(Vocal Jazz) Sarah Moule - It's A Nice Thought - 2002, MP3, 320

When describing his highlights for live vocal performance in the last 15 years in Jazz UK Magazine's 100th anniversery edition, Brian Blain recently named Sarah's 2009 Swanage Festival appearance as his best gig. And since she began performing with her quartet (Simon Wallace - piano, Mick Hutton - bass, Paul Robinson - drums) in 2002 Sarah has established a rapidly growing reputation as one of Britain's most exciting jazz vocal talents.
In 2012 while continuing to tour with her band, she wrote the one-woman show 'FEMMES FATALES - Songs for Scarlet Women' which debuted at the Abbatoir Club in the Cotswolds to a standing ovation and was described as 'compelling', 'empowering' and 'highly original' . She has since performed the show, along with husband, the pianist and composer Simon Wallace, at Dulwich Festival, Charlton House, Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, and Herne Hill Festival, and has a spring 2013 tour in the West Country and further festival dates. She is currently recording her fourth CD, featuring songs from Femmes Fatales, for release later in 2013.
Sarah has also written two biographical music shows, IS THAT ALL THERE IS?- The songs of Peggy Lee, of which Bob Sinfield of Jazzfm Radio commented : ‘something of the spirit of Peggy Lee seems to come over her. It’s slightly spooky...but in a very good way’. The show was premiered in the London Jazz Festival 2009. The second show which she is currently touring with Shireen Francis is When Peggy Met Ella which draws parallels between Peggy Lee's and Ella Fitzgerald's turbulent lives and features Sarah and Shireen duetting on many of their idols' signature songs.
Sarah’s latest CD, 'A Lazy Kind Of Love' (Red Ram Records RAM001), marked a new direction in her choice of material, including songs from unusual sources such as Julie Burchill, Clive James/Pete Atkin and Madonna's brother-in-law, composer and producer, Joe Henry, as well as continuing her ongoing musical relationship with legendary American Beat lyricist Fran Landesman and British composer and pianist Simon Wallace. Spotlighting Sarah's interpretations it complements them with exceptional playing from her regular trio, Simon Wallace, Mark Hodgson and Paul Robinson, and guests Alec Dankworth, Mike Outram, Alan Barnes, Paul Clarvis and Pete Atkin.
Her previous recordings include two releases for Linn Records. Her highly acclaimed debut CD 'It's A Nice Thought' (AKD192, 2002) is a collection of new songs by Fran Landesman and Simon Wallace, whom The Observer dubbed "one of the finest songwriting partnerships". Full of literate, often witty songs that lend themselves perfectly to Sarah's emotionally direct vocal style.
She followed this
in 2004 with 'Something's Gotta Give' (AKD239, 2004), she married further new material by Landesman/Wallace with classic songs by one of the greatest of the American Songbook lyricists, Johnny Mercer. As always Sarah is surrounded by some of the best British jazz musicians, including Jim Mullen, Pete Wareham, Matt & Steve Fishwick and Steve Waterman.
Born into a large family on the south coast of England, after university Sarah soon traded the refined atmosphere of Bloomsbury publishers Jonathan Cape for extensive travels in steamy, tropical locations. On returning to London in the early 1990s she met jazz singers Ian Shaw and Claire Martin who introduced her to pianist and composer Simon Wallace, also recently returned to London after several years writing for the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and touring with the equally steamy Lindsay Kemp Company.
"As soon as Simon played me the songs he'd been writing with Fran Landesman I knew I wanted to sing them” says Sarah. “They resonated with me, musically and lyrically - great tunes and lyrics that seemed to be about how we live today and the emotional highs and lows we all have to deal with. I immediately started singing them on the gigs I was doing in Soho and haven't stopped yet".
Around this time Sarah began to explore the music of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington along with the late-night lifestyle of the London jazz musician while continuing her vocal studies with ex-English National Opera soloist Kenneth Woollam. She soon established a solid reputation for herself on the London jazz scene singing regularly at the 606 Club, The Vortex, Pizza Express Jazz Club, The Pizza On The Park and guesting at Ronnie Scott's Club. She has performed with many stalwarts of British jazz including Ian Shaw, Claire Martin, Iain Ballamy, Tim Whitehead, Tim Garland, and Steve Waterman to name a few. She toured the Mediterranean with Ronnie Scott’s pianist John Critchinson in 'A Tribute To Ronnie Scott', performing opposite the legendary bebop duo Jackie & Roy. She was also featured vocalist with the John Wilson Orchestra throughout the 1990s, performing extensively with them including a concert for Her Majesty the Queen at the Royal College Of Music and recording their eponymous debut cd, 'This Is The John Wilson Orchestra'.
In 2005 Sarah made her broadcasting debut with the BBC Concert Orchestra for BBC Radio 2's 'Friday Night Is Music Night', performing orchestral arrangements of songs from 'Something's Gotta Give'. Her television credits include Comic Relief 2013, The Paul O'Grady Show, Lenny Henry in Pieces and The Ben Elton Show. She has also been featured vocalist with bandleader John C. Williams' Rockin' In Rhythm septet, specialising in the songs of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, and performed with them at St David's Hall, Cardiff in 2002 for the Welsh Proms. That year she and the group also premiered a suite of newly commissioned pieces by John Mayer, Barbara Thompson, Nikki Iles, Simon Wallace and Dick Walters at Leasowes Bank Arts Festival in Shropshire.
Sarah has collaborated on a number of shows with other singers. In 2009 she devised and performed 'BRIGHT LIGHTS TONIGHT' with singer/songwriter and Clive James’s musical collaborator Pete Atkin, which premiered at the Dulwich Festival. In 2010 Sarah made her Southbank Centre debut as a featured artist, in A NIGHT OUT WITH FRAN LANDESMAN, together with actors Imelda Staunton and Phil Daniels and jazz musician Bob Dorough, singers Ian Shaw and Gwyneth Herbert, composer Simon Wallace and Fran Landesman herself. The show was reprised with Sarah, Gwyneth Herbert, Ian Shaw and NIcki Leighton Thomas for the Art Of Song Festival in 2011. In September 2011 Sarah made her Ronnie Scott's Club debut as a featured artist with LADIES SING THE BLUES. She has written two jazz cabaret shows, Femmes Fatales - Songs for Scarlet Women and When Peggy Met Ella (with Shireen Francis), both of which are currently touring the UK. Her fourth cd will be released in 2014. Sarah also teaches privately from her studio in South London.

In the past few years singer Sarah Moule has established a rapidly growing reputation as one of Britain's most exciting new jazz vocal talents. Her latest cd, 'A Lazy Kind Of Love' (Red Ram Records RAM001) released on 23rd June 2008, marks a new direction in her choice of material, including songs from unusual sources such as Julie Burchill, Clive James/Pete Atkin and Madonna's brother-in-law, composer and producer, Joe Henry, as well as her ongoing musical relationship with Landesman and Wallace. Developing from her previous work, 'A Lazy Kind Of Love' shows a new-found depth and character in her vocal approach and spotlights Sarah's interpretations, complementing them with exceptional playing from her regular trio, Simon Wallace, Mark Hodgson and Paul Robinson, and guests Alec Dankworth, Mike Outram, Alan Barnes, Paul Clarvis and Pete Atkin. Sarah's previous recordings include her highly acclaimed debut CD It's A Nice Thought (Linn records AKD192, Sept 2002) - a collection of new songs by lyricist Fran Landesman and composer Simon Wallace (”one of the finest songwriting partnerships alive” The Observer). The songs are literate, often witty and ruthlessly honest about human foibles, strengths and frailties, and they lend themselves to Moule's emotionally direct vocal style.
Her 2nd album, Something's Gotta Give (Linn Records AKD239, Nov 2004) married further new material by Landesman/Wallace with classic songs by one of the greatest of the American Songbook lyricists, Johnny Mercer. Born into a large catholic family on the south coast of England, after university Sarah soon traded the refined atmosphere of Bloomsbury publishers Jonathan Cape for extensive travels in numerous steamy tropical locations. On returning to London in the early 1990s she met jazz singer Claire Martin who introduced her to pianist and composer Simon Wallace who had himself recently returned to London after several years writing for the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and touring with the equally steamy Lindsay Kemp Company. “As soon as Simon played me the songs he'd been writing with Fran I knew I wanted to sing them. They really touched me, musically and lyrically, as they seemed to be about how we live today and the emotional conflicts we all have to deal with. I immediately started singing them on the gigs I was doing in Soho and haven't stopped since. I've always felt that it's important to include new repertoire in what I'm doing and mix up a wide range of musical influences, as well as taking inspiration from the past, because I want the music I'm doing to be forward looking.” At the same time Sarah began to explore the music of Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington along with the late-night lifestyle of the London jazz musician while continuing her vocal studies with English National Opera soloist Kenneth Woollam.
She soon established a solid reputation for herself on the London jazz scene singing regularly at the 606 Club, The Vortex, Pizza Express Jazz Club, The Pizza On The Park and guesting at Ronnie Scott's Club. She has performed with many stalwarts of British jazz including: Ian Shaw, Claire Martin, Iain Ballamy, Tim Whitehead, Tim Garland, Steve Waterman and John Critishinson with whom she toured the Mediterranean with 'A Tribute To Ronnie Scott', performing opposite the legendary bebop duo Jackie & Roy. She was featured vocalist with The John Wilson Orchestra throughout the 1990s, performing extensively with them, including doing a concert for HM the Queen at the Royal College Of Music and recording their eponymous debut cd, 'This Is The John Wilson Orchestra'. Her television credits include The Paul O'Grady Show, Lenny Henry in Pieces and The Ben Elton Show. She is also currently featured vocalist with bandleader John C. Williams' Rockin' In Rhythm septet, specialising in the songs of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, and performed with them at St David's Hall, Cardiff in July 2002 for the Welsh Proms. That year she and the group also premiered a suite of newly commissioned pieces by John Mayer, Barbara Thompson, Nikki Iles, Simon Wallace and Dick Walters at Leasowes Bank Arts Festival in Shropshire. Sarah performs in jazz clubs, theatres and festivals throughout the UK.

Sarah Moule (vocals); Ian Shaw (vocals); Jim Mullen (guitar); Iain Ballamy, Tim Whitehead (tenor saxophone); Steve Waterman (trumpet); Fayyaz Virji (trombone); Mick Hutton (double bass); Roy Dodds, Paul Robinson (drums); Gary Hammond , Dawson Miller (percussion).