve been meaning to get on here for quite a few weeks now - but life has been jam-packed and the time to write has somehow eluded me. However, it is fitting I feel that that this is my first new post in a while. So here goes….

I am extremely excited to announce that a few weeks ago I signed a licensing deal, and I will be working with the fantastic label team at FRTYFIVE records to release a brand new EP this year.

I have shared a few bits and bobs while working on this project particularly when I was recording in the studio, but you’ll be hearing and seeing a lot more about the singles I'm releasing through FRTYFVE in the run up to the full EP, which will be dropping just before Christmas.

A massive thank you to everyone associated with this project. I will ramble in future posts I’m sure - but have to name check Carly Martin-Gammon and James McMillan here - without whom the musical concept that was whirring around in my brain for quite some time would not have come to fruition. But also, of course a HUGE thank you to FRTYFVE for finding me and sharing my excitement about this project.

I cannot wait to start this campaign share it with you all….so stay tuned!

New Music VLOG featuring new single “Did I Tell You?"

So, something a little different this week - a little vlog about my current musical project. Hope you find it interesting and please do let me know what you think x

Does musical appreciation broaden as we age?

My latest piece for Huff Post is up!

This time I wanted to look at how my musical appreciation has changed as I've grown, at how life experience can totally shift what a song means to me.

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Click here to read the full article :)

PLAYLIST: Girls' night in...

girls-night-in-playlist-inmage

So here's another playlist from me - pretty great listening for a girls' night in...or getting ready to go out...hope you enjoy x

https://open.spotify.com/user/parryrayinharmony/playlist/44xUvnh3E2NXdBhCpH2WDJ 

My version of Billy Idol's White Wedding

White Wedding

So, I hope you are having a lovely day so far.

If you have been following my Covers Series on my Parry Ray in Harmony Facebook page here is day 10's offering: my cover of Billy Idol's White Wedding.

I am so excited to share this new video with you. Majoritively what you see is all down to the excellence of Jamie Sadd. Jamie's work is so beautiful... and he managed to get me to story tell in a way I have never done before. If you are unfamiliar with his work - google him and check it out at rampproductions.com.

To say I was out of my comfort zone would be an understatement but I loved the challenge.

However, I am also hugely critical of how I look physically and like so many of us focus on my flaws....but I have tried to leave that at the door as the beauty of the setting and Jamie's vision and execution are really a work of art, in my opinion. In addition nature played its part by providing beautiful light.

What was really important to me in this video was I told this story with totally different nuances from the original.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy - please let me know what you think. Feeling nervous and excited...and if you haven't heard it yet I really hope you like my reworking of this 80s hit... 

Gigging on Friday...

So I have been mentioning this on Facebook, Twitter and my IG account and just thought I'd put this poster up here too.

I know full well that lunchtime gigs are hard to get to - but I am so excited to be performing my new material and a few old favourites too that it would be lovely if you were able to come along.

Here's the ticket link if you fancy booking in advance:  http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2016/free-friday-music-parry-ray/

Anyway, I am off to do a bit of "la, la laing..." in preparation :) Speak soon x

About last night – the Slipknot gig.

Ok this is going to be short and sweet, because as we all know I am not a metal aficionado.Last night I went to Alexandra Palace in North London to see Slipknot. Although I was born north of the river, I now live in SW London so I had forgotten what a great venue “Ally Pally” is, as I haven’t been for a while. And the view of London as you walk up the hill from the station is breathtaking.

So first things first, I was slightly apprehensive as I thought maybe the vibe would be a little aggressive to suit the mood of the music, but actually no. Part of me was a little disappointed. Of course there were hoards of people in heavy metal T shirts and black leather; and the tattoos and piercings were rife – but I guess they are in every day life anyway, so that was hardly a news flash.

Everyone seemed lovely and friendly – in fact I would say the atmosphere was quite jolly!I didn’t catch the support act. But as I waited for Slipknot to arrive, David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” was blasted out of the speakers - I liked that very much.

When Slipknot came on – the audience just came together – didn’t matter how “hardcore” or “ordinary” they looked – they were as one. There was a lot of nodding, some jostling and screaming of the lyrics around me – which was great – I did feel bad that I didn’t know any lyrics except for “Snuff” which they didn’t play.

It was loud and chaotic but pretty enthralling. I loved the rotating drum kits on either side of stage and the fact that whenever you are at a big live gig the drums just course through your veins from the ground up.

