ReVoice featuring Georgia Mancio, Sara Colman & Randolph Matthews
@ the 606 Club
20 October 2014

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Georgia Mancio biography

In just over a decade of professional work award-winning jazz vocalist, lyricist and producer, Georgia Mancio, has established herself as one of the UK’s most important new artists earning the respect of audiences, musicians, promoters and critics alike with her innate musicality and subversion of expectations. A performer of pure class and integrity Mancio has proved herself a true improviser with an unfailing flow and a capacious imagination.

Her music is an intriguing reflection of her Anglo-Latino background: predominantly a jazz standards singer born and raised in the UK, Mancio’s musical lineage goes back first to her Italian grandparents (an opera singer and concert pianist) and then to her Uruguayan great-grandmother, also a pianist. It is no surprise then to hear the breadth of material covered in one of her shows (from Fats Waller to Kenny Wheeler, Tom Waits, samba, originals, blues, Chilean folk and Italian pop) or the ease with which she switches from English to Italian to Spanish to Brazilian Portuguese. And indeed it is her affinity with language and languages that has been key to her work as a lyricist on compositions by Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Horace Silver, Miles Davis and Osvaldo Farres alongside collaborations with songwriting partners Tim Lapthorn, Kate Williams and Frank Griffith.

Her 2003 debut album, Peaceful Place, was followed by Trapeze in 2008. Last year she released her third album, Silhouette (Roomspin Records), to great critical acclaim and demonstrated her formidable skills as a writer (including an approved lyric to the Pat Metheny classic, Question and Answer) as well as her truly individual interpretations of jazz standards and Latin American song. She has performed with jazz legends Bobby McFerrin and Sheila Jordan; played several residencies at the renowned Ronnie Scott's (opposite Monty Alexander, Steve Smith, Cedar Walton, Jason Rebello, Ray Gelato, Lee Ritenour, Dave Holland's Overtone Quartet and Joey Defrancesco) and toured extensively in the UK and overseas. In 2005 she won first prize at the Brussels International Young Jazz Singers’ Competition and at home her live performances have garnered 4 star reviews from both The Standard and The Guardian. She continues to collaborate with the much-acclaimed singer-pianist, Ian Shaw, as well as Frank Griffith’s Nonet, Brazilian outfit Samara and award-winning guitarist Nigel Price (a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass). She has also secured an enviable reputation as a producer curating a highly prestigious annual Voice Festival, ReVoice!, at The Pizza Express Jazz Club with artists including Karin Krog, Maria Pia de Vito, Rebecca Parris, David Linx, Norma Winstone, Gregory Porter, Diana Torto, John Taylor and Kenny Wheeler. Most recently she performed with pianist Darius Brubeck (featured on BBC Radio 3's Jazz Line-up) and at The Art of Song Festival supporting Earl Okin.

Sara Colman biography

“I love to improvise and I love to write songs. So, I write music that has room for lots of improvisation and lyrics that are rooted in the singer-songwriter tradition. I want to be able to reach audiences who enjoy the ‘on the spot’ creativity of an improvising group with those that also look for the communication and resonance of a songwriters expression.”

Writing music has always been central to Sara Colman. Across all three of her albums, original music has been a consistent theme. During 2010-11 whilst studying for an MA in Songwriting, Colman collaborated with her brothers Mat and Andrew on Sem Amor and Some Other Wonder for the eponymous Colman Brothers album.

She also co-wrote the track “Stay” for Karen Street’s album “Another Story.” “After growing up in Bristol I studied piano at Birmingham Conservatoire and gained a solid grounding in theory and harmony. I then spent several years working in a duo with the fine pianist Al Gurr and together we gradually undid a lot of our classical training to make way for the jazz music we had both fallen in love with. Gradually the duo expanded and I enjoyed the spontaneity and creativity of working with improvising musicians.”

Colman has also completed several commissions for larger vocal groups: Seven Songs for Seven Colours for Black Voices, as well as Celebrate and Amen for choral projects presented at Lichfield Cathedral and Birmingham Town Hall.

“Marion Montgomery was very supportive and encouraging to me,” Sara says of the late jazz singer. “Because of Marion, Jacqui Dankworth and I met when we both taught at an Montgomery/Holloway Music Trust summer school in 1999.”

Jacqui Dankworth invited Colman to join her and Liane Carroll for a gig that included several three-part harmony songs, some rehearsed, some spontaneous. The set comprised many original songs by all three vocalists together with arrangements of jazz and contemporary classic songs by artists including Laura Nyro, Fran Landesman, Stevie Wonder and the Isley Brothers. For ten years they performed as The Passion alongside their solo careers featuring on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, at the Royal Festival Hall as well as touring with Shine in the Scottish Highlands. In 2011 their reunion gig was included as a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s Jazz Line-Up.
Colman was a recipient of an inaugural Birmingham Jazz award, a Jerwood Rising Star at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and one of 10 finalists from 15,000 entries in the BBC Radio 2 songwriting competition “Sold on Song.” She was also Kevin Mahogany’s chosen artist in the Jazz Connect Vocal competition in the US.

Colman and her quintet have been invited to perform in the vocal showcase at the International Jazz Conference Jazzahead in Germany in April 2012. Further live appearances will include Jazzlines Rush Hour Blues in July and the CBSO Centre for a very special double bill in October. Colman will make guest appearances with The Colman Brothers at two fantastic festivals this summer - Mostly Festival and The Manchester Jazz Festival.

“I’m looking forward to Jazzahead and the gigs coming up this year, there’s some really great music in there and lots of amazing musicians to work with. I’m also looking forward to some quiet time as I’m recording a new album in the summer and there’s lots of unrealised music going around in my head that needs to be unleashed!”

Randolph Matthews biography

Born in Camden in 1973 to West Indian parents, Matthews’ early music schooling involved soaking up London’s burgeoning late 80s soul-jazz scene, including regular trips to Norman Jay’s feted sessions at Hoxton’s Bass Clef. A career in music beckoned. Aged 21, he started out as a percussionist before finding his true vocation as a talented vocalist, performer and lyricist. By the 1990s he was playing sessions for the likes of US soul / boogie legend Don Blackman, recording with Julie Dexter for her J-Life project and working with Arthur Baker on tracks for Brooklyn soul legend, Will Downing. Back then, he even remembers voicing a high profile ad for Twix chocolate – remember the Twix ‘In The Mix’ campaign?

In 2006 Matthews signed his first record contract and released “I Love” Documented.
An aurally delicious blend of emotive words, chant inspired by progressive beats produced Tony Nwachuku (CDR/NEPA) and raw melodies it was a promising experiment in turning Vocal emotions into something tangible. It gained a loyal following, which lead to his first dance piece credit; single “Canvas” featured in Kwenda Kwenda.

By 2007, Matthews had graced an impressive series of forward-thinking projects with some of Europe's leading soul, jazz and world music musicians and producers, including two fruitful collaborations with in 2008 with Jazzanova producers Seasons and Sygaire (Sonar Kolletiv) which lead to the release of Open to Love for Giles Peterson double boogie compilation “In Da House” and featuring his Heart Song improvisation on numerous tracks for ambient electronica dub producer Seb Taylor and Natasha Chamberlain Kaya Project Album (interchill record).
Other partnerships in 2009 took Matthews into deeper, more worldly musical territory opening up new angles on his roots of exploration performance. He played a key part within conversations, with award winning story telling poet Zena Edwards, and Adisa the verbaliser touring extensive as Musical Director as part of the successful London fringe festival.

And, most recently in 2010 after running a colourful World music night Collab Randolph’s instigated collaboration with London based flamenco guitarist Byron Johnston. This intoxicating union spun a radical collaboration album “in the shadow of leaves” recorded in 6 months which once again confirmed Matthews’ ability to transport to another level, pushing boundaries to fuse raw guitar styles of the Mediterranean and disparate melodies of new African styles. That same year saw him supporting a pedigree of visiting artist from around the world Suen Kuti, Cheik Lo, Mulatu estatke and Amp fiddler. Randolph says, “It’s got to be live, that’s where the genius happens!”

Now Matthews finally has completed his second solo album Precious for summer 2011 release The tracks reflect the many aspects of his kaleidoscopic palette yet deeper - the personal, intimate delivery, a true spirituality that oozes through the songs layers and unique twists and turns of ethnic beat box, combining unusual arrangements, hypnotic Hang drum playing and sensitive production touches, courtesy of dub /electronica producer Seb Taylor (Kaya project interchill records).
Randolph Matthews an artist who isn’t afraid to experiment the heart of the vocalised moment, either with his music or with his relationship with his followers and the space shared together.