Sue McCreeth

Press Release May 2004

Vocalist, composer, arranger and bandleader Sue McCreeth’s UK Autumn 2003 tour with Jazzservices was followed up by acclaimed performances at Oldham International Festival and Exeter Jazz Festival. She has confirmed dates to Spring 2005, a new CD on the way, a commission from Welsh Jazz and will be teaching voice at the Czech Jazz Summer School. She has received honours jointly with Christine Tobin from the International Songwriting Competition.

McCreeth has been working professionally as a vocalist, composer, arranger and teacher for many years, served a long apprenticeship on the bandstand from the age of 17 and majored in composition at Sussex University. Jazz Review have recently said: “Commendably remote from the identikit”! Exploring overlooked epochs and developing new territories she has her own distinct direction and brings a musician’s understanding of harmony and structure, and imagination and heart to what has been described as an “innate feel for jazz”.

John Horler plays piano, Andrew Cleyndert and Dave Green regularly appear with her on bass, and Mark Fletcher or Tristan Mailliot on drums. These are vibrant live gigs with McCreeth striving for ever more exciting or sensuous musical landscapes, trading ideas with the band using her voice as an instrument. Not a singer to be handled with kid gloves, rather this is dynamite delivering songs for the 21st century using a voice which is sound in technique over so many octaves. She is a one off but for the purposes of describing her competence and artistry, think of contemporaries such as Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves, Flora Purim and … um, Chic Corea. If this sounds like hype, then as Brighton’s ‘Source’ stated four years ago, “go and see for yourself”.

Summer dates include The Cabaret, Edinburgh, Tolbooth, Sterling, Electric Theatre, Guildford and Faringdon Jazz Festival (with Martin Williams on saxophone). An imminent new recording featuring John Horler, Andy Cleyndert, Dave Green, Tristan Mailliot and Mark Fletcher, engineered and produced by Andy Cleyndert, will celebrate the musical inroads made by the band since the debut ‘500 miles high the air is blue’.

“a gently unconventional performer, an excellent trio, a rich mid-register, calmly inventive, boldly ambitious, she has imagination and heart”

John Fordham, The Guardian

“a cool misty kind of voice … outstanding”

Dave Gelly, The Observer

“a beautiful piece of work, a small gem of creativity, a voice simultaneously almost ethereal and sensuous and torchy”

Brian Blain, Jazz UK

“the ability to ‘vibe’ with piano players gives her an edge over many of her contemporaries … captivating”

Chrissie Murray, Jazz at Ronnie Scotts

“terrific, an innate feel for jazz, very good with the audience and a wee bit out of the ordinary”

Derek Gorman, Jazz Review

“commendably remote from the identikit”

Richard Cook, Jazz Review