WELCOME TO
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Wed 06 November 2024
7.30pm (doors 7pm) | £16 + booking fee
MATT FORD
Matt Ford is the UK’s most experienced and in-demand Swing Era vocalist. A veteran of over 2000 Big Band concerts, with the likes of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, BBC Big Band, Len Phillips Swing Orchestra and John Wilson Orchestra, Matt’s career spans four decades, and shows no sign of slowing down. Matt has featured in four BBC Proms concerts (2011, 2013, 2016 & 2019), with live broadcasts of these on BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC Radio 3. Other TV and radio credits include; Friday Night is Music Night (tributes to Irving Berlin, The Gershwins, Alan J Lerner & Gene Kelly), BBC Big Band Special (30th Anniversary Special), SKY Arts 1 & 2 (Cole Porter in Hollywood & 100 Years of Big Bands), BBC Four (The Sound of Song), BBC One (The One Show), ITV (Titchmarsh) and BBC Radio 3 (In Tune). Matt made his US Debut in October 2013 in Los Angeles with the John Wilson Orchestra alongside Seth MacFarlane, Anna Jane Casey, Sierra Boggess and Julian Ovenden, and followed this in 2016 with his debut in France, presenting a live broadcast on French national radio with his own show from the ‘Auditorium de la Maison de la radio’. On the orchestral scene, over the last 20 years Matt has performed regularly with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Halle, CBSO, RTE Concert Orchestra, Northern Sinfonia, Philharmonia, John Wilson Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Scottish Symphony and Irish National Symphony Orchestras. It has been Matt’s pleasure to work with some of the industry’s finest conductors, including John Wilson, Neil Thompson, David Brophy, Robert Ziegler, Richard Balcombe, Gavin Sutherland, David Firman, Gareth Hudson, Stephen Bell, Larry Blank and Bryan Byrne. Matt has performed at many of the UK’s most prestigious music festivals, including Henley, Aldeburgh, Petworth, Malling, Thaxted, Cheltenham, Newbury, Harrogate and Newry. International festival credits include Grafenegg (Austria), Ovar (Portugal) and Musikfest (Berlin). As a recording artist, 2022 saw Matt release ‘From Abbey Road’, a live Big Band album recorded at the iconic London venue’s Studio 2. The single release from the album, ‘I Wanna Be Like You’, not only reached #1 in the iTunes Jazz Chart, but placed in the Official UK Singles Chart Top 40. 2023 saw Matt perform again with The Halle (Music of Bond), travel to Dubai (Vienna Ball with LPSO), to Portugal (Glenn Miller Orchestra UK), and make his debut with Opera North. In March Matt once again paid tribute to Frank Sinatra, with the Manchester Concert Orchestra, in Simply Sinatra at The Bridgewater Hall, and recently travelled to the US to team up with celebrated Broadway supremo Larry Blank, to perform the songs of Frank Sinatra with the Pullman’s Pops Orchestra in Atlanta, Georgia. Matt toured the UK with John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London, performing in the UK’s Major concert halls including the Royal Albert Hall and Birmingham’s Symphony Hall. 2024 has seen Matt launch his new, intimate, Cole Porter Songbook show, (performing in theatres and Arts Centres throughout the UK), appear once again with the Halle and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Music of James Bond at Dubai Opera House), the RTE CO (Movies & Musicals), and become a regular performer at Annabel’s in Mayfair. Matt continues to be in-demand for Big Band appearances, and will be performing with the BBC Big Band, Swingtime Big Band, and LP Swing Orchestra throughout the year. Line-up: MATT FORD - vocals JAMES TREWEEK - keyboard JEREMY BROWN - bass DAVE TANDY - drums
Wed 04 December 2024
7.30pm (doors 7pm) | £16 + booking fee
HELENA DEBONO
Helena Debono is an up and coming jazz singer/songwriter from London. She has been captivating audiences with her emotional renditions of jazz standards and her own original music. Her natural effortless vocals have already received acclaim amongst the UK jazz scene and leaves audiences wanting to hear more. After being the lead vocalist for the National Youth Jazz Orchestra for 3 years, in 2021 Helena released her debut album ‘Right Here’ which has over 30k streams. Helena has performed at top venues across the UK, including Ronnie Scott’s, Pizza Express Jazz Club, Buckingham Palace, and many more. She is inspired by great vocalists, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Barbra Streisand and many more. Helena is releasing a new album with pianist/composer Charlie Bates later this year. Line-up: HELENA DEBONO - vocals CHARLIE BATES - keyboard SANDY SUCHODOLSKI - double bass DAVE TANDY - drums
ABOUT
West Side Jazz presents the finest jazz,
monthly in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
Bringing the sounds of the West Coast to
West Side Jazz.
VIDEOS
CONTACT
Campus West
The Campus
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
AL8 6BX
United Kingdom