Here are some vocal performances you may not have come across and might enjoy. We will find a variety of styles and genres in the hope that over a few selections, there’ll be something to suit everyone.
Jacob Collier is an astonishingly talented young British jazz musician. He trained at the Purcell School (where Soo's son Dan studied), then at the Royal Academy of Music (his piano teacher was Pete Churchill’s wife, Nikki Iles). Aged 14 he received the highest mark in the country for his ABRSM Grade 8 singing exam.
In 2012, aged only 18, his split-screen video covers of popular songs began to go viral on youtube. In 2016 he released ‘In My Room’, entirely self-recorded, arranged, performed and produced in his small bedroom in Finchley. Since then he has collaborated with some of the world’s most eminent musicians from diverse backgrounds and genres. He won a Grammy for The Flintstones below ( from ‘In My Room’).
Flintstones: https://youtu.be/zua831utwMM
He has also run a great project where he asks people to send in short acapella performances, then he harmonises them. There are 4 sets – here is the first.
In 2016 he was a featured artist in the BBC Quincy Jones prom, where he performed with the Metropole Orkest – his mum Susanne is the Principal Violinist. There are some great clips on youtube if you want to explore those. Below is Moon River from his most recent album Djesse 2. It is almost symphonic in the way it builds. I recommend listening several times first without watching, so you can focus purely on the music and his breath-taking understanding of harmony and musical form.
Moon River: https://youtu.be/VPLCk-FTVvw
Finally here is a lovely duet with another famous British jazz artist, Jamie Cullum, who has finally had to relinquish his ‘wunderkind’ title ( but doesn’t seem too sad about it). Incidentally, Jamie was taught by Pete Churchill…
Crazy She Calls Me: https://youtu.be/1X8vyeZgVVQ