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Jacqui Dankworth

Daughter of the legendary jazz musician and composer Sir John Dankworth and International singing star Dame Cleo Laine, Jacqui Dankworth was brought up either on the road or by a succession of Spanish nannies. To Jacqui the positives of the entertainment world attracted more than the negatives repelled. There was never any question that she wouldn’t follow her parents into show business . The only surprise was into which area she choose to go.

Jacqui Dankworth’s first forays onto the stage were as an actress, and a successful one at that. For many years Jacqui worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and John Dexter's Company playing a multitude of critically acclaimed roles. Soon the plays turned into musicals and before long Jacqui was playing leading parts in the West End. But the singing bug had hit, and Jacqui left the lights of the London stage to focus on her own recording career.

The first thing Jacqui did was tour with brother Alec Dankworth's quintet, visiting Hawaii, Hong Kong and Indonesia. Jacqui then appeared as everything but the soldier in a staged performance of Stravinsky's “The Soldier's Tale” at the Purcell Room, London, and worked with award winning jazz composer/saxophonist Tim Garland on a song cycle - ‘Songs Of Love And Liberty’, alongside singers Norma Winstone and Christine Tobin. In early 1998 Jacqui was invited to be the guest vocalist on a major world tour with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Occasionally time allowed her to venture into the studio to record - her first work being a newly commissioned jazz reworking of A. E. Housman poetry, as a guest artist with the New Perspectives Ensemble. The album was voted Record of the Year in The Times.

By 1999 her reputation was spreading and Jacqui was asked to perform new arrangements of Gershwin classics with the BBC Big Band at The Barbican, London and Symphony Hall, Birmingham. Her next audio project was with the group “Field of Blue”. A simple acoustic band performing mostly original compositions. “Field Of Blue” toured extensively around the UK and Europe playing to packed houses and raising Jacqui’s profile as a major singing talent. Field of Blue recorded two albums, an eponymous CD in 1999 and the second, “Still” which was released in 2000 on Black Box records, both to wide acclaim.

Reviews were positive once again for the 2001 Black Box release with James Pearson, “For All We Know”, including, from the Sunday Times, ‘one of our finest singers regardless of category’. Jacqui happily appeared as a featured singer on Gerard Presencer's Linn album, The Optimist, and she recorded a track for the Nick Drake tribute album released on Hannibal Records as well as performing at the Barbican, London as part of the Nick Drake Tribute concert.

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195
Interview

Jacqui Dankworth: I Can't Help Pouring My Heart Out

Read "Jacqui Dankworth: I Can't Help Pouring My Heart Out" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Jacqui Dankworth is one of Britain's finest singers; a strikingly effective interpreter of lyrics blessed with a superb voice and the talent to delve deep into the emotional heart of a song. Whether it's nature or nurture, it's not too surprising that the daughter of Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine should have developed such a strong and distinctive vocal talent. What is, perhaps, more surprising is that, although Jacqui has worked with her family many times over the ...

281
Album Review

Jacqui Dankworth: It Happens Quietly

Read "It Happens Quietly" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


It Happens Quietly is an album of great beauty. Singer Jacqui Dankworth is at the top of her game, investing this collection of songs with superb technique and humanity. She's ably assisted by superb musicians, and by some of the loveliest and most creative arrangements to grace a jazz record for some time. There's an element of poignancy too, as this album is the last work undertaken by Jacqui's father, Sir John Dankworth, before his death in 2010.

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105

Performance / Tour

Concerts in Churches Presents Jacqui Dankworth

Concerts in Churches Presents Jacqui Dankworth

Source: Michael Ricci

Concerts in Churches presents Jacqui Dankworth accompanied by Chris Allard on Guitar in St Albans and Guildford. Jacqui Dankworth is 'one of our finest singers regardless of category', according to The Times, which is no surprise given her musical pedigree. Like all Jazz greats, Jacqui is a regular at such iconic venues as Ronnie Scott's in London, The Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles and international festivals and major venues. Her Concerts in Churches programme will include such evergreens as 'Blue ...

180

Festival

Jacqui Dankworth Brings a Touch of Class to Southport International Jazz Festival

Jacqui Dankworth Brings a Touch of Class to Southport International Jazz Festival

Source: All About Jazz

Jacqui Dankworth has been named as one of the headlining artists to play at the 2009 Southport International Jazz Festival. The festival that kicks of on Friday 29 and runs until Sunday 31 May, grows in statue and reputation each year and this year is no exception.

Given her musical pedigree, its no surprise that Jacqui Dankworth is considered to be one of our finest singers regardless of category. The Times

Over the last few years, Jacqui has ...

82

Technology

Jacqui Dankworth Launches Exclusive New Website

Jacqui Dankworth Launches Exclusive New Website

Source: All About Jazz

The UK's leading vocalist Jacqui Dankworth, daughter of Dame Cleo Laine & Sir John Dankworth, has just launched her new website at jacquidankworth.com. The website has been constructed in two halves. The first half is open to everyone who simply visits the site, but the second half is only open to those who join Jacqui's information service. In order to keep out spam emailers etc we need to ask you to re-register with the info service by going to the ...

68

Performance / Tour

With Scottish Blood in Her Veins, Jacqui Dankworth Takes a Unique Opportunity to Tour Scotland in June

With Scottish Blood in Her Veins, Jacqui Dankworth Takes a Unique Opportunity to Tour Scotland in June

Source: All About Jazz

When the offer to perform in Scotland with just two guitarists as her band was made to leading British vocalist Jacqui Dankworth, the Campbell blood in her veins made her take up the challenge in earnest. Not content to perform this rare show once, she instructed her agent to request a string of dates all over Scotland, the response to which was phenomenal. “I have never taken this show to Scotland before, it is something I did a while ago ...

106

Performance / Tour

Jacqui Dankworth Unveils New Material at Ronnie Scott's

Jacqui Dankworth Unveils New Material at Ronnie Scott's

Source: All About Jazz

The UK's “Princess Of Jazz" Jacqui Dankworth unveiled her first new material in four years at a sensational three night residency at the legendary London jazz club “Ronnie Scott's". Jacqui, the daughter of Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine, was keeping details close to her chest but announced that she was about to sign a new recording contract and that a new album (her first in four years) was going to be recorded later this year.

Jacqui's new show ...

94

Music Industry

Candid Records Announces Signing of Vocalist Jacqui Dankworth

Candid Records Announces Signing of Vocalist  Jacqui Dankworth

Source: All About Jazz

Candid Records is very proud to announce the signing of a vocal superstar, the remarkably talented Jacqui Dankworth.

Most latterly seen as the key component of the Field of Blue project alongside Harvey Brough, Jacqui has worked on a highly impressive range of projects, including recent collaborations with bassist brother Alec Dankworth, Tim Garland, Gerard Presencer, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, a national tour with the Brodsky Quartet and the all-female group The Passion.

Miss Dankworth's incomparable vocal skills are ...

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