Sarah Jane Morris

Sarah Jane Morris (vocals), Henry Thomas (acoustic bass), Dominic Miller (nylon string guitar), Tony Remy (acoustic/electric guitar), Martyn Barker (drums & cajon), Alistair Gavin, with special guests Annie Whitehead (trombone) and Michael Rosen (sax), John Eacott (trumpet) and Annie Whitehead (trombone)

“Leave your preconceptions at home,” begins one London critic’s assessment of sensual singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Morris, who straddles rock, blues, jazz and soul with a goosebump-raising four octave range that rumbles from the heels of her size eight shoes to the tips of her flame-red mane.

Sarah Jane is delighted to be back at Ronnie Scott’s in January 2013 for her fabulous annual show with her incredible 8 piece band (Dominic Miller, Tony Remy, Martyn Barker, Henry Thomas, Alastair Gavin, Michael Rosen, Annie Whitehead and John Eacott) with special guests.

Famed for her association with the Communards in the mid-80s and infamous for a banned rendition of the classic Me and Mrs Jones, Sarah Jane Morris has always attracted as much attention for her politics as for her soul-driven, seismic voice. Many solo albums later, pop stardom on the continent, and a diverse set of musical collaborations on record, film and stage, Morris continues to steer her unorthodox career to greater heights.

In 2012, Sarah Jane launched her incredible “Cello Songs” with Enrico Melozzi in the UK. This album was launched in Rome at the end of 2011 and she was invited to perform at the Vatican on 21st December with the orchestra and Dominic Miller. The performance was broadcast live on Italian TV! This is the single “Fast Car”:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvl7pCrtIdg

The first performance in the UK was at the prestigious Hay Literary Festival on June 6^th The grand launch will be at the Purcell Rooms on November 14^th as part of the London Jazz Festival, followed by dates around the UK.

Sarah Jane’s last album was “Where it Hurts”  which is a stunning co-written and co-produced album with Dominic Miller (Sting’s right hand man and co-writer of ‘Shape My Heart’) and Martyn Barker (Billy Bragg and The Blokes).  The Album was launched at Ronnie Scotts (London) and Blue Note (Milan).

In 2006, she celebrated her 25-year career with the release of a double-CD, After All These Years. This 34-track compilation, which went Top 40 in Europe, includes acoustic sessions, dance remixes and live performances that showcase the true spirit and energy of this charismatic, uncompromising performer. The CD traces Sarah Jane’s career from her early days with political bands The Republic and The Happy End, to chart success, solo singles and unreleased live tracks, and contains a new bossa nova version of her cult hit Me and Mrs Jones. To celebrate her hit with the Communards, Sarah Jane released a new rendition of Don’t Leave Me This Way, twenty years after it hit #1 in Britain and became the best selling single of the year.

Her international success includes hits in Japan, Germany, Greece (two #1 records), and Italy, where she was been awarded the key to the city of Verona, honoured with a European Grammy and won the international San Remo song festival (only for the award to be swiped by runner-up Grace Jones!).

 “A voice that can excite shivers of passion and delight … Soaring, swooping, sensual and sophisticated, this voice is more than a style, it’s a force of nature … Torch song, soul standard or smoky blues, the message remains constant: human passion with a dazzling voice.” (Neil Spencer, The Observer).

“Those in-the-know rate her as one of the world's great jazz-soul vocalists of the past twenty years and more.” (Vogue Italia)