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Todd Gordon

Aged 44, Todd Gordon was a late arrival to the jazz scene but quickly established himself as “one of Britain’s most popular singers and entertainers” (Scottish Television). An avid Beatles fan until the age of 11, his musical horizons broadened when he heard Frank Sinatra's "Songs for Swingin' Lovers!" album. From that moment, he collected almost every recording by Ol' Blue Eyes whilst expanding his interest in jazz and swing, encompassing numerous other renowned singers and instrumentalists.

Further inspiration came in 1975 when he met Ella Fitzgerald prior to one of her shows. During her concert, she invited him on stage and sang "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" specially to him. Since then, Gordon has been fortunate enough to meet many more of his idols - including Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Count Basie, Woody Herman, George Shearing and Tony Bennett.

Gordon's interest in music and singing was passionate, yet always private. But in 2000, he took part in a week-long vocal jazz workshop and that changed everything. His stage debut came in 2001 at Scotland’s top jazz club and from that moment on, as the cliché goes, he's never looked back.

In 2003, aged 44, he was booked to open for Dionne Warwick during her UK tour, which prompted him to give up his day job organisng trade expos. Since then, Gordon has performed frequently at Britain’s top jazz venues, including The Pizza Express Jazz Room, The 606 in Chelsea and the world- renowned Ronnie Scott’s in London and The Plaza and The Algonquin hotels in New York - where he even did a duet with actor Christopher Walken, singing “I've Got You Under My Skin”.

He also features regularly at major jazz festivals and concerts. Indeed, he was the first-ever Scottish male vocalist to be booked for the London Jazz Festival, with his performance at the Royal Opera House in 2007 - a show which was followed by a sell-out return visit two years later.

Gordon's audiences range from intimate jazz clubs to large-scale shows (he regularly compères and performs at “Jazz on a Summer’s Day” against the backdrop of Edinburgh Castle - Britain’s biggest jazz event with an audience of 20,000-plus) and he was also one of four nominees for a national music award alongside classical conductor Ilan Volkov, the pop group Texas and singing sensation, Annie Lennox.

Gordon has performed joint concerts with most of Britain's best female jazz singers including Jacqui Dankworth, Claire Martin, Clare Teal, Elaine Delmar, Tina May, Juliet Roberts etc, as well as American singers Barbara Morrison and Clairdee.

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14
Album Review

Todd Gordon: love dot com

Read "love dot com" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


love dot com is an album of standards and contemporary jazz/pop songs from Scottish vocalist Todd Gordon. It follows his 2012 release with the Royal Air Force Squadronaires, Helping the Heroes (Specific Jazz) but while that album featured a big band and a series of top-flight guest singers, love dot com is a much gentler affair. Some excellent, and unexpected, song choices can be found here. Karl Wallinger's “She's The One," Jimmy Webb's “Didn't We" and Roddy Frame's ...

7
Album Review

RAF Squadronaires and Todd Gordon: Evergreen

Read "Evergreen" reviewed by Ian Patterson


The Royal Air Force Squadronaires can rightly lay claim to being one of the UK's most historically important big bands, and judging by the vibrancy of Helping the Heroes (Jazz Specific, 2012), undoubtedly one of the very best. A showcase for vocalist Todd Gordon and The Royal Air Force Squadronaires' impressive collective voice, that album is being launched in 2013 in several European countries as well as Canada, Australia South Korea and Japan under the new title Evergreen, no doubt ...

4
Take Five With...

Take Five With Todd Gordon

Read "Take Five With Todd Gordon" reviewed by Todd Gordon


Meet Todd Gordon:In just a few years, Todd Gordon has established himself as “one of Britain's most popular singers and entertainers" (Scottish Television). An avid Beatles fan until the age of 11, his musical horizons broadened when he heard Frank Sinatra's Songs for Swingin' Lovers! album. From that moment, he collected almost every recording by Ol' Blue Eyes whilst expanding his interest in jazz and swing, encompassing numerous other renowned singers and instrumentalists.Further inspiration came in ...

5
Album Review

The Royal Air Force Squadronaires And Todd Gordon: Helping The Heroes

Read "Helping The Heroes" reviewed by Ian Patterson


One of the UK's premiere big bands, the Royal Air Force Squadronaires' roots date to 1939 when some of London's top jazz and dance band musicians were recruited to form the Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, more popularly known as the Squadronaires. The band toured war-torn Europe to raise troop morale following the Allied Normandy Landings in 1944, and though it seems like fiction, it was heading for Germany before a German counter-offensive pushed the Allied forces--and the Squadronaires--back to ...

8
Album Review

The Royal Air Force Squadronaires And Todd Gordon: Helping The Heroes

Read "Helping The Heroes" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Helping The Heroes, from singer Todd Gordon and the Royal Air Force Squadronaires, has the authentic, swinging, sound of a great big band. The guest singers showcase the range of vocal talent on the UK scene, and the album has its heart fairly and squarely in the right place, too, having been recorded in support of Help For Heroes, a charity which provides support for wounded UK Armed Services personnel and their families.The repertoire on Helping The Heroes ...

105
Album Review

Todd Gordon: Love's Illusions

Read "Love's Illusions" reviewed by Jim Santella


Todd Gordon sings standards with a deep respect for the tradition that they represent. His clear, baritone voice offers one of the finest examples of tonal clarity among contemporary male singers who work in jazz. The arrangements that support him come with in spirit of jazz. His highly accurate musical performance is complemented by the ensemble working alongside him. The mix, however, places the whole product into a muddy turmoil in more than one instance.With the album's opening ...

