Trudy Kerr at Jazznights with the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio & Larraine Odell at the Bell Hotel, Clare Sunday 31st January 2016

(click on images for larger pictures)

Trudy Kerr is renowned as one of the UK’s finest jazz vocalists. Mojo Magazine says of her singing “Trudy Kerr is the genuine article – She is a Joy!” All About Jazz has described her as “100% real jazz musician with fluid phrasing and a mellifluous, warm and sensuous tone.”

Born in Australia, Trudy moved to the UK in the early 1990’s to pursue a career in Jazz. She got her big break when Ronnie Scott asked her to perform at his Club and Trudy’s career grew from there. She has performed at many major venues and festivals in the UK as well as engagements in Europe, her homeland Australia and the Far East.

To date Trudy has released ten albums on the Jazzizit Record Label (The Rhythm of Life 2012, Reunion 2010, Like Minds 2009, Deja Vu 2007, Jazz for Juniors 2006, Cloudburst 2005, My Old Flame 2001, Day Dream 2000, Trudy 1998 and Sweet Surprise 1997) and has collaborated both live and in the studio with world class musicians including Mulgrew Miller, Jan Lundgren, Georgie Fame, Bob Dorough, Michael Garrick, Acker Bilk, Jamie Cullum, Geoff Gascoyne (her husband), Tom Cawley, Seb de Krom, Jim Mullen plus many more.

Trudy is currently working on an original song project with pianist Andrea Vicari and hopes to release the album in the summer of next year.

She is fast becoming a prolific lyricist having penned many vocalese (putting words to instrumental solos). Her performance of vocalese has been described by Jazzwise Magazine as “stunning and virtuosic with machine-gun fire delivery of the melodic line.” Trudy’s recent album with Geoff Gascoyne, The Rhythm of Life, was also full of exciting new repertoire penned by the husband and wife team. Jamie Cullum describing the songs as “new standards of today”.

She is also a very successful vocal coach holding teaching posts at Trinity Laban, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Chichester University and London Centre of Contemporary Music where she coaches the up and coming vocal stars of tomorrow in various genres.

As well as performing an eclectic mix of music on her gigs, she also performs an outstanding set celebrating the music of Chet Baker and Gerry Mulligan with her regular trio, Tom Cawley (piano), Geoff Gascoyne (bass) and Sebastian de Krom (drums), alongside two of the UK’s finest musicians, Dick Pearce (trumpet) and Derek Nash (tenor saxophone).

Additionally, she has developed a Children’s Show called Jazz for Juniors and has toured schools, festivals and venues around the UK.

She gave a wonderful evening of jazz at Jazz nights with the Roger Odell Jazznights Trio who were:

Roger Odell – Drums

Roger was one of the founder members and drummer with the jazz-funk group Shakatak and the forerunner band Tracks. Roger has toured internationally and recorded numerous CDs, which he continues to do on a regular basis to this day.

Simon Brown – Piano
Leading UK Jazz innovator and musical entrepreneur Simon Brown is a highly respected and popular jazz pianist who is equally known for his arranging skills. His bands include the  quintet Beyond Cantaloupe featuring the music of Herbie Hancock, as well a the very popular Simon Brown Trio and Quartet.  He is also a stalwart of the Jazznights Trio with Roger Odell and Bernie Hodgkins.

               

Bernie Hodgkins – Double Bass

Bernie grew up in a Jazz-oriented family and has toured in Europe and further afield with a wide variety of artists and  honed his skills and adding to his prodigious repertoire. Spending much of his time in the recording   studios, he is equally at home and in demand as an enthusiastic “live” rhythm section player.

Larraine Odell – Vocals

Larraine began her professional singing career with the group CMU with whom she recorded two albums, Larraine performed at numerous venues throughout the UK and Europe, including the Purcell Room, Royal Festival Hall. Boxford Fleece & Ronnie Scott’s

              

Master of Ceremonies for the evening was the erudite Gareth Williams-James

Larraine Odell opened the first set including:
The Touch of Your Lips With an arrangement by Roger Odell is a romantic ballad written by Ray Noble in 1936. The original version of the song, which has become a standard, was by Al Bowlly.
Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise is a song with music by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II from the 1928 operetta The New Moon.
In a Sentimental Mood is a jazz composition by Duke Ellington which is also performed as a song. Ellington composed the piece in 1935 and recorded it with his orchestra the same year. Lyrics were later written for the tune by Manny Kurtz.
Speak Low (1943) is a popular song composed by Kurt Weill, with lyrics by Ogden Nash. It was introduced by Mary Martin and Kenny Baker in the Broadway musical One Touch of Venus (1943) This was another great arrangement by Roger Odell.
Night and Day is a popular song by Cole Porter. It was written for the 1932 musical play Gay Divorce. Another jazz standard.

Trudy Kerr then joined the band to sing a very memorable set which included lovely extended versions of:

Joy Spring is a tune written by the great trumpeter Clifford Brown. First released as a 10″ vinyl in December 1954.
Wave (also known as “Vou Te Contar” in Portuguese) is a bossa nova song written by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Recorded as an instrumental on his 1967 album of the same name, its English lyrics were written by Jobim himself later that year.
Thomas “Fats” Waller and His Rhythm introduced Jitterbug Waltz on their March 16, 1942, RCA Victor recording date. It was inspired by some piano exercises that Waller’s son Maurice had been practicing on the piano.
This set concluded with a wonderful version God Bless the Child, a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. in 1939. Holiday’s version of the song was honoured with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1976

Following the Jazznights raffle of 3 jazz cd’s we had the traditional Jazznights sitting in spot which is open to all musicians who have an  opportunity to play  with the band. Tonight we had John Reeve-Butler [fretless electric guitar) playing If I Were A Bell.

Trudy Kerr then re-joined the trio to sing:

   

 

On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a musical with music by Burton Lane and a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based loosely on Berkeley Square, written in 1929 by John L. Balderston.
Summer Samba (also known as So Nice or its original Portuguese title, “Samba de Verão”) is a 1964 bossa nova song by Brazilian composer Marcos Valle, with English-language lyrics by Norman Gimbel; the original Portuguese lyrics came from Paulo Sérgio Valle, brother to the composer.
But Not for Me is a popular song, composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin. It was written for their musical Girl Crazy (1930
You Taught My Heart To Sing – lyrics by Dianne Reeves.
I Thought About You is a 1939 popular song composed by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
The Shaker Song.
Alfie is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David to promote the 1966 film Alfie. The song was a major hit for Cilla Black (UK) and Dionne Warwick (US).
Cloudburst recorded by Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross 1959

GILAD ATZMON (saxes) will be at Jazznights on Sunday 14th February 2016
“A formidable improvisational array…a local jazz giant steadily drawing himself up to his full height…” – John Fordham, The Guardian. “Best Musician living in the world today” – Robert Wyatt, The Guardian. “…Atzmon is an astonishing musician.” John Lewis, Metro. “A larger than life figure” – Phil Jonson, Independent on Sunday.

THE BEST IN BRITISH MODERN JAZZ is at  Jazznights, Clare, Suffolk.

Admission £10. Doors open 7.00 pm. Music 7.30 – 10.00 pm.

Reserve seating on 01787 237653 or email info@jazz-nights.com
Pay on the night.

You can join us at facebook, read reviews of previous performances on more opinions blog or tweet at twitter.com/jazznightsuk

Pictures from past gigs can also be seen HERE

For further information on future gigs go to www.jazz-nights.com

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