‘Knowing more about a musician’s life can only deepen the connection you have with their sound.’

Ahead of her quartet heading to Steamin’ Jazz Club on Wednesday 16th July, I chatted with lead singer Lucy Moon about what drew her to performing this genre, the appeal of jazz standards in the modern world, and why she dedicated a show to an overshadowed vocalist.      

Please briefly introduce yourself to those who don’t know you.
I’m Lucy, a jazz vocalist based in Bristol and I specialise in the swing era. I built a band in 2010 specifically for playing to swing dancers as I was a keen dancer myself and we needed more live music to dance to. Word spread in the dancing community and we’ve filled a few dance floors over the years!

Who is involved in your music? 
The wonderful thing about jazz is that everyone plays with everyone. We have a wealth of pretty phenomenal musicians in Bristol, so I’ve been very lucky to play with most of them. But my dream team is Dale Hambridge on keys, Chris Jones on Bass, Matt Stockham-Brown on Drums and Jake McMurchie on Tenor Sax. 

The line up of your supporting musicians seems to vary between utilising horns/no horns. What is the process behind choosing when to use the different set ups?
Ha! Mostly the client’s budget. I would always choose to play with horns for larger events as it adds an extra layer to the sound and as a vocalist we can noodle away under each other. But saying that, a stripped down trio for quieter gigs is a lovely, more vulnerable sound to be a part of. A softer noodling experience! 

‘I’ve played in Cheltenham a few times recently and the audiences have been wonderfully receptive and welcoming. It’s a great town to play in.’

On the topic of performing, you created a show celebrating Anita O’Day. What led to you choosing to celebrate her? 
I think she’s wonderful. And rather obscured by the really famous greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee etc. She was a pioneer for demonstrating what women were able to do on stage. She took no crap from the patriarchal ideologies of men in jazz at the time, and stood loud and proud in front of them as a member of the band, not just an accessory. Her phrasing and timing was something else. I’ve spent hours trying to catch her timing and it’s off the scale. I think it was Charlie Parker who said to her once that her timing was, like his, in the fourth dimension.  

So, how did it influence the way your band performed her tracks? 
I think knowing more about a musician’s life can only deepen the connection you have with their sound. You can hear the subtle ways a note or a word is spoken and interpret how they were feeling at the time of recording. I hear it most in her ballads. She struggled a lot through her life and I wonder how many painful lyrics resonated within her own life. I hope that when we perform them, we can channel an aspect of that. I feel it and I very much hope the audience does too. 

What is the jazz scene like in the area you are from? 
The Bristol jazz scene is the reason I moved there. It’s packed full of exciting players. The aspect that I love the most about it is how supportive everyone is. There doesn’t seem to be that competitive vibe that you find in bigger cities.. musicians are excited about other players’ success and that feels unique and really quite special. 

When was your first experience of Jazz music and how did this impact your musical journey to now? 
My dad is a big jazz fan and was pretty determined that I would like it to. My brother and I grew up listening to his bebop and modern jazz taste and were more than vocal about turning it off! But, when I was 20, my dad sent me on a residential jazz weekender run by Mike Garrick. I heard and sang swing for the first time and something in my soul stirred. 

When listening to other vocalists – either within or outside the jazz genre – what draws you in? 
Soul. I want to hear the words and feel them. We’re storytellers and it’s our job to get the sentiment across. Nasal, affected voices leave me cold as it feels like all feeling and vulnerability has been washed away. Vocalists who make you feel something – who send shivers down your spine or raise the hairs on your arm – that’s the good stuff. 

The jazz standards – such as those you perform – still resonate with people today. Why do you think they have enduring appeal? 
It’s the melodies for me. They’re so beautiful and such a pleasure to play. And the large proportion of all songs, however old they are, are about the most important human subject – love. That doesn’t get old. 

And linked with this, when there are so many to choose from, how do you construct your set list? 
It’s a lovely position to be in: all the songs I play are my favourite songs. It’s nice to take the audience on a bit of a journey. What makes me especially enjoy a live performance are the moments between the music; where the musicians take a moment to tell the stories behind the songs. For me, it turns a gig into a true performance. 

‘The wonderful thing about jazz is that everyone plays with everyone.’

Penultimate question: As a voiceover artist as well as a singer, how do you prepare your voice for the different uses? 
Lots of vocal warmups! I know it’s boring and no-one wants to do scales (especially not my teenage students) but my goodness, it makes a difference. The voice is a muscle and it needs to be warm before a workout. A lovely Bristol player Jonny Bruce notoriously says ‘never go on stage unlubricated’. He means booze but the sentiment can be borrowed for other uses!   

And finally, you will be performing at Steamin’ Jazz Club on 16th July. How did the gig come about? What are you looking forward to the most about it? 
Yes! I’m looking forward to it. Andy Bowen, who I think is instrumental in setting up the club got in touch and asked if I’d like to play. I’ve played a few times in Cheltenham recently  – at the Suffolk Arms and the Ivy and the audiences have been wonderfully receptive and welcoming. It’s a great town to play in. Come and see us by getting your tickets here, it’ll be a lovely evening. 

Thanks Lucy Moon for chatting with Listen to Discover