Rachel Sutton

around music. “I knew that I wanted to perform at a very young age, and although I loved acting, music was a huge passion – especially jazz.

“I was in a touring pantomime when I was 21 and a member of the cast’s housemate needed a singer for their band.

“I’d been heard singing a few times before, so I stepped in. After that night, I was told that I should be doing it more and that gave me huge confidence. “I guess it just spiralled from there and I began hanging around musicians, singing backing vocals for one or two bands; I soon realised though that that wasn’t my forte. It was then I realised that I wanted to be a lead singer.” As luck would have it though, and with the swings and roundabouts that accompanied the early career of the now, 46-year-old jazz star, the world of theatre would again come calling.

Ms. Sutton’s life would again be thrust back into what she was trained to do; not wholly a world away from a musicians life.

“I went back into theatre as I was lucky enough to a job touring Shakespeare around the UK and Europe,” continued Rachel, before a cruel twist in life’s eternal road took her across the globe – home though, was never far away.

“I had my heart broken and ended up travelling the world before returning home and getting a job as a drama teacher. “Although I loved it, the arts was completely pushed aside, that and I was working in some pretty hard secondary schools, for a few years. There was little time for anything else, sadly.

“With the long hours, I struggled to do both (teach and be creative) and something had to change.” Now, back on British soil, it would have been a sin if she’d stayed on the other side of the world and continued down the path she’d eventually take; their loss, is certainly own-re-gain.

Ms. Sutton returned to the industry which holds her in such high-esteem and went head/ feet-first, into the jazz industry. An EP, and an album later, certainly justifies that decision.

“The contacts I’d gathered, they helped me a lot, it got me into the jazz world and I’m very grateful for that,” explained Rachel.

“I always felt that my voice leant itself towards jazz and I had always had a deep appreciation and love of the music, passed down to me from my mother who was a huge jazz fan.

“A wonderful composer who I was working with, suggested that I find a great pianist to collaborate with.

“Someone whom she felt would work really well with me, and would be able to help me, was Roland Perrin (pianist –composer – teacher), who would also become my husband (they married over a decade ago).

“We had not only a deep connection, but a deep recognition, and understanding of each other, from the very start.”

Including the stunning, title track, ‘A Million Conversations,’ that, early 2020 release, also contains the tracks ‘When Love Was New,’ ‘Pick Myself Up,’ Kiss My Baby Goodbye,’ ’Brother Can You Spare a Dime,’ ‘Evil Gal Blues, and ‘The Space.’

The seven-track debut was, according to Jazz Views, “a revelation....the music is of the highest quality,” whilst London Jazz News, like ourselves, agreed that, seeing her live, she is a “stand out performer…..a revelation.”

“It was time to make an album and I had written some music I was really proudly of, added Rachel, before talking about the process of creating her music.

“You have to give yourself the time and go through it with a fine toothcomb. But after a day in the studio, it’s also best to give it some space, let it settle, then come back to it with fresh ears.

“There were some really great reviews, even though we went into the first lockdown around six weeks say, after it was released.

“I had some great gigs lined up, ready to promote it, and it was all starting to kick off, so it was a shame we couldn’t do that.

“During lockdown, I ended up doing a lot of promotion on social media and it helped to get my work out there a lot more, and further across the world, which is fantastic.

“Because of that, I’ve reached audiences in Brazil, Japan, etc., and it’s been lovely receiving emails from people, mainly because of my title track ‘A Million Conversations.’ I wrote that song when my mother died and to know that it touches people means everything to me.” Now though, among numerous other dates, Ms. Sutton is set to make the long trek north, from her London home, appearing on the opening night of the upcoming, Hexham Jazz Festival. Appearing with her will be husband/pianist, Roland Perrin, as well as two, highly-esteemed, local musicians, Andy Champion (bass), and Steve Hanley (drums), the latter duo putting in several shifts that jazz weekend.

“It’s a lovely, historic place, so I’m really looking forward to it,” gushed Rachel, looking ahead to what will be a fleeting visit, north.

“I would have loved to have been able to spend more time there exploring, but it’s a quick, twenty-four hour, turnaround for us (they’ve a young child to relieve from the babysitters).

“Our daughter, yes, she’s musical, thank god,” laughed Rachel, “and she’s learning the piano, and enjoys singing, which is great.

“I’m excited to be performing at the Abbey and with the incredible acoustics it’ll have.

“It’s in lovely surroundings and a beautiful place in which to perform so, my set will certainly be lively and uplifting, tender and heartfelt, one which will certainly have plenty of swings and roundabouts, which is how it should be really.

“Oh, as well as a few laughs along the way.

“There’s an eclectic mix of jazz music in there, lots of differing styles, so I’ll be performing tracks from the album (A Million Conversations), and from the (expected) upcoming album, as well as some other tracks I’m working on as I’m really excited by some recent discoveries, ones which I’m really pleased to have found.”

A new album you say – having discovered the stunning, delightful vocals of Ms. Sutton, not that much after she released the album, we’ve been nibbling away at her to get another one out there – we can’t wait…..

“Yes, I’m planning a new album, and I’m looking at later this year,”

Rachel glowed.

“I’ve got all sorts of ideas in my mind, writing, and storing lyrics, and I’ve got a number of songs ready so, hopefully, I’ll start recording it soon.”

Rachel Sutton will be performing at the Hexham Jazz Festival, this May (festival runs Friday 12 to Sunday 14); you can catch her on Friday 12 May and ticket information is available via HERE https://www.queenshall. co.uk/events/weekend-rover0?fbclid=IwAR18kLA3lsVjxgc0U jhAR1XENdl1_bNMgwYXoZ9DSXYopJv5AJQh4mnVDs

Keep up-to-date with all things Rachel Sutton via her socials on Facebook https://www.facebook. com/rachelsuttonmusic Twitter https://twitter. com/RachelOSutton and via her website HERE https:// rachelsuttonmusic.com/

Images courtesy of Jonathan Cuff (The Pheasantry, and Toulouse Lautrec), Nigel Sutton (Pizza Express, and the 606 Club), and Polly Hancock (album cover of ‘A Million Conversations’).