Jazz Voice (rehearsal) featuring:
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Georgie Fame, Jacqui Dankworth, Natalie Williams, Vula Malinga, Emma Smith, Jacob Banks,
Sachal vasandani & Ian shaw
@ the Barbican Centre
14 November 2014

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Jacqui Dankworth biography

Jacqui Dankworth is one of the most highly regarded vocalists in the UK. She is also an accomplished actor, having performed leading parts with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Theatre and in London’s West End - such as in Steven Sondheim’s “Into The Woods” playing Cinderella and in Sophisticated Ladies - a celebration of the music of Duke Ellington and In Les Liaisons Dangereuse with the RSC . In 2012 Jacqui appeared as Rosa in the second series of The Borgia’s starring Jeremy Irons on Showtime TV and is in the film 'Les Miserables’ directed by Tom Hooper.

She has collaborated and worked with many diverse musicians including The Brodsky Quartet and Courtney Pine, Marvin Hamlisch, Paloma Faith, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Gretchen Parlato, Clare Teale, Georgie Fame, David Gordon, Charlie Wood, Gregory Porter, The BBC Big Band, RTE, LSO and RPO Orchestras and the legendary Chick Corea.

2014 has been a busy year so far with many performances in theatres and festivals around the UK . She has been recording with The Butterfly Wing Project (with pianist David Gordon, violinist Chris Garrick and cellist, Ben Davies), co-producing her husband Charlie Wood’s new album ( “New Souvenirs” ) to be released on their own label Perdido Records and will be headlining with The Liverpool Philharmonic and Big Band on NYE 2014/15 performing “Songs Of Stage And Screen.”

Vula Malinga biography

Born in the United States to South African parents, she was raised in Hackney, London. Her religious parents supported her singing talents by allowing her to join the church choir, which resulted in her becoming one of lead singers for the London Community Gospel Choir.
This brought her to the notice of Basement Jaxx, with whom she sang lead on their single “Oh My Gosh.” The collaboration continues to this day, and led to her supporting fellow Basement Jaxx singer Sam Sparro on his tour.

In 2007, Malinga sang lead locals on BBC South’s re-recording of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” created to help mark the 200 years since the passing of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. In 2008, Malinga began developing her own music under her own record label, DivaGeek Records, releasing her first single “Wondering Why” in October.

In 2009, she sang support vocals to Dizzee Rascal on his new album “Tongue N' Cheek,” and has supported him on live appearances, including: Live Lounge, Later... with Jools Holland and the 2009 BBC Electric Proms.

Emma Smith biography

Having already shared the stage with the likes of Dame Cleo Laine, the late Sir John Dankworth and with a 2010 nomination for ‘jazz vocalist of the year’ alongside Norma Winstone and Christine Tobin, 21 year old Emma Smith is already an accomplished jazz singer.

At age 14 she had her first taste of big band singing with the Glenn Miller outfit ‘The String of Pearls Orchestra’. She began to tour frequently with the band and received practical training in being a jazz musician. Having come from a family of musicians and composers, Emma decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. At only 15 she was made NYJO’s female vocalist and vocal coach; a chair sponsored by Cleo Laine and the Wavendon Foundation.

At 16, Smith’s reputation as an up-and-coming talent led her to become increasingly in demand. She began playing extensively in many of London’s top jazz venues, including Ronnie Scott’s, The 606, The Vortex, Pizza Express Dean Street, The Spice of Life and Pizza on the Park. She has also played numerous jazz festivals, including the Oxford Jazz Festival, Cheltenham Jazz Festival and The London Jazz Festival. In 2009, she was invited to be part of the Vocal Summit at the London Jazz Festival, which featured Smith, Natalie Williams and Anita Wardell.

April 2009 saw Smith featured alongside Ian Shaw and Madeline Bell with the Guy Barker Big Band and the BBC Concert Orchestra. The show, entitled ‘The Billy Strayhorn Story,’ was aired on BBC Radio 2’s ‘Friday Night is Music Night.’ Smith prepared extensively for the broadcast in order to portray the personalities of Eartha Kitt, Rosemary Clooney and Ruth Ellington.

Smith has been privileged enough to have performed with some of her idols. In June 2009, she received coaching from Sir John Dankworth and performed the notoriously difficult ‘Shakespeare Suite’ with John and his band.

Ensemble singing has recently become a major part of Smiths singing and writing. Since attending the Academy, mentor Pete Churchill invited her to join the ‘London Vocal Project.’ She is delighted to be part of this extraordinary ensemble, and she was lucky enough to be involved in a project with renowned composer Roger Treece which resulted in a performance with Bobby McFerrin at the Barbican Centre, London.

Jacob Banks biography

Jacob Banks is a 21 year old from Birmingham who plays a range of instruments. Having just graduated with an engineering degree most would expect Banks to pursue a career in that field but Banks (who started singing at the start of 2011) has dreams that lie in a different place.

In April 2011 Banks entered a competition to complete a session with Plan B and uploaded an acoustic performance of a song that he wrote in 20 minutes. He ended up winning the competition out of thousands of entrants. “Working with Ben (Plan B) was the biggest motivation I could ever receive as he was only meant to spend a couple hours with me but stayed for 24 hours and invited his band to come to the session” Banks reminisced. He now knew that if he wanted to be a singer, however, he knew that needed to work much harder.

Winning the competition led to Banks to be on a billboard campaign across Birmingham with Plan B, “I didn’t tell my mother as she didn’t want me to pursue a career in but she saw a billboard in town and called me in shock”. Since then Banks has been recording his EP and performing which includes supporting Daley and Plan B.

Sachal Vasandani biography

One of the most startling artistic revelations of 2007 is New York-based vocalist-songwriter-bandleader Sachal Vasandani who makes his Mack Avenue Records debut with the exceptional CD, Eyes Wide Open. Indeed, the title says it all: This 12-song collection of stirring originals and smart covers is an eye-opener to a fresh, young talent who displays a singular, deep-brewed voice and possesses an uncanny sensibility to straddle the fine line between jazz and pop. Vasandani is in the company of his established trio (performing together since 2001) comprised of pianist Jeb Patton, bassist David Wong and drummer Quincy Davis. Guests on the CD include vibraphonist Stefon Harris, trumpeter Marcus Printup and guitarist Doug Wamble. The album is produced by esteemed bassist-bandleader John Clayton and veteran staff producer Al Pryor, engineered by Joe Ferla and mastered by Bob Ludwig.

Vasandani was born in Chicago and grew up in a household where all kinds of music was appreciated, from western and Indian classical to the pop of the day including Michael Jackson and the Beatles. His parents also listened to jazz “from Ellington to Keith Jarrett” which piqued Vasandani’s curiosity about the music. At the University of Michigan, in addition to majoring in economics, he earned degrees in jazz and classical music. He was named Collegiate Jazz Vocalist of the year by DownBeat in 1999, after which he moved to New York to pursue a career as a singer.

While he first took a job as an investment banker on Wall Street, essentially subsidising his passion, Vasandani later quit to devote himself to music full time, hustling gigs at such venues as Cleopatra's Needle and later the Zinc Bar. One of his big breaks came when he had the opportunity to display his talent at the Monk Competition; another break was being enlisted by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in 2005 to perform trombonist Ron Westray's “Chivalrous Misdemeanors,” which was jazz inspired by the fictional character Don Quixote, at Rose Theater. “There wasn’t any one turning point,” says Vasandani, who was signed to Mack Avenue Records in 2006. “It was a process with a lot more refining than defining moments.”

As for his home base in New York, Vasandani says it’s the perfect place for him to be. “I'm connected to a bit of the jazz scene, but there's also such a cross-pollination of different kinds of music here. I'm looking forward to expanding my reach to establish myself and my voice as well as explore all the different scenes here. There are so many fantastic elements of New York that I want to put through my own filter.”