Raised on a diet of Jazz and 80s pop, British Jazz Singer Beverley Beirne has combined the two with her latest freewheeling, stylistically expansive new album Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun. Singing with an honest and heartfelt, deep-soul sensuality and scatting with abandon in places that would do Ella proud, she swings both lightning fast and seductively slow on clever and stylish re-imaginings of 12 perfectly chosen 80s hits.
Beverley finds meaningful magic with the irresistible set list, via her alternately witty and intimate phrasing. She vibes beautifully and riffs powerfully off her pianist and co-arranger Sam Watts and the core trio of Flo Moore (double bass), Ben Brown (drums, percussion), Rob Hughes (saxophonist, Flautist, Bari) and guest guitarists Romero Lubambo and Dean Brown.
The collection was produced by Grammy winning and Emmy nominated producer Jason Miles, who was playing keyboards and programming synths for Luther Vandross and Miles Davis in the 80s at the start of a career that led one veteran journalist to call him the “Quincy Jones of Contemporary Music”. Miles also adds his illuminating Hammond B-3 to two tracks on the album.
