New Album Tour

The good news this month is that I've been granted Jazz Services funding to take my band on a tour around the country to promote our new album.  We'll be touring throughout September, October and November, all around the UK - as far South as Jersey and as far North as Newcastle.

The new album is called The Story So Far, which is a Dave O'Higgins tune to which I have written lyrics.  I was lucky enough to record it with Dave earlier this year, and it will be released in September.  Keep an eye on my website for updates on tracks from the album.

The tour dates are as follows:

September

Sat 3 | PONTYPOOL JAZZ FESTIVAL | 5pm-7:30pm

Sun 4 | SUDBURY The Bell | 8pm (with house band)

Fri 9 | LONDON City Pipe, St Paul’s | 8pm (with house band)

Thurs 15 | TAUNTON Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre | 8pm

Fri 23 | ILMINSTER The Meeting House Arts Centre | 8pm

Sat 24 | AYLESBURY St Mary’s Church | 8pm

Weds 28 | CARDIFF Café Jazz | 9pm

Thurs 29 | PORTHCAWL The Grand Pavilion | 8pm

Fri 30 | DIDCOT Cornerstone Arts Centre | 8pm

October

Weds 5 | MONMOUTH The Queens Head | 8:45pm (with Dave Price trio)

Weds 12 | ROCHESTER 144 Club | 8:15pm (with house band)

Thurs 13 | WELLINGBOROUGH The Castle | 8pm

Fri 14 | BRISTOL The Bebop Club | 9pm

Tues 18 | NORWICH The Greenman, | 8:30pm

Fri 21 | SOUTH SHIELDS The Customs House | 7:30pm

Sun 23 | NOTTINGHAM The Lion at Basford | 1:30pm

Sun 23 | STRATFORD-UPON-AVON Stratford Jazz Club | 8pm

Tue 25 | LEIGH-ON-SEA Annie’s Jazz, Ye Old Smack | 8:30pm

Thurs 27 | MANCHESTER Club 43, Radisson Edwardian | 8:30pm

Sun 30 | ABERGAVENNY Black Mountain Jazz | 7:45pm

November

Mon 7 | MANCHESTER Wilmslow Conservative Club | 8:45pm (with house band)

Tues 8 | WREXHAM Royal British Legion, Llay | 8:30pm

Weds 9 | KENDAL JAZZ CLUB Brewery and Beer Hall, Staveley | 8pm

Thurs 10 | BURY The Met | 8pm

Fri 11 | CAMBRIDGE Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin University | 1pm

Sun 13 | HULL Pave Bar | 2pm

Sun 13 | LEEDS Grove Inn | 8:30pm

Thurs 24 | SOUTHEND-ON-SEA Jazz Mix @ Cliffs Pavilion | 8:30pm

Sat 26 | JERSEY Radisson Hotel, St Helier | 8pm 

Weds 30 | BRACKNELL South Hill Park Arts Centre | 8pm

December

Sat 3 | LIVERPOOL After 8 Jazz, Philharmonic Hall | 8pm

Weds 14 | LONDON Spice of Life | 8:30pm

The Return of the Big Band

I wouldn't be a big band leader if I didn't stay up all night before a gig to make sure the parts are correctly printed and sellotaped.  In fact, I had so much to do that I was up until 4am on both the Friday and Saturday nights before, printing music (and running out of ink) and sticking parts (and running out of sellotape).

It was all worth it, though, as this was the best gig we have played so far.  In fact, it had been recommended by the Harrow Observer as the number one thing to do on that particular day!

I had managed to organise a fantastic band - the sax section included Frank Griffith, Dave O'Higgins and Sammy Mayne, and the rest of the band was equally star-studded.  The main feature of this band is that it's fronted by me (on vocals and flute) and my twin sister Anna Hughes (on vocals and trumpet/flugelhorn) and I think we're the only twin-led big band in this country (please challenge this if you know otherwise!).

