Gwyneth Herbert: Difference between revisions
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After leaving university, Herbert and Rutter moved to London,<ref name="guardianinterview"/> where they soon met a former member of [[Boney M]], who was shortly to judge a [[Poland|Polish]] television music competition. She and Rutter were invited to enter, and Black Coffee won the competition.<ref name = "indie"></ref> |
After leaving university, Herbert and Rutter moved to London,<ref name="guardianinterview"/> where they soon met a former member of [[Boney M]], who was shortly to judge a [[Poland|Polish]] television music competition. She and Rutter were invited to enter, and Black Coffee won the competition.<ref name = "indie"></ref> |
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After returning to London, Black Coffee continued to perform in local bars, before being introduced to [[Ian Shaw (singer)|Ian Shaw]], a noted jazz vocalist. This led eventually to the production of a debut CD, ''First Songs'', credited to "Gwyn and Will",<ref name = "indie"></ref><ref name="firstsongsreview"></ref><ref name="oxfordjazzfestival"></ref> |
After returning to London, Black Coffee continued to perform in local bars, before being introduced to [[Ian Shaw (singer)|Ian Shaw]], a noted jazz vocalist. This led eventually to the production of a debut CD, ''First Songs'', credited to "Gwyn and Will",<ref name = "indie"></ref><ref name="firstsongsreview"></ref><ref name="oxfordjazzfestival"></ref>of both original songs and standards, which was launched at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club in September 2003.<ref>cite web|url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2003/sep/25/jazz.johnfordham |title=Gwyn Herbert/ Will Rutter |author=John Fordham|publisher= ''[[The Guardian]]''|date= 25 September 2003|accessdate= 12 June 2011}}</ref>The song "Sweet Insomnia" featured guest vocals from [[Jamie Cullum]]. The album received a significant amount of radio airplay on [[Jazz FM]] and [[BBC Radio 2|Radio 2]], and was promoted by [[Michael Parkinson]].<ref name= "Durham"></ref> |
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Soon after, Herbert was signed to the [[Universal Music Group|Universal Classics and Jazz]] label, and released her first major label album, ''Bittersweet and Blue''. This comprised mainly standards, with several Herbert/Rutter original tracks.<ref name= "Durham"></ref> |
Soon after, Herbert was signed to the [[Universal Music Group|Universal Classics and Jazz]] label, and released her first major label album, ''Bittersweet and Blue''. This comprised mainly standards, with several Herbert/Rutter original tracks.<ref name= "Durham"></ref> |
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Revision as of 10:03, 12 June 2011
Gwyneth Herbert (born in Wimbledon, London, 1981)[1] is a British singer-songwriter and pianist, initially known for her interpretation of jazz and swing standards, and now established as a writer of original compositions. She lives in Hackney, London.[1][2]
Early life
Born into a musical family, Herbert was raised in Surrey and Hampshire in the south of England.[3] She began playing the piano at the age of three, achieving Grade 5 by nine,[4] and was writing basic songs at the age of five.[5] She also learned the French horn, achieving Grade 8 by the age of 15.[4]
Throughout her teenage years she played music with local orchestras and bands such as the Surrey County Youth Orchestra[4] and also briefly formed a short lived punk band called Wasted Minds.[4] At 14 she recorded a demo tape of her own songs at Trinity Studios, Woking;[4] however, despite music industry interest, she chose to continue with her studies.[4]
At Alton College her musical tastes moved more towards jazz music.[4] While she was studying at St Chad's College, University of Durham[6], she met up with fellow student Will Rutter[2] and together they began to write and perform in the cafés and bars of North East England[7] as a jazz duo called Black Coffee.[4]
Professional career
After leaving university, Herbert and Rutter moved to London,[2] where they soon met a former member of Boney M, who was shortly to judge a Polish television music competition. She and Rutter were invited to enter, and Black Coffee won the competition.[4]
After returning to London, Black Coffee continued to perform in local bars, before being introduced to Ian Shaw, a noted jazz vocalist. This led eventually to the production of a debut CD, First Songs, credited to "Gwyn and Will",[4][5][7]of both original songs and standards, which was launched at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club in September 2003.[8]The song "Sweet Insomnia" featured guest vocals from Jamie Cullum. The album received a significant amount of radio airplay on Jazz FM and Radio 2, and was promoted by Michael Parkinson.[6]
Soon after, Herbert was signed to the Universal Classics and Jazz label, and released her first major label album, Bittersweet and Blue. This comprised mainly standards, with several Herbert/Rutter original tracks.[6]
Herbert left Universal Classics and Jazz to pursue a less commercial and more personal musical direction.[2][7] Collaborating with Polar Bear's Seb Rochford in a production role, Herbert's Between Me and the Wardrobe was recorded in three days and never intended for general release.[9]The album was initially released on Herbert's own Monkeywood label before being picked up by Blue Note Records, making Herbert their first UK signing in 30 years.[6]
In early 2008, Herbert was commissioned by a collaborative project between Peter Gabriel and Bowers & Wilkins to record an acoustic album at Gabriel's Real World Studios.[10]The result of these sessions – "Ten Lives" – was released as a digital download in July 2008, available only from the Bowers & Wilkins website as part of their Music Club.
