Sarah Ellen Hughes - The Story So Far

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:08
Size: 126,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. The Story So Far
(3:13)  2. My Favourite Things
(4:00)  3. Honeysuckle Rose
(3:43)  4. Gef Out Of Town
(4:33)  5. Take Me Away
(7:39)  6. Corcovado/If You Never Come To Me
(2:46)  7. Busy Bee
(5:01)  8. Close To You
(5:07)  9. It's Alright With Me
(3:50) 10. Oh Lady Be Good
(5:16) 11. Little Wing
(5:53) 12. Spain

Award-winning vocalist Sarah Ellen Hughes has established herself as a notable presence on the London jazz scene and beyond. Sarah began her career with the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), with whom she was lead vocalist from 2005-2008. Since then she has earned many accolades including winning the 2010 International Jazz Singing Competition, “Jazz Voices,” held in Lithuania. In 2011, she was selected as a semi-finalist for the Montreux Jazz Festival voice competition where she was lucky enough to perform in front of Quincy Jones. Quincy himself said “Great singing girl, keep doing what you’re doing.” Sarah has appeared at many of the UK’s top jazz venues including Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza on the Park (where she held a residency for 8 months), 606 Club, Wakefield Jazz Club, and Marlborough Jazz Festival. In 2010, she was invited to participate in the London Jazz Festival “Vocal Summit,” where she was selected by Paul Pace -jazz programmer at Ronnie Scott’s - as one of three singers “whom I consider to be the best on the scene in terms of the vocal art, individuality, and the ability to move and entertain the audience.” 

Championed by distinguished vocalists Claire Martin and Ian Shaw, Sarah’s first album “Darning the Dream” was released in 2010, to critical acclaim. The recording features some of the UK’s finest musicians including Jim Hart and Dave O’Higgins, plus two duets with Ian Shaw. It was selected as UK Jazz Radio’s “CD of the month” for a record three months running in early 2010. Sarah’s next album “The Story So Far” will be released in September 2011. As well as singing, Sarah enjoys writing for one of Britain’s best jazz blogs, LondonJazz (www.londonjazz.blogspot.com). Additionally, her years with NYJO prepared her to set up her own big band: The Sarah Ellen Hughes Big Band, featuring an all-star line-up. Sarah is the founder member of Sector7, which has been described by Ian Shaw as “Possibly the most exciting thing to happen to the London Jazz scene.” Sector7 is a sensational septet featuring jazz trio and four singers, and it can be heard here: www.sector7.org.uk. The release of Sarah’s debut album was followed by a 24-date UK tour, and her 2011 release will be promoted with a 31-date UK tour. Sarah’s busy gig calendar indicates her popularity and appeal as a significant British vocalist: “A talent to look out for” ~ Jazz Journal. http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/sarahellenhughes

The Story So Far

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Sarah Ellen Hughes - Darning The Dream

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:05
Size: 119,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. That's All
(5:23)  2. On A Misty Night
(3:32)  3. Afro Blue
(4:18)  4. Devil May Care
(5:19)  5. Darning The Dream
(4:09)  6. Love For Sale
(4:13)  7. Workin' Hard
(6:06)  8. You Go To My Head
(4:33)  9. When Sunny Gets Blue
(4:49) 10. Some People
(3:31) 11. But Not For Me
(2:20) 12. A Hymn For Janet

A naturally swinging musician, with a finely controlled vibrato, a keen ear for apposite songs, an avoidance of an all-purpose transatlantic accent, and knack for gathering like-minded confreres: that's Sarah Ellen Hughes. If you need to package her - and I don't but some might - I'd say she's listened to Anita O'Day closely and has assimilated Ella Fitzgerald's propensity to scat, something  as on That's All - I can well do without, but which is liked in some circles. When Ian Shaw joins to joust in a scat battle in Devil May Care I have to admit I switch off, but it's undeniably exciting and virtuosic.

Her boppish phrasing is evident on Misty, cleverly segued with On a Misty Night. Semi-ubiquitous Dave O'Higgins lends some Latin grooves to Afro Blue. Darning the Dream is all one could reasonably ask - sensitively phrased, fine vibes from Jim Hart, and a winner of a coda. The unexpectedly demotic lyrics to Love for Sale, I noticed, are by none other than Sting - they add an undeniable verit‚ to the proceedings, though a rather blatant one. Shaw is on more conventional ground on When Sunny Gets Blue where Hughes plays flute. Her own song, Workin' Hard drolly deals with life on the road, and making copies of her CDs to sell. Some People is another original - a soulful opus that engages strongly

But one of the things I most liked about her singing is encapsulated in a small detail from You Go To My Head where she sings `..that you might...' rather than the more often encountered `...that you might...' I liked the particularity of this, and also the melodic tweaking, which works - so too the long vibes solo. A Hymn for Janet is a deeply and richly sensitive envoi.

From Georgie Fame inspired vocalise on But Not For Me to a careful curating of the standard repertoire Hughes proves up to the challenges. She has a fine band - with Rick Simpson ever supportive on piano. The two bass players alternate. ~ Jonathan Woolf   http://www.musicweb-international.com/jazz/2010/hughes_darning_the_dream_01.htm

Personnel : Sarah Ellen Hughes (vocals and flute): Dave O'Higgins (saxophone): Ian Shaw (vocals); Rick Simpson (piano): Tom Farmer, Andy Hamill (bass): Jim Hart (vibes); Darren Altman (drums)

Darning The Dream

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