I only really knew Dead Memories and Psychosocial as I have the “All hope is gone” album but I did enjoy myself.

I heard riffs and melodic references I recognized, I loved the rhythm section and Corey Taylor works the crowd effortlessly.

The stereotypes of the constant swearing (which I found quite amusing) and the often ugly/disgusting imagery on the video screens didn’t add anything in my opinion, but maybe that’s what’s expected and obviously part of the image. I don’t like their masks at all, but I’m guessing there must be reason? Maybe I should Google…Not sure I would swap my jazz and MOR gigs for heavy metal just yet, but I would definitely go again.  

He Drives Me Crazy - My brand new video!

My brand new video is out now! It's for my cover of The Fine Young Cannibals classic She Drives Me Crazy. Come have a look...We wanted to keep the whole theme very 80's - not just musically but with the fashion and video style as well - I hope you like it, please do let me know what you think!

Don't forget, if you want to stay up to date with my various projects you can sign up to my mailing list by clicking here.

Jazz Voice – part of the London Jazz Festival

Last Friday I went to the London Jazz Festival’s Jazz Voice concert, celebrating the singer and the song, at the Barbican.Elaine Delmar, Liv Warfield, Joe Stilgoe, Jarrod Lawson, Becca Stevens, and Nicki Wells with Nitin Sawhney, Foxes and Rebecca Ferguson joined the Guy Barker Orchestra.

Standouts of the night for me included American R&B singer, Liv Warfield. Apparently, mentored by Prince, her stage presence was crazily great. In the first set, she belted out Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” with such commitment and energy, I felt the emotion coursing through my veins. In the second set she gave an incredible performance of Joni Mitchell’s “Black Crow”.

The other standout, in my opinion, was Nicki Wells, who was accompanied by Nitin Sawhney. She sang “God Bless the Child” and an original called, “Dark Day”, written by Sawhney.

I have spent a lot of time googling Wells over the last few days. Her rich tones completely drew me in. And I was fascinated by her command of the Indian classical scales - ragas.

I found myself feeling a pang for my aunt who is a superlative classical Indian singer. And though I sat with her on many an occasion when I was little, I never felt the desire to learn and sing Indian classical music in any depth.

Here’s a video I particularly liked of Nicki Wells performing with Nitin Sawhney:

What was interesting to me from the outset was apart from Elaine Delmar, whose rendition of “Tea for Two” was beautifully haunting, and Joe Stilgoe - the other singers performing weren’t “Jazz singers” as such. So there were times when I found myself anticipating phrasing and melodic lines I was expecting to hear that didn’t come - not a criticism merely an observation.

The surprise of the night for me was Rebecca Ferguson. I suppose being associated with the “X -Factor” has coloured my viewpoint a little. But her delivery was rich and textured. She sang “Why don’t you do right?” which was apparently called “Weed Smoker’s dream” when it was first written. Ferguson’s version was upbeat and edgy –I loved it.

The instrumental interludes though were the absolute highlight, in my opinion – which is a bit weird as the concert was celebrating the “Jazz Voice”. But as someone who listens to lots of John Coltrane and Miles Davis, you could say their Jazz voices were as relevant as those of Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald?

The orchestral feature opened the second set and paid homage to the New York jazz club, The Village Vanguard. Barker’s arrangement, “Live at the Village Vanguard”, drew together music by John Coltrane, Thad Jones, Jimmy Heath, Bobby Timmons and Bill Evans.

Guy Barker's arrangements were stunning - layered and interesting. Though his tribute to Frank Sinatra felt a little cheesy to me. But I was definitely in the minority as most of the audience on their feet swaying to New York, New York.

And before Joe Stilgoe’s version of Lush Life, we were told Guy Barker thought it is the best song ever written…I'm afraid I disagree…But I am quibbling here as the euphoria of live music prevailed - two and half hours disappeared in a flash and I went home feeling fulfilled and sated.  

HDMC Video Shoot photo album

So I thought you might like to see a few behind the scenes photos of my recent video shoot.

If you've been wondering what HDMC stands for - it's "He Drives Me Crazy" - which is my version of the 80s hit by Fine Young Cannibals, "She Drives me Crazy".

Whilst we were studio based rather than on a location, we still had a complete blast and it really didn't feel like work.  Huge thanks once again to an amazing team: Jamie, Adam, Mimi, Bertie, Duncan and Chan.

