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Fini Bearman

Fini Bearman is a London based singer, multi-instrumentalist & composer, who has a ‘rare sense of melody running through her eclectic compositions, full of catchy twists and turns’. Her music melds diverse influences from jazz, folk and contemporary music into an 'arresting and uniquely personal' sound. Sometimes dealing with settings of poetry and other times original lyrics, ‘her voice, effortlessly moves between a light precision and warm soulfulness is unmistakably her own’.  Fini released her latest album 'Burn the Boat' in October 2016 and it has already received much glowing reviews from peers and critics including ****'s from Jazzwise, allaboutjazz, the Guardian and the arts desk.

'.. (Fini) has an irresistible voice... She is an expressive singer, and an intriguing composer and lyricist...'  Bruce Lindsay, allaboutjazz.com

Since graduating with an MMus in composition and performance, Fini has built up an impressive profile performing across the UK and Europe. In 2010 she was a nominee for London Jazz Vocalist by the Global Music Foundation and in 2011 was a runner up at the 'Jazz Voices' competition in Klaipeda, Lithuania, as well as the 'Voicingers' jazz singing competition in Zory, Poland. 

Fini has performed at prestigious venues across the UK including Ronnie Scotts, The Sage Gateshead, Kings Place, the 606 Jazz club, Pizza Express Dean Street and the Barbican, as well as European venues including the A-Trane, Schlott (Berlin), Cafe Mercedes Jazz (Valencia) and New York venues Dizzys (Jazz at the Lincoln Center) and Smalls. She has also performed at numerous festivals including the London Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, Cambridge Jazz Festival, City of London Festival, Southport Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival and Howden Jazz Singers Festival.

'…A stunning album..A thing of unsurpassed beauty. One of the most memorable collections of self-penned songs you’ll hear this year’ ****Peter Quinn (Jazzwise Magazine)

Airplay and radio performances include BBC 2 with Jamie Callum, JazzFM, 'In Spirit' with Jumoke Fashola on BBC London, 'In Tune' on BBC 3, Radio 2 with Aled Jones and BBC Kent with Roger Day and Trudy Kerr, Resonance FM, Jazz Radio Berlin, BR-Klassik (München) and Hoxton Radio. Fini has played and performed with world class musicians including Guillermo Klein, John Hollenbeck, Kenny Werner, Jim Black, Bobby McFerrin, Cleo Laine, Jon Hendricks, John Taylor, Christine Tobin, Norma Winstone, Kenny Wheeler, Albert Hera, Ian Shaw, Liane Carroll, Nikki Iles, Liam Noble,  Bobby Wellins... 

Fini studied voice (classical and jazz) at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London, where she spent 4 years on the BMus programme under the tutelage of Anita Wardell, Lee Gibson, Martin Hathaway, Martin Speake and Pete Churchill. Fini became the first vocalist/ composer to be accepted onto the Masters course at the Jazz Institute Berlin, Germany, where she studied composition with US guitarist and composer Kurt Rosenwinkel, and singing with US vocalist and improvisor Judy Niemack. 

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14
Album Review

Fini Bearman: La Loba

Read "La Loba" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


London-based singer, musician and songwriter Fini Bearman has a history of fine recordings, notably 2014's Porgy And Bess (F-ire Records) and 2016's Burn The Boat (Two Rivers Records), which featured her exquisite “I'd Rather Have The Rain." La Loba is her fourth studio album and her first duo recording, featuring the cellist Zosia Jagodzinska. Just two performers, but with a sound that has all of the fullness and tonal variation of a much larger ensemble. On La Loba, ...

44
Album Review

Fini Bearman: Burn The Boat

Read "Burn The Boat" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Vocalist Fini Bearman made an impressive debut as a leader with Step Up (Feenz Beenz Records, 2011), a set of her original songs. In 2014 she effectively re-imagined classics on her second album, Porgy And Bess. Burn The Boat returns to the structure of her debut release, presenting another nine of Bearman's original compositions, with the singer alongside a completely new band. It's a beautiful recording. Bearman's talent as a vocalist is clear from Porgy And Bess, where ...

111
Album Review

Fini Bearman: Porgy And Bess

Read "Porgy And Bess" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


For her second album, singer and songwriter Fini Bearman moves away from the original songs of her debut, Step Up (Feenz Beenz Records, 2011). She chooses instead to delve into one of the best-known operas of the twentieth century--George Gershwin's Porgy And Bess. It's a work that has inspired some major jazz performers, including vocal greats like Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. Tough acts to follow, but these interpretations hold their own particular magic. The London-based Bearman makes ...

245
Album Review

Fini Bearman: Step Up

Read "Step Up" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Step Up is the debut from British vocalist/songwriter Fini Bearman. Bearman has studied with Judy Niemack, and lists Gretchen Parlato as an influence--two singers with the ability to inhabit the lyrics of a song, giving the impression that even well-worn songbook standards were written about their lives. Bearman shares that quality and also has Cassandra Wilson's ability to weave her voice in and around the instrumental lines as if it were an additional instrument. She sings with the London Vocal ...

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‘...Skilful and accurate... wistful soulfulness’ (John Fordham)

'...The incredible improvised poetry of Fini Bearman' 'A Guide to UK Jazz in 2017' - Bandcamp Daily

Burn The Boat ‘…A stunning album..A thing of unsurpassed beauty. One of the most memorable collections of self-penned songs you’ll hear this year’ **** 'recommended' album of 2016 Peter Quinn (Jazzwise)

'The multi-talented Fini Bearman' Ian Mann (thejazzmann)

'...With a warm, clear and expressive voice she brings a sense of realism and even practicality to her storytelling style.' Heraldscotland.com

'A beautiful recording. What's immediately apparent is Bearman's own commanding ability as a writer...she's on top compositional form.' allaboutjazz.com

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Primary Instrument

Vocals

Willing to teach

Advanced only

Credentials/Background

In 2017 Fini became the first professor of songwriting at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and works with songwriters, composers, and vocalists on the Jazz pathway. Fini also teaches voice and composition at Leeds College of Music and City of London University.

Paul Simon
composer / conductor
Chris Thile
mandolin

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

La Loba

Bad Mother Records
2020

buy

Burn The Boat

Two Rivers Records
2017

buy

Porgy And Bess

F-IRE Records
2014

buy

Step Up

Feenz Beenz Records
2012

buy

Videos

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