Jazz interviews
Meet: Beautiful Music Makers Tenderhost
Tenderhost is a new six-piece jazz-rock band, formed under the leadership of Gabriel Levy who had previously gained prominence as the lead in the now-defunct: Sistertalk. After delivering an impressive debut EP The Tin (read our review here) the group are returning to dazzle us once again starting with a new single Plod Along Phenomenon. We caught …
Meet: Jazz Singer And Band Leader Leon Garner
Fronting the much sought after London-based jazz band The Leon Garner Trio, Leon Garner is making huge waves in the jazz circles of the world. We at Backseat Mafia thought it was about time we introduced the rest of the world to this talented singer. Give us a potted history of yourself I’m a jazz …
Meet: Irish songstress Liv Monaghan releases her nod to vintage Paris with ‘Chez Serge’
Lara Eidi , January 17, 2021 Irish born , internationally travelled songstress Liv Monaghan is an artist we identify with . Like her biggest inspiration, Joni MItchell, she set off from her native Cork to experience what the world, and mosty the long lost jazz scene of Paris, had to offer. Sincere, yet bold, calm …
Meet: Gregory Porter ahead of his album release ‘All Rise’
As you know at Back Seat Mafia we feature music of quality and distinction, well known and unknown, anything that has integrity…no pretenders. So when the chance came up to interview Gregory Porter, singer, songwriter and jazz ambassador, it was too good to pass by – the man is the real deal. We talked to …
Meet: We interview Gogo Penguin’s Chris Illingworth ahead of their self-titled album release
Here at Backseat Mafia, we caught up (socially distancing of course!) with GoGo Penguin member, Pianist Chris Illingworth. Talking about their new self-titled album set to be released in June, how he is spending his time during lockdown aswell as delving further into any gigs and concerts they have planned and just a general catch …
Meet: Hackney Colliery Band, ahead of their Collaborations Volume One album release
They’ve achieved an awful lot already, have the Hackney Colliery Band, but it looks like the release of their new album – Collaborations Volume One, out June 7th will take them to a new level again. As the title would suggest, they’ve drafted some of the best and greatest names in Jazz and funk, including British …
Meet: Mercury Nominees GoGo Penguin interview
Its been quite a few weeks for Manchester Jazz Trio GoGo Penguin. Fired skywards by their recent Mercury Barclaycard Album of the Year nomination, they followed it up with a spot on Live on Jools Holland the other night. After a couple of years skirting around the edges of public consciousness, which saw heavy support …
Meet: Zara McFarlane
“I was at a point where I hadn’t tried to do my own thing. I had lots of plans but I hadn’t really given it a try yet, to be an artist, to do my own music … So I needed to at least try.” We were almost defeated before we began. Our meeting …