mon 23/12/2024

Preview: ReVoice! 2013 | reviews, news & interviews

Preview: ReVoice! 2013

Preview: ReVoice! 2013

The vocal jazz extravaganza returns for its fourth year

Curator, presenter, performer: Georgia Mancio

For lovers of vocal jazz, Georgia Mancio's ReVoice! Festival has become an unmissable part of London's jazz calendar. Now in its fourth year, ReVoice! has previously played host to artists such as Gregory Porter (his first UK booking), Tuck & Patti, Raúl Midón and the Becca Stevens Band. Running over 10 nights from 10-19 October, this year's edition is the longest yet, with all concerts hosted at Soho's Pizza Express Jazz Club.

An award-winning vocalist in her own right, Georgia not only curates and presents the festival but also performs the opening set each night. Little surprise, then, that the Club has named a cocktail after her. Georgia's duet partners this year are impressively varied, ranging from pianists (Nikki Iles, Ross Stanley, Grant Windsor, Robert Mitchell) and guitarists (Nigel Price, Jim Mullen) to bassists (Dave Chamberlain) and accordionists (Maurizio Minardi, doubling on piano).

The opening two nights of ReVoice! belong to the majestic baritone voice of Kevin Mahogany (10-11 October), who celebrates 20 years as a recording artist in 2013. A three-time winner of the New York Nightlife Award for "Outstanding Jazz Vocalist”, fellow US vocalist, guitarist and songwriter Allan Harris (12 October) has been named by Tony Bennett as “my favourite singer”.

Following her supremely understated and heartwarming set of classic South American songs in 2011, the great Italian vocalist Barbara Raimondi returns to ReVoice! (13 October) with a fascinating portrait of Ornette Coleman featuring sax player Tony Kofi.

The last time I saw the remarkable Italian pianist Enrico Pieranunzi was at the 2011 Copenhagen Jazz Festival. A great interpreter of standards, the prospect of seeing him showcase a new writing partnership with the exceptional vocalist, Tina May, is mouthwatering indeed (14 October).

Portuguese-born of Cape Verdean descent, vocalist and guitarist Carmen Souza (15 October) mixes traditional West African rhythms and singing in Creole with contemporary jazz, to singular effect. Carmen won "Best Female Voice" and "Best Morna" (for the song “6 on na Tarrafal”) at this year's Cabo Verde Music Awards.

I was a huge fan of Beady Belle's 2010 album At Welding Bridge, so an opportunity to hear the Norwegian band's fantastically memorable melodies in the intimate environs of Pizza Express Jazz Club is a real treat (16 October).

No stranger to London audiences, having appeared at last year's ReVoice! with the extraordinary a cappella quartet, Mycale, and at the Barbican earlier this year as part of "Zorn@60", Argentinian vocalist and composer Sofia Rei (17 October) performs from her award-winning album, De Tierra Y Oro.

Finally, this year’s "Jazz FM UK Vocalist of the Year", the great Carleen Anderson (18-19 October) makes her debut at the Club and brings ReVoice! to a dazzling conclusion.

Watch Kevin Mahogany perform with the Ray Brown trio

The great Carleen Anderson makes her debut at the Club and brings ReVoice! to a dazzling conclusion

Share this article

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters