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Theo Jackson

Newly signed to US label Dot Time Records, British songwriter vocalist and pianist Theo Jackson writes inventive, thoughtful songs.

“Before I even had a piano lesson I was trying to write songs. I would sit at our keyboard at home and poke at the keys; I would work out patterns and fit words and melodies”.

His forthcoming release is largely a collection of Jackson’s original tunes.From “Bella’s Coming Home” – the tale of a young girl returning home after having run away – to “Shoeless and the girl”, many of his thoughtful songs are based on his observations of people while living in London.

Theo is an exuberant and often eccentric and unpredictable live performer. He has appeared at the UK’s most prestigious jazz venues and festivals, works alongside many of the most exciting young musicians in the country and has toured internationally.

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14
Album Review

Theo Jackson: Shoeless And The Girl

Read "Shoeless And The Girl" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Theo Jackson's second album, Shoeless And The Girl, is an old-fashioned kind of record. That's “old-fashioned" as in melodic, swinging, understated, lyrically engaging--old-fashioned in a really good way.Jackson's debut, Jericho (Self Produced, 2012), was impressive but the lengthy songs sometimes lost focus. Shoeless And The Girl is a more mature, more savvy, album: the songs all come in at under 5.40, the arrangements are tight and Jackson's lyrics are given the primacy they deserve. Bassist Huntly Gordon and ...

11
JazzLife UK

The Art Of The Song

Read "The Art Of The Song" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Singing is possibly the most universal of the arts, certainly of the musical arts. The human voice is the most portable of instruments, always there, always available. It's also the most expressive of instruments: almost every instrument invented in history has at some time or other been used to mimic the voice; none have truly succeeded.Ask most people to name a few great musical stars of the past 100 years and the chances are that the majority of ...

47
Album Review

Theo Jackson: Jericho

Read "Jericho" reviewed by Bruce Lindsay


Singer, pianist and songwriter Theo Jackson lives in Oxford, of university fame, and his debut album Jericho is named after an area of the city rather than the ancient town that suffered so much from an excessively loud horn section. There's no need to fear excessively loud horns here: Jackson and his quartet build drama with more subtlety than that and engineer Derek Nash ensures that recording quality is high.Jackson's voice is capable of the occasional bluesier, rougher ...

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8

Music Industry

London pianist, Theo Jackson signs with US based label

London pianist, Theo Jackson signs with US based label

Source: Michael Ricci

New York based jazz label, Dot Time records, announced today the signing of London based jazz vocalist & pianist Theo Jackson. Jackson has been quietly making a name for himself in the UK Jazz scene having already played many of London’s iconic venues including Ronnie Scotts, Pizza Express, the London Jazz Festival, the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and the Royal Albert Hall to name just a few. Theo stated in his reaction to the signing, “I’m chuffed to announce that Dot ...

“Listen out for Jackson’s beguiling songwriting skills delivered via his strong earthy vocals and alluring charm.” Time Out London

“One of the most interesting composers and vocalists to emerge on the British scene in recent years, Jackson can flit between ballads and rapid-fire scatting in the blink of an eye.” The Daily Telegraph London

“One of the leading lights in the new wave of British jazz artists. Both creatively and technically Theo Jackson is ahead of the game.” Jazz FM Live

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