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2

Music Industry

New Concept In Music Is Born - STEM

New Concept In Music Is Born - STEM

Source: Zzzing Agency

STEM is born. New concept in Musicland. Singer Themed Evocative Music STEM means different things in different languages: the stem of a flower, the stem of a note, the voice and more. These keywords are the corner stone to the musical arch that comprises STEM’s repertoire and singers. Our Mission: STEM aspires to be a universal platform for MUSIC, STEMming from the SINGER’s unique voice, creating EVOCATIVE MUSIC using text, melody or tempo as the STEM of the tune. Our ...

Performance / Tour

Barb Jungr & Todd Gordon Sing The Great & The New American Songbooks

Barb Jungr & Todd Gordon Sing The Great & The New American Songbooks

Source: Zzzing Agency

Barb Jungr & Todd Gordon sing The Great & The New American Songbooks Accompanied by Simon Wallace Internationally acclaimed song stylist Barb Jungr - famed for her unique, groundbreaking work and who has seven CDs on Linn Records and two on Naim - has joined forces and created a new show with Britain's finest jazz/swing singer, Todd Gordon. Barb will perform the best of New American Songbook: Dylan, Cohen, Joni Mitchell and more, while Todd will give his exuberant take ...

1

Festival

Todd Gordon To Join Forces With Christy Smith At Kuala Lumpur Jazz Festival

Todd Gordon To Join Forces With Christy Smith At Kuala Lumpur Jazz Festival

Source: Zzzing Agency

Todd Gordon will perform his acclaimed “Todd Gordon Sings The Sinatra Songbook" with none other than Jazz Legend/composer/Bassist and Radio presenter Christy Smith (touring with symphony orchestras and big bands around the world, appeared with Stevie Wonder, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Higgins, Don Cherry, Ed Blackwell, Charlie Haden, Alphonse Mouzon, Eddie Harris and Harold Land amongst many others). Also in the quartet formation Singaporean talent rising star (now living in NY): Wei Xiang Tan - One of the most exciting pianists ...

1

Festival

Todd Gordon To Perform In Award Winning Kuala Lumpur Jazz Festival

Todd Gordon To Perform In Award Winning Kuala Lumpur Jazz Festival

Source: Zzzing Agency

Todd Gordon will be one of the featured international guest stars in the following edition of the award winning Kuala Lumpur International Jazz Festival, 2nd Edition, 14th September. The KL International Jazz Festival aims to present performances by acclaimed international jazz stars and the best local talents! A world class jazz festival where contemporary jazz, smooth jazz, straight ahead jazz, classic jazz, jazz – rock, r&b, swing, funk, classic rock and blues converge. This year's edition will include international guest ...

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Festival

Uk's Newest Vocal Jazz Event Within The World's Biggest Arts Festival

Uk's Newest Vocal Jazz Event Within The World's Biggest Arts Festival

Source: Zzzing Agency

THE BRITISH VOCAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Live at Le Monde (16 George Street, Edinburgh) Aug 5-6 - CAROL KIDD sings Cole Porter, with BRIAN KELLOCK Aug 7 - IAN SHAW sings Joni Mitchell Aug 8 - GWYNETH HERBERT - new album launch: Sea Cabinet Aug 12 - NIKI KING & HER BAND: Duke Ellington Songbook Aug 13-14 - CLARE TEAL: The Divas and Me! Aug 15 - KATE DIMBLEBY: The Songs of Dory Previn Aug 19-20 - CLAIRE MARTIN & JOE ...

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Interview

Ella Fitzgerald Foundation Included Todd Gordon's Story Of Off- And On- Stage Encounters With Ella

Ella Fitzgerald Foundation Included Todd Gordon's Story Of Off- And On- Stage Encounters With Ella

Source: Zzzing Agency

Todd Gordon tells the story... Preface I became a fan of Ella's music shortly after 'discovering' Frank Sinatra. I had been an avid Beatles fan as a young child, and loved music. One evening - I was 11 years old at the time - my mother said, “You've been listening to your music, I want to listen to one of my records" and she played one of the two Sinatra albums she possessed, “Songs for Swingin' Lovers!" The fact that ...

2

Performance / Tour

Todd Gordon On Tour In Israel

Todd Gordon On Tour In Israel

Source: Zzzing Agency

Todd Gordon will be touring Israel between 7-14th December 2013, 7 dates including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa. TODD GORDON: THE SINATRA SONGBOOK Line-up: Todd Gordon (vocals) plus piano, bass, drums and tenor saxophone. Not a conventional tribute show, but a sincere and sophisticated take on the music that was popularized by Sinatra when he was at his creative and artistic peak. “Doing it his way, the ghost of Sinatra lives on in the work of one of his most polished ...

"Todd Gordon's new album - "Love dot com" - is an enthralling collection of classics and brilliant originals all done in a signature way. Gordon has created, yet again, his own clear aesthetic with witty ideas and that incredibly warm voice we all love. Not only that, he's one of those rare singers where you can actually understand every word he sings. This is awe-inspiring creativity!" - Brent Fischer - Grammy®-winning Producer, Arranger (Michael Jackson, Usher, Prince, Al Jarreau, Joss Stone, Elvis Costello, et al)
“Gordon stands as the guardian of all that is good in the music I love

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Evergreen

Specific Jazz
2013

buy

Todd Lennon's Julia -...

Audacious Records
2012

buy

Helping The Heroes

Specific Jazz
2012

buy

Helping The Heroes

Specific Jazz
2011

buy

MOON RIVER to THE...

Audacious Records
2009

buy

Summer Wind

From: Evergreen
By Todd Gordon

If You Could Read My Mind - with Jacqui Dankworth

From: BALLADS FROM THE MIDNIGHT HOTEL
By Todd Gordon

Somewhere in My Heart

From: Somewhere in My Heart
By Todd Gordon

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