Derby, Tuscany and Countdown to the Launch of the SS (Spellbound Stories) Album

Castello Pasquini

Great news - I've been booked for some tour dates in Tuscany, Italy.  Love Italy and all things Italian so I'm really looking forward to it!  I'll be working with some great musicians, the Daniele Gorgone Trio. 

23 July - La Spezia
24 July - Livorno
25 July - Pisa
26 July - Rosignano Marittimo (at a festival taking place at the beautiful Castello Pasquini pictured above)

Closer to home, I had a lovely time at my first performance in Derby.  We performed a family-friendly show of Spellbound Stories organised by excellent musician/promoter Corey Mwamba who is doing such great things for jazz, especially in Derby.  It had been a while (since October last year) that we'd played the songs and I'm so excited that we'll be performing them again very soon for the launch at Pizza Express Jazz Club on 18 June.  Tickets are available here:

http://www.pizzaexpresslive.co.uk/jazzBook.aspx?showId=b94d9d1a-7cdc-481a-914f-03df585d347b&showDateId=8280

More good news - the PledgeMusic target was achieved!  Thanks so much to everyone who pledged.  I appreciate it a lot.  You can still pre-order the album and other exclusives up until the release date of 22 June.  And remember, 10 per cent goes to Amnesty International.  Just click the link below:

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/spellboundstories

I was very happy to learn that Forbidden Fruit (the track inspired by Alice Walker's "The Color Purple") was played on BBC Radio 3's Jazz Line Up by Julian Joseph at the beginning of this month.  And there was a mention about the album release in the June edition of UK magazine Jazzwise.  Exciting to have received the first bit of press and some radio play for the album!

Secret Life of a Jazz Diva

Happy New Year!  (Yes, it's still January so I can just about get away with it!)

January has been treating me well so far and I'm looking forward with great optimism to the rest of 2015.


Live on the Radio

The gig I played with the Jazz Nights band in Clare, Suffolk was broadcast on BBC Radio Suffolk at the beginning of the month.  You can still listen for another 10 days here:

Part 1:  S'Wonderful and Mutual Attraction http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02fk3kd

Part 2:  My Foolish Heart and Forbidden Fruit http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02fl9zb

Part 3:  April in Paris, One Note Samba and My Baby Just Cares For Me http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02fk3kk

Part 4:  Mood Indigo and Tainted Love http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02fk3qf


New Newsletter

Yes, I'm starting a new newsletter called "Secret Life of a Jazz Diva" where I will be sharing some behind the scenes snippets, photos and other good stuff!  I'll also be passing along tips and sharing some of my favourite things with you like other artists, cool gadgets, websites and of course some seriously groan-worthy jokes.  Sign up here and you'll also receive an exclusive download of the song that has moved audiences to tears.

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More Radio Stuff

Some of you know that I've done some radio presenting in the past, doing some stints at BBC Radio Kent and with my own show at the short-lived UK Jazz Radio.  Well, I did my first stint as a radio reporter for BBC Radio 3's "Jazz on 3" last week!  Scary but very exciting.  I went along to a great night in a venue in Hackney called Brilliant Corners where they have a monthly event called "Played Twice" where the audience listen to a classic jazz album and then this is followed by a live band playing the same album again. This month it was 5 by Monk by 5 played by Byron Wallen's excellent quintet.  The show is due to be broadcast sometime in February. 

So here's to a fabulous 2015!  Next month I'll finish mixing the final tracks of my Spellbound Stories album (here's a sneak peek of some backing vocals I added last week) and I will also be taking part in a concert at The Barbican called "Jazz for Labour" alongside a whole host of amazing musicians including Courtney Pine, Soweto Kinch and John Etheridege.  Bring it on!

BBC Radio 3's "In Tune" and Manchester Jazz Festival

July has been an exciting month!  Nick Ramm and I performed live on BBC Radio 3's "In Tune" programme just before I nipped up to Manchester to perform Spellbound Stories at the Manchester Jazz Festival. We did 3 songs, Forbidden Fruit, No One Can Tell and Little Things (stripped down acoustic versions with just voice and piano) and I chatted to Sean Rafferty about the Spellbound Stories project.

Here's the link:

Juliet on BBC Radio 3's "In Tune" programme

And then it was up to Manchester.  Things didn't start too well as I got absolutely drenched on my way to the pavilion from the train station!  Yes - it was raining...  But due to the lovely warm weather and the even warmer packed audience it wasn't long before the cockles of my heart were well and truly toasty.  We had a great time and it was lovely to perform the songs in such a fabulous setting.

This was recorded immediately after.  A bit sweaty faced but was very pleased to feature in my first Vine!