U.K. Jazz Singer Beverley Beirne has headlined festivals and performed at leading clubs throughout the UK and Europe, including headlining at Marsden Jazz Festival 2019 as part of the JJWTHF Tour, Ronnie Scotts Upstairs, Pizza Express Jazz Club, 606 Club, Venice Jazz Club, Gregory’s Jazz Club in Rome and Cleo Lane’s prestigious venue The Stables, to name a few.
Beverley recorded her debut jazz album Seasons of Love in 2010, to a hugely positive response, including plays on BBC Introducing and reviews in Jazz Journal and Jazzwise followed by a tour of the album at venues such as Callander Jazz and Blues Festival, Marsden Jazz Festival and Pizza Express, The Pheasantry.
In 2015, after being raised in a household that celebrated both Jazz and 80’s pop, Beverley then combined the two for her freewheeling, stylistically expansive second album Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun. Singing with an honest, heartfelt, deep-soul sensuality and scatting with abandon in places that would do Ella proud, she swings both lightning fast and seductively slow on clever and stylish re-imaginings of perfectly chosen 70’s and 80s hits. The brain-child of Beverley, the project was conceived and then created after a Christmas gig at Manchester jazz club Matt & Phred’s after Beverley performed her jazz version of ‘Come On Feel The Noise,’ to an unsuspecting audience who loved it. Beverley went on to co-arrange more of her chosen 70’s and 80’s pop tunes for JJWTHF with London pianist Sam Watt’s.
The irresistible collection was recorded at Red Gables Studio, London with leading young jazz players, Sam Watts (piano), Flo Moore (Bass), Ben Brown (Drums/Conga), Rob Hughes (Sax/Flute) and produced by Grammy winning and Emmy nominated producer Jason Miles (Luther Vandross, Miles Davis) who also adds his illuminating Hammond-B3 to 2 tracks. Back in the studio in New York Jason added Romero Lubambo to Cruel Summer and the phenomenal talents of Jimmy Bralower mixed and Mike Fossenkemper mastered the album. Whilst Miles, also added Hammond to 2 tracks, ‘Waiting For A Man Like You’ and ‘Deeply Dippy.’
Garnering worldwide support from radio, press and leading jazz professionals, Beverley’s ground-breaking, lively, entertaining project JJWTHF also gained support from some of the original artists including Limahl, Robin Scott from ‘M’ and the inimitable Noddy Holder, who also came to Ronnie Scott’s Upstairs for Beverley’s launch to watch her sing a swinging version of Slade’s song ‘Come On Feel The Noize.’ As part of the JJWTHF Beverley headlined
at Marsden Jazz Festval 2019 and performed at leading clubs throughout the UK including Cleo Lane’s prestigious venue The Stables.
In 2022, during Covid Lockdowns, in her role as Ilkley Jazz Festival Artistic Director, alongside Festival Director Mark Beirne-Smith (Beverley’s husband) Beverley released The Ilkley Suite on 33 Jazz Records (recorded in 2018) a commissioned piece to celebrate the festivals 5th year by jazz composer and lyricist Jamil Sheriff. Beverley was the featured singer on the album alongside northern jazz educationalists at Leeds Jazz Conservatoire and sought after jazz luminaries Dave Walsh (Drums), Garry Jackson (Bass) and British Jazz Award Nominee Nadim Teimoori. The album gained incredible reviews and allowed Beverley to explore a more avant garde approach as well as to deliver some exquisite ballads such as ‘Cut From Stone,’ the lead song on the album as well as receiving some exceptional reviews.
For her third solo album Dream Dancer, released on 33 Records in Summer 2021, Beverley delivers an engaging 12-song collection of striking melodies given new voice. Beverley’s alto vocals play with ease into higher vocal registers on this dynamic set that comes alive with virtuoso scat, lightning fast swing, soulful samba, a surprise Brazilian tune and exquisite ballads in this exciting, eclectic album. The album was again produced by hugely respect Grammy Winning American keyboardist and producer Jason Miles who contributes both Hammond B3 and Fender Rhodes as well as arranging strings on 2 tracks.
Recorded two days after JJWTHF at the same recording studio and with the same musicians, Dream Dancer also features heralded U.K. composer and tenor saxophonist Duncan Lamont, who Beverley performed with over several years as part of ‘The Duncan Lamont Songbook’ project. Lamont, who wrote all of the incidental music and the theme to the much loved ‘70s-‘90s children’s show, Mr Benn was 88 years young at the time of recording. A one-time band member of Blossom Dearie’s band and the go-to saxophonist for Frