Cindy Douglas
Sparkling
Scottish jazz singer and songwriter Cindy Douglas has released her
long-awaited debut album, My New Jive. The album arrives in stores
after Cindy spent a few years impressing audiences across the United
Kingdom with her unique and modern twist on American jazz classics.
The 11 tracks showcase her superb performance, fine talent, and
passion for swing, bebop and world music, particularly from North
African and the Middle East.
Cindy has also written lyrics to
works by American jazz icons Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Horace
Silver, Ron Carter, and South Africa’s ‘King of Jazz’ Abdullah
Ibrahim. Fans say her lyrics have substance as evidenced in the
soulful “A Little Quiet”. The song was the first vocal version of a
Handy tune. What’s more, “A Little Quiet” showcases Cindy’s
wonderful voice and lyrical ability – at a time when the lyrical
abilities of some of today’s songwriters are described as limited
and generic. Her voice is reminiscent of the great Ella Fitzgerald.
Cindy’s strong, impassioned voice captures the glamor of the
golden era of jazz in the 1940’s. She says she has always had a love
for jazz. “At a time when jazz has crossed over into just about
every musical genre, the one constant in my musical tastes is rhythm
and emotion: the heart of jazz, ” Cindy writes in her bio. She says
she was especially inspired by acclaimed jazz artists including Bill
Evans, Thelonious Monk, Ahmad Jamal, Bobby Timmons, Horace Silver,
Brad Mehldau, Shelley Manne, Anita O’Day, Betty Carter, Michel
Petrucianni, and Abdullah Ibrahim.
Cindy Douglas developed
passion for world music too, after visiting Cuba, Morocco and Egypt
some 20 years ago. She says she learned to incorporate percussion in
her music, thanks to a visit to Havana, Cuba, where she met members
of the Buena Vista Social Club. Cindy also took lessons in djembe
and Middle Eastern singing with Reem Khelani.
Her passion for
World Music is reflected on the medley of Dizzy Gillespie’s classic
“A Night In Tunisia & Caravan,” which features special guests,
including Algerian percussionist Abdelkader Saadoun, and Ian East on
saxophone and zurna. The song has a distinct Middle Eastern flavor
that is captivating.
Born and raised in a small town on the
West Coast of Scotland, Cindy took to the stage early in life. She
grew up listening to traditional Scottish music. She started to sing
competitively in public in Primary School. In high school she got
involved in drama and musical theater productions. She focused on
acting, and spent a year at a Theater Workshop in Edinburgh,
learning stage craft and participating in more than 50 performances
of “A Christmas Carol.” Later, Cindy pursued a career in human
resources and at the same time, attended professional workshops for
vocalists. Then, an event Cindy describes as “significant” changed
both her life and career: the birth of her daughter. In her bio,
Cindy says it helped her rediscover jazz and re-evaluate her life.
That’s when she decided to leave corporate life for good and focus
all her energies on being a parent and a musician.
The
extremely talented vocalist sings with all of her heart and soul,
and her glamorous voice reflects that. I highly recommend her debut
album to all jazz and world music aficionados.
‘My New Jive’
was recorded in London with the Tim Richards Trio. It was released
simultaneously on CD and as a digital album on Apple’s iTunes Store.
Critics say Cindy’s passionate delivery, combined with her
swing-bebop mix, has given classic American jazz standards a new
raw, regal poignancy, and marketability.
Link to soundtrack
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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