Remixed versions of these songs were to form the basis of Herbert's album All The Ghosts, which was released by Naim Edge in July 2009 in Europe; the album was released in the United States in June 2010. This album also featured two further recordings by Robert Harder, who had previously collaborated with Herbert as recording engineer of Between Me And The Wardrobe. All The Ghosts featured a cover version of David Bowie's "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide".
In October 2009, Herbert returned to Harder Sound Studio to record the song "Perfect Fit" which she gave away as a free download, available exclusively from Naim Edge. It was also released as a single on 7 March 2011.[11]The track was also one of nine tracks on her EP Clangers & Mash, released on 1 November 2010, which included remixes of some of her previously published songs.[12]
In January 2010, Herbert was commissioned by Snape Maltings as artist in residence to write, record and perform a new body of work based on stories of the sea.[3] This was performed in October 2010 at Snape Maltings.[13][14]
Herbert's version of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", taken from her second album Bittersweet and Blue, was featured on the soundtrack of romantic comedy Leap Year, directed by Anand Tucker and starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode.
Discography
| Album | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| First Songs (with Will Rutter as "Gwyn and Will") | 2003 | Dean Street Records |
| Bittersweet and Blue | 2004 | Universal Records |
| Between Me and the Wardrobe | 2006 | Monkeywood Records |
| Between Me and the Wardrobe | 2007 | Blue Note Records |
| All the Ghosts | 2009 | Naim Edge |
| EP | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Clangers & Mash | 1 November 2010 | Naim Edge |
| Single | Release date | Label |
|---|---|---|
| "Perfect Fit" | 7 March 2011 | Naim Edge |
References and footnotes
- ^ a b "Hackney People:Gwyneth Herbert". Hackney Council website. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ a b c d Fordham, John (4 August 2009). "Gwyneth Herbert: the door-to-door diva". UK: The Guardian. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b "Singing songs of Suffolk and the sea". East Anglian Daily Times. 16 July 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jack Foley (2003). "Gwyneth Herbert – I suppose for as long as I can remember, singing's always been my complete passion". indielondon.co.uk. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ a b "Gwyneth Herbert & Will Rutter First Songs Review". BBC website. 14 January 2004. Retrieved 25 April 2011."First Songs is a lovingly crafted debut. The self-penned numbers are coherent, perceptive and quietly dramatic, and though the instrumentation lacks variety the arrangements are top-notch."
- ^ a b c d Rebecca Grundy (spring 2008 (issue 24)). "So what exactly lies between Gwyneth Herbert and her wardrobe?". Durham First. University of Durham. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) Gwyneth Herbert attended St Chad's College from 1999 to 2002 and obtained a BA Hons in English Literature. - ^ a b c "Gwyneth Herbert Quartet". Oxford Jazz Festival. April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ cite web|url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2003/sep/25/jazz.johnfordham |title=Gwyn Herbert/ Will Rutter |author=John Fordham|publisher= The Guardian|date= 25 September 2003|accessdate= 12 June 2011}}
- ^ Andrew Perry (8 December 2007). "Gwyneth Herbert: The one that got away". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Arwa Haider (25 August 2008). "Gwyneth Herbert's got some stories to tell". London: Metro. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ "Gwyneth Herbert to release 'Perfect Fit' and a free remix". aaamusic. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ Edwin Huxley (29 October 2010). "Gwyneth Herbert new album, Clangers & Mash". Buzzin' Fly. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ "Gwyneth Herbert – An exploration of the sea". Aldeburgh Music. 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2011.
- ^ "Concert review: Gwyneth Herbert, An Exploration of the Sea, Britten Studio, Snape, 1st October 2010". The Art of the Torch Singer. 2 October 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2011.