Sue McCreeth

Sue McCreeth is a jazz singer who has been universally acclaimed by the UK press as one of the most original, inventive and beautiful vocal talents around. She arrived on the national jazz scene in 2002, after musicians Dave Green and Andrew Cleyndert gave her their support in receiving wider recognition. She has two critically acclaimed recordings, 500 miles high the air is blue and Just for Luxury, and a distribution deal with Proper Music. From 2002 to 2007 McCreeth was touring the UK with an 'A' list rhythm section and John Horler on piano. She received numerous plaudits for her own original fusion songs, as well as her 'boldly punctuated' arrangements of contemporary jazz compositions. Her versatility as a vocalist became more apparent as a rising number of bookers paid tribute to the way in which her passionate delivery of a Gershwin standard or a tribute to Nina Simone won over their audiences. Jazz Services supported and funded her touring for three years running; she sold out twice in one season at Live on the Park, and her appearance for the London Jazz Festival was a sell out.

Sue McCreeth was playing guitar and writing songs whilst a small child. She started singing along to Ella Fitzgerald as a teenager in Lincolnshire, and was working professionally as a dance band singer with The Brass Roots, Bob Miller and RAF Cranwell Dance Band from the age of 18. This was in effect her apprenticeship as a band singer, but not content with that she went back to college to study music theory, piano, guitar and voice. In 1991 she graduated from Sussex University with an honours degree in music. Sue has for many years worked extensively as both a soloist (she has played for many years as a pianist/vocalist in top hotels in London, Germany, Zurich, Istanbul, Turkey and the Middle East) and as a band leader (on the south coast of the UK where the local press dubbed her jazz quartet work 'sumptuous' and 'astonishing'). She also worked for a number of years, playing live dates around the UK in blues and Indian-jazz fusion bands. Her skills as a vocal teacher have been sought by the British Council.

Sue has in the past two years had to stop her travelling and late nights and she has been teaching. She is however working on a studio project called 'Infinite Sunday' (www.myspace.com/infinitesunday) with some of her most long standing musical allies. She continues to work with Joy Mammen, developing her vocal technique, flexibility and range. Her influences can be heard in close focus on all of her recordings: Eryka Badu, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Nina Simone, Christine Tobin, Carmen Lundy and many others. For grooves and loops influences Sue cites amongst others DJ Shadow and Air.