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Lucy Woodward

Born in London, Lucy spent her childhood in New York and The Netherlands. She is the daughter of two classical musicians - her father a conductor and composer, her mother an opera singer, musicologist, teacher and belly-dancer. No matter which household she was living in, she was “always music-making and creating.” She lived in a world obsessed with playing the flute, piano lessons after her grandmother every Monday night and ballet. When she was 12, she sang in a karaoke booth at the mall and her life was forever changed. She proudly went to public high school in The Bronx and was always singing choirs, ensembles and musicals with her friends. “Growing up in NYC you have subway cars to sing in and street corners to sing on so there was always a place to be yourself.”

Ate age 16, she was accepted into Manhattan School of Music where she studied vocal jazz but she dropped out after a year because she “loved bebop but didn’t sing it”. So she hit the streets and started singing in NYC’s West Village for tips, cover bands, TV commercials and writing songs before signing with Atlantic Records (2003) —a time period that saw her score a Top 40 hit with “Dumb Girls” and another Top 5 hit she wrote for Stacie Orrico called “(There's Gotta Be) More to Life”, earning her 2 BMI Awards. With her debut record in tow, she toured the US, Japan and New Zealand and appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

But Woodward had no desire to be a pop starlet: her follow-up, the jazzier, punchier indie record Lucy Woodward is...Hot and Bothered was released in 2008 which “shed new light” on music-making again. Hot and Bothered was inspired by her late teenage days at Manhattan School of Music, lots of Etta James and the 1967 classic The Jungle Book. Billboard described how “Lucy's a ball, equally appreciable for fans of melodic sing-along baubles and highbrow aficionados of finely honed musical composition. A sonic turnstile that flips through dreamy pop, jazz and bluesy bebop”.

The release was followed by Hooked!, an album of Brill Building meets Big Band songs, released on Verve (2010) -- which was largely produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie). The album effortlessly moves across multiple genres, including gypsy-swing, jazz and rhythm & blues. Along with her self-penned compositions, the album showcases Lucy’s stunning covers of Peggy Lee’s Cuban-inspired “Sans Souci” and an Ink Spots-inspired a cappella Hoagy Carmichael classic, “Stardust.” Nellie McKay, who Lucy had always been a hardcore fan of, wrote a song for her called “Another Woman” which Lucy recorded on Hooked! as well (featuring Nellie on background vocals).

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Radio & Podcasts

Lucy Woodward, Cautious Clay, Collettivo Immaginario, Jason Moran & More

Read "Lucy Woodward, Cautious Clay, Collettivo Immaginario, Jason Moran & More" reviewed by Ludovico Granvassu


Lucy Woodward returns with a powerful single paving the way for a full-length album not to be missed, and for a playlist under the sign of electro-acoustic creativity, Brazilian influences and fearless imagination.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Lucy Woodward “Big Bones" Big Bones--Single (Self-released) 0:16 Host talks 4:20 Collettivo Immaginario feat. Tommaso Cappellato, Alberto Lincetto, Nicolò Masetto “Libra" Libra--Single (Domanda) 5:55 Host talks 10:29 Jason Moran, Marcus ...

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Album Review

Steve Shapiro: Plan To Be Spontaneous

Read "Plan To Be Spontaneous" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


With mallets at the fore, a solid set of originals on the program and a strong cast in the mix, vibraphonist Steve Shapiro's musical voice and vision is clear-- and really something to hear--across this seven-song set. Working under the banner of a perfectly paradoxical title, he makes his mark from a number of angles--those of soloist, harmonist, composer and bandleader--and gives his bandmates their due. Sophisticated jazz-pop sets the scene as Shapiro shares the spotlight with ...

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Video / DVD

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Charlie Hunter Trio with Lucy Woodward

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Charlie Hunter Trio with Lucy Woodward

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, let's take a look at some videos featuring guitarist Charlie Hunter's latest trio with singer Lucy Woodward and drummer Keita Ogawa, who are coming to St. Louis to perform on Sunday, July 28 at Off Broadway. Hunter, whose distinctive technique on the seven-string guitar lets him play leads, bass lines and accompaniment more or less simultaneously, has played St. Louis a number of times in recent years with various configurations of musicians. And while he's frequently used the ...

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Recording

Mpress Records' "New Arrivals Volume 4" Features Dave Eggar, Lucy Woodward and More, out June

Mpress Records' "New Arrivals Volume 4" Features Dave Eggar, Lucy Woodward and More, out June

Source: Seth Cohen PR

Stellar Line-Up on Charity CD to Combat Youth Homelessness 'New Arrivals Volume 4' Set for June Release on MPress Records, to Benefit The National Network For Youth Compilation Includes 2011 Grammy Nominee Dave Eggar, Brooklyn Indie The Paper Raincoat, Critical Fave Michelle Malone, American Idol Finalist Caleb Hawley, Verve artist Lucy Woodward and Many Others MPress Records is proud to confirm the details of 'New Arrivals Volume 4'—a charity compilation CD to benefit The National Network For Youth, whose mission ...

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Recording

New Release from Lucy Woodward "Hooked" on Verve Forecast

New Release from Lucy Woodward "Hooked" on Verve Forecast

Source: Verve Label Group

"I wanted to make a modern-day torch record," Lucy Woodward says of her Verve Records debut Hooked!, which finds the New York-bred singer-songwriter achieving a remarkable creative rebirth by reembracing her early musical roots. Woodward made her first impression on the national scene with her 2003 debut album While You Can and her bubbly pop hit “Dumb Girls." But her musical heart lies in the soulful authenticity of classic jazz, swing, R&B and Latin music, and it's those influences that ...

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