I can't wait to share the final cut of the video with you...soon I hope. Until then a few visuals to whet your appetite.... and as a mate asked me today - these photos are raw, I'm being brave - no airbrushing in sight!! x  

Balancing a performance and what an audience wants

So over the last few weeks I have been thinking a lot performance - and as an artist what I want to achieve when I take to the stage and what an audience wants…or rather what I think an audience wants or expects.

Any performer, I feel wants to take the audience on a journey, connect with them and share the energy and emotion of their material with them.

Many artists have a nightmare story or a wake up call in terms of performance. Mine was when I was about 14 - I was preparing for a jazz gig and working on some Billie Holiday repertoire. We had a rehearsal and I sang my first song.

I was really chuffed with myself and whilst I was still floating on my “performance high” my Jazz teacher asked me why I felt the need to be at 120% all the time and whether I had considered reigning it back a little.

He then went onto tell me it wasn’t about all me having the best time, it was about me giving the audience the best experience. Ouch…Sometimes the amount of emotion we give can be too much and actually I find if I try too hard to convey something it can be counterproductive and it is possible that I end up detracting from what I want to say.

For someone like me who is overly emotional in everything (!), taking the emotion out is actually really hard. But on the advice of my vocal coach, Jenny May (www.expressivevoice.co.uk), I recently decided to work on exactly that: the “less is more” approach to vocal delivery.

I almost had to tap into a “numb” feeling, which was quite a challenge. But focussing on paring back and giving less than normal was actually quite impactful.

But sometimes just being carried away with the moments of passion – with the band can also be amazing.

I have to say I love the extremes, and I do believe if you are totally in the moment and genuine the audience are always on your side.

A key element in any performance is commitment. Audiences are receptive and smart. And one thing I have learned from personal experience is an audience feeds off your energy. If you go through the motions, you lose them, but if you really stand by your convictions, the audience come with you - the wave of intensity and overriding emotion win.

I suppose what I really want to know from you is what kind of artists and performances you enjoy? What bores you and what reels you in?

And if you are an artist what works for you? Personally, I love working on technique and delivery - but when I get up to sing I tend to leave that at the door and go with the flow.   

Vocal care

 I wanted to put a few things down about vocal care  - whether you are a singer like me, or use your voice a lot in your work.

Over the years I have not always looked after myself or my voice as well as I could or should.

I have found when I am singing for a lot of hours - to get the most out of it - I have benefited by putting a few simple things in place.

I want to stress I am not a teacher. And though I have been asked to teach I have decided not to yet. Not because I have delusions of grandeur but I really feel I have a lot to learn still. I do however love giving advice!

So here are some of the things I do everyday:

1. Stretches – like many people I carry a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders and since getting into the habit of stretching my neck before singing I have found my throat is much freer and more open when I do.

2. Steaming – this is something my lovely vocal coach Jenny May told me to do – it’s the only way to get moisture directly onto your vocal chords and though this might sound gross – it kind of opens and clears everything out.

3. Warming up – I know this is obvious but nevertheless important. Throughout my singing career I have noticed that on any given day I can sing the same things but my voice may behave slightly differently. So working on different exercises before I sing is not only great for waking up my muscles, it also gives me a good indication of what my voice is capable of in terms of range, intensity and power.

4. Cooling down – I have discovered this is actually more important than warming up. Cooling down with the right exercises like scales on fricative sounds (e.g.: veee/zeee) allows your larynx to settle back down where it naturally sits.

5. Hydration - I drink water like it's going out of fashion, I don't think this is a singer thing - I really feel it is one of the elixirs of life and vocal care!

A quick word about things that are bad for our voices. Smoking, alcohol and coffee are probably the main offenders. I know some people would add dairy to that list although it doesn’t seem to affect my voice.

I am not terribly good at steering clear of “bad things” (!), but I have found the most important thing is to know how your voice works and what it likes and doesn’t like. So, for me a glass of red wine can be a relaxant, a bottle – not so much!

I would love to know what your daily practices are if you use for voice a lot or you are a singer like me - I look forward to hearing from you :)

The nerves curve

the nerves curve

I always get nervous, before a recording, performance and even before I meet new people sometimes.

You see I am quite shy. I suspect a few people are rolling their eyes and I have one particular mate (who lives in Sydney) who is probably spluttering on his red wine if he is reading this! But I am and I have recognized growing up that being shy is not conducive to my chosen path, so I have trained myself not to be…However, nervousness is a different ball game. It seems to be more elusive. And though I have tried, I can’t eradicate my nerves.

But I have noticed over the years that my brain follows a pattern - what I call my nerves curve. And I’d be really interested to know if this is the same for everyone.

So, the phases of my nerves curve – firstly huge excitement about performing - there is nothing I would rather do.

This is closely followed by severe over thinking, learning and relearning till everything becomes like second nature. I was recently told to chill - in this phase there is no chilling...Then at the peak of the nerves curve – I forget everything. I always have a moment when everything vanishes from my brain - lyrics, melody, phrasing, and interpretation.

Then I panic and wonder why I have put all this work in. I practise a little harder and nothing works. So, I have to leave all alone. When I revisit it, everything is back.

After this, any nerves fall away very quickly and the focus becomes about being as authentic as I can be and communicating what I want to say. Anticipation takes over and I can’t wait to do what it is I have been working towards.

Then just before I go on stage I forget everything again and sometimes even shake. I don’t feel nervous but it is like a delayed reaction - as though my body has caught up with my brain.

I have had to learn to trust myself because when I open my mouth the right melody and lyrics seem to fall out…well, most of the time!

My earliest recollection of this pattern was when I was 11. We were performing a musical called “Once upon a mattress” – based on “The Princess and the Pea” at school.

I was the court Minstrel who narrated and sang throughout the play. Whilst preparing for the role, I went through all the phases I’ve described.

The tricky bit was the beginning of the play. It started with me on the stage alone singing, without accompaniment for about 16 bars.

I remember standing on the school stage looking out and seeing everyone waiting, about 1000 people in total…and I think my mother had her head in her hands (!)

I waited longer than planned but once I opened my mouth, my legs stopped shaking and pure enjoyment took over.

I have always assumed this cycle is particular to me. And I suppose nervousness can affect us in many different situations…. what about you? When do you feel nervous and how do you overcome it?   

An exciting musical announcement...

I'm very excited to announce that I have a brand new musical project on the way!

I've been recording an album of covers of songs ranging from 1978-88 with a wonderful band of exceptionally talented musicians. I can't wait to share it with you.

Check out my vlog for more info...

When musical tastes differ…

Lately, I’ve been thinking about differing tastes in music. On the face of it, this isn’t a contentious subject. Music is very personal and subjective.

But I have come up against two areas of resistance that have me wonder…are some us a little tunnel-visioned when it comes to musical likes and dislikes?

I like to think I am pretty open minded, certainly when is comes to most music. To me, music is classical, jazz, rap, pop, rock, and opera, to name a few.

I guess part of it may be we often immerse ourselves in one sort of music early on or maybe the bands associated with a formative decade in our lives and we stick with that, because that’s what we know.

But I find it really confusing when someone says they don’t like a particular kind of music without really listening to it. After all you don’t really know if you like something unless you try it …So back to the areas of resistance I have experienced recently. I don’t really like to make sweeping generalizations but a number of friends who are mothers HATE rap.The capitals here are warranted - they literally won’t listen to it and if I talk about it they won’t tolerate the conversation! It’s the funniest thing!

I wonder if it’s the image associated with rap, rather than the actual music, or maybe it’s a bit of both? I love rap and am transfixed when I hear a great rapper, wishing secretly that I could do it… although I’ve never tried, so maybe…anyway, certain “mother” mates won’t be swayed.

The other people resistant to listening to different music are perhaps predictably my kids.

Last week, I unusually had both my kids in the car; I think we were all off to the dentist or something. Anyway, we drove off and I switched on my music.

Before we were ten seconds into the intro I was bombarded with a chorus of “No way! We’re not listening to that! Your music is rubbish!”

Firstly, let me reassure you that my playlists are not rubbish (!) and maybe using my kids as an example is not great here, because in my experience children go from loving every song you play them to dismissing everything you listen to.

Anyway let’s keep going with the example.

When pushed they couldn’t tell me why they didn’t like what was playing, so after a bit of “to-ing” and “fro-ing” I decided to give in and turned the radio on - and well, I can’t bring myself to say the name of the “band” that came on.

But let’s just say if I hadn’t such given a long impassioned speech about being broad minded about different musical styles, the radio would have been turned off before this particular girl band started “singing”.

Now, you may be thinking, “Aha!’ I do exactly what I am accusing others of doing. My get out clause here is I have heard quite a lot of …“manufactured pop” and my point is that some people don’t give certain genres a try at all.

Personally, I feel it is far too easy to listen to the music we already like, without exploring and giving other untapped genres a chance …there is a lot of good music out there. So, what about you? Are you adventurous with your music or do you stick to what you know? PS: And as far as my kids are concerned, if they could just get over listening to the same things as their mother, they might actually like some of things on my playlists…    

The importance of really listening

Last week I was wondering where I would go with my next music type post, as I always have a few ideas bubbling away, but a few things over the week have made it really obvious. So here we go - listening...

On the weekend I read a post by friend and guitarist, James Stelling. James has a blog, with a mate of his, called “Are You Guitared?” (http://areyouguitarded.com). Well worth a look if you play guitar and are interested in tips and useful info.Anyway, their latest post inspired me: (http://areyouguitarded.com/guitar/how-to-use-a-teacher/). It outlines how best to use your (guitar) teacher as a resource and make the most of your lessons - but the bit that made me sit up and pay attention was the section about active listening.

This really struck a chord with me, as earlier this week I met up with a mate to discuss a new project.

My listening varies a lot depending on what I am working on. And as James mentions in his post, I’m not talking about listening to music in the background, I mean giving what you are listening to your undivided attention.

Whenever I am working on a project I try to soak up as much as I can to help me on those particular songs that make up a set list or album or whatever.

Songs that will compliment what I am trying to achieve, and songs that are so juxtaposed to what I want to do. I try to cover as much material as possible – old/new/differing styles.

The other thing that occurred to me when I read James’ blog is that I when I do listen actively, I mainly listen as a singer. I do listen to grooves, bass lines, chord progressions but that is secondary to vocal delivery and intent. And whilst that is maybe obvious, it was an important note to myself - not to listen as a singer but as an instrumentalist.

In many instances over the years, I have played songs to musicians I am working with and ask them what they think. 98% of the time they will say they weren’t listening to the melody or the lyrics. I learned early on that this was not an insult to the singer on the track, just an indication of how they listen.

The interesting thing about the potential project I mentioned – the one I am being suitably vague about because it is in its embryonic phase - is that we are coming from completely different areas of expertise and experience. We want to create something that neither would think of doing as a solo artist.

So, having brainstormed like crazy for an afternoon we are now starting to bombard each other with as many musical references as possible to lead to a potential sound. Totally unstructured and unscripted but really exciting, and it has been a very long time since I have discovered so many new artists in such a short space of time.

Of course, I have to remind myself that I am not just listening for enjoyment’s sake, I am listening to pick out certain threads. But the joy of music is if I get lost in “just” listening, I can always hit rewind.

And what I am loving is there is so much great music out there to soak up that is new to me …so if you have any track or artist recommendations that you think I may not have heard but might like, please feel free to get in touch. Happy listening!     

Jazz and me and the LPO

I find life very funny. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a piece about where I am with Jazz and the fact that my musical journey as taken me down a different route recently. I felt very happy with my account of things and appreciative of what I have done and where I am going.

Then last week at short notice I was asked to sing some Jazz tunes at a fundraising Gala for the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO).A couple of things about this evening, I was contacted for the gig by an old mate, Gwilym Simcock. If you are unfamiliar with Gwilym’s work you must check it out and be prepared to be astounded. He is a stellar pianist.

Early on in my professional career I met Gwilym and was lucky enough to record an album with him. Life takes people down different paths and we lost touch, so I was delighted to get the call.

A side bar here is that although I seem to run my life in a rather haphazard fashion I have been incredibly lucky to connect with truly superlative musicians - for the best part of a decade I have done countless gigs with the incredible pianist John Crawford and latterly worked with guitarist Francesco Lo Castro. Of course there have been other pianists, guitarists, bassists and drummers, too many to name check, but let’s just say I have been very spoilt to be surrounded by such talent and musicianship.

Anyway back to the LPO event, we met for rehearsal and sound check and it was then I remembered the other thing I love about Jazz. To me, more than any genre it is about a musical conversation between the musicians. No two verses or choruses are the exactly the same ever and in a few bars the intention and intensity can change completely from what was “planned”, more so than in pop or classical music, where, for me, a performance is more exact.

If you caught me on Instagram or Twitter on the way home from the gig, you will have cottoned on to the fact that I had a ball and not only am chomping at the bit to perform more Jazz now, alongside my other projects, but I realized how much I have missed performing, so this will also hopefully be rectified after the summer.

I wanted to mention the LPO too (http://www.lpo.org.uk/). Throughout my school life I was lucky enough to be involved in a lot of classical music concerts, in various choirs. Highlights were singing at St Paul’s Cathedral, and at the Royal Festival Hall with the Bach Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

The LPO, are a magnificent example of a group of people who are passionate and invested in everything they do. Musicians and staff alike reminded me of the best memories of my classical music life. And this is probably obvious but they sound wonderful.

I suppose life has reminded me again that I really do adore all genres of music and it is all out there to take part in. Music for me, really is the food of love…how about you?

The gift of good teaching

So, on Friday I was rehearsing for my recording sessions later this month for my covers album. I managed to organise some studio time and some one to one teaching with Jenny May (expressivevoice.co.uk), my current vocal coach.

Jenny to me is an example of an incredible teacher. And I have been lucky enough to have a few. Having sung professionally for many years, I thought I had a pretty good handle on my voice and what I could do, and then I had a lesson with Jenny.

Her knowledge is incredibly extensive. After assessing where you are vocally, Jenny gets you to hit notes and achieve tone you didn’t know you could. She finds the exact exercises and techniques that work for your voice and teaches you to use these skills in a totally authentic way for you as an artist, enabling you to take your performance to where you want it to go.

Needless to say I am always on a total high after my sessions with Jenny and Friday was no exception. This got me thinking about the other vocal coaches I have had as an adult, and how grateful I am to them for the generosity with which they give their knowledge.

Before Jenny, I worked with Susan Blair, who is technically amazing. I met Susan when I started my foray into pop. Her CV of clients like Jenny’s is crazily impressive.

Before that Mark Hayden. An opera singer in his day, his methods were very traditional and he did make me sing opera; something I hadn’t done since school, but the richness of tone he managed to get me to access was something. Mark sadly passed away a number of years ago – he was a wonderful man.

And when I decided to get back to singing Jazz after I had my kids, I found Karen Lane and Anita Wardell. Both great jazz singers and vocal coaches.

I am a firm believer that people come into your life for a reason - good or bad - and I found these teachers at exactly the time I needed them and my experiences with all of them were positive and unique.

The thing they all have in common is not musicianship, or what they have studied - it is they truly love to teach.

And this is where I fall down a little. I love helping people - full stop. It doesn’t have to be musically or vocally related, but it can be. Friends who are singers will sometimes ask for pointers and I happily suggest exercises and different approaches.

But I would much rather just help, give advice as a friend; and as a singer I would rather be writing, exploring, performing or recording…that intangible passion a true teacher has is just not in me, not to the same extent.

I have been reminded recently that the more you learn, the more there is to learn. And I love to learn. Maybe one day I will be ready to impart knowledge, but I don't think I'm there yet. But never say never...      

Jazz and me

 People often ask me these days whether I have made a conscious move away from Jazz. It’s not that I have closed the door at all, it’s just at the moment, my journey is taking me down a different route, and whilst Jazz was my first proper musical love, I do like to try new things and right now that means new genres with new friends and colleagues.

Last week, however, I was asked to do a corporate jazz gig in the summer– toe-tapping standards will be the order of the day. This will be the first in over a year so obviously I jump at the chance to perform as it feels kind of strange not to as a singer, especially for such a prolonged period.

In preparation for the gig, I started leafing through my files of charts; looking at what I used to sing on a regular basis and which songs I was still drawn to. It was like a trip down memory lane, discovering songs I haven’t sung for a while is a bit like getting a phone call from an old friend.

Very quickly I remembered why I love the songs I first learnt in my early teens and why I have spent the best part of the last decade singing them.

I know a lot of people think of jazz as intellectual music, clever and elitist even and I suppose there is an element of that. After all there are a plethora of incredibly well schooled, talented musicians out there and to watch them groove and improvise can be breathtaking.

But for me, jazz is often about stating a song, even if it not sung. It’s about simplicity, timing, space, phrasing and emotion.

Maybe predictably as a singer I am especially drawn to the songs that are melancholic; the lyrics that walk the line between honesty and escapism. And there are many Jazz standards that fill these criteria.

I think there is a reason many of us, not just angst ridden singers love a song about heart break, it’s something we can all identify with - and the poignancy of a sorrowful lyric with a sweet melody is something jazz does beautifully.

So I was thinking about an example to typify what I personally love about Jazz music.

First I thought of an old recording of Billie Holiday singing, “Until the Real Thing Comes Along” or something like King Pleasure’s “I’m in the mood for love”. But I wanted to share something that shows the restraint of Jazz, that I adore, performed by a true master, so this seemed an obvious choice. Here is Shirley Horn singing, “Here’s to Life”. I hope you enjoy x