We played quite a few of my new arrangements which was nerve-wracking to say the least - it's very strange to hear something live, when the only opportunity I've had to hear it before is in my head or on my computer speakers with Sibelius instruments!  Also, I was worried about conducting my new arrangements because, even though I knew them inside-out having been writing them for the last few months, it's a very different thing to then have to get up in front of an audience and a live band, and then to sing and perform the song, while still keeping half an ear open for the band arrangement so I knew when to conduct!

Nevertheless it was a great gig, and we had a good audience showing - although still room for about 50 more, so do come along when we next play in December.

The gig was reviewed by Steve Harris and Ian Fielding, who run the events and you can read their comments here.

Listen to a few tracks from the gig on my website.


And keep supporting weekly live jazz at Ruilsip Manor.

Top Ten Summer Songs

It's summer!  At least for a few days.  So before it turns into a speedy Autumn I thought it was best to celebrate Summer with some of its best songs.

1. Summer Soft - Stevie Wonder

This song has possibly the most key-changes in any Stevie song taking us through a total of 5 modulations before finally settling on one key and fading out.  It's from the album "Songs in the Key of Life," possibly suggesting that life is in all keys!  Incidentally, with Stevie modulating in most of the songs he recorded, who knows how many modulations The Beatles recorded in total?  Any ideas?  Yes, it's zero.

2. Summertime - Jason Rebello

With Gershwin's Summertime (or, to quote Paul Pace on his website explaining the banned songs at his Spice of Life open mic, "Summer-bloody-time")  being possibly the most overplayed song in the history of jazz, Jason Rebello gives it a refreshing treatment with the addition of an irresistibly funky bass-line, the amazing vocals of ex-Incognito singer Maysa Leak, and the most brilliant, if strangest, rap from Maxi Jazz (Bumble bees buzzing on a quest | I wanna wear my vest | I need to put some muscle on my chest | ... | I'll meet you at the pool, bring your friend | Is her name Jill? | She got movement even when she's sitting quite still)

3. Estate - Shirley Horn

An impossibly slow version of this wonderful standard, worth comparing with the Joao Gilberto version below.  This one is first because I heard it first and, being a huge Shirley Horn fan, can't help but think of it as the definitive version.

4. Estate - Joao Gilberto

There's much to learn about singing in Portuguese - Gilberto sings most phrases ahead of the beat, and sometimes a whole bar before the music says.  Contrast this with the way that Shirley Horn sings (behind the beat and sometimes two bars behind the beat), and you get two completely different versions of the same wonderful song.

Incidently, Gilberto's version is so definitive that people commonly misconceive that he wrote it himself. It's actually written by an Italian composer - Bruno Martino - and the original name of the song was "Odio l'estate," or "I hate summer."

4. Indian Summer - Sarah Vaughan

This footage is amazing - Sarah introduces the song and then starts singing with a voice that doesn't quite fit the picture... then goes a bit mad in the middle!  Totally amazing singing though - she's so free with the melody and this version is a lesson in jazz singing for sure.

5. Indian Summer - Sarah Vaughan and Count Basie

The original recording with the Count Basie Orchestra

6. That Sunday That Summer - Natalie Cole

Complete with cheesy 1960s backing choir, this song has a summer lilt, and a great middle 8.  Zena James (number 7) gives it a more funky treatment.

7. That Sunday That Summer - Zena James

From Zena's new album Captivated.  www.zenajames.com

8. Orange Blossoms in Summertime - Kurt Elling

From the album "Flirting with Twilight."

9. Summer Nights - from Grease

You can't have a list about summer songs and not mention this 1970s classic!

10. Here Comes The Sun - Dolphin Quintet
Ah, somehow I've sneaked onto my own list again!  Ok, I'm not actually singing on this one but it's on a CD from a gig I did with the Dolphin Quintet.  The CD is for sale from my website, and proceeds go directly to the Tri-Charity appeal, supporting Great Ormond Street Hospital, Asthma UK and DELTA.