I recently had the opportunity to perform my jazz show at the beautiful Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Marcliffe was the glittering backdrop for the annual Press and Journal Gold Awards, hosted by BBC Breakfast presenter Steph McGovern.
I was booked for a late-night jazz set after the awards ceremony had finished. It was a very varied crowd with people of different ages and backgrounds, so I had lots of fun putting together an eclectic mixture of music, with jazz versions of songs from throughout the decades.
I love finding versions of modern pop songs in a vintage style as it works really well for audiences with wide-ranging age-groups. Bands such as Postmodern Juke Box have brought vintage music to the younger generations and made it much more fun and accessible, so old styles of music are really making a comeback, I’m glad to say.
So as well as my usual timeless classics from the 1940s and 1950s, my set included a 1920s version of a Britney Spears song, a 1930s version of ‘Heart of Glass’ by Blondie, and even a laid-back jazzy version of ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis. I love the confused look on peoples’ faces as they begin to recognise the song, yet they can’t quite place it as the style is so different!
Press and Journal Gold Awards at The Marcliffe Hotel Aberdeen
Technical expertise was provided by Andrew and Phil from A-Line Audio Visual in Aberdeen, who were really helpful and did an excellent job making sure everything looked and sounded perfect throughout the evening, which was no mean feat considering the size and complexity of the event.
I look forward to visiting the Marcliffe again as it was a gorgeous hotel in beautiful surroundings, with lovely friendly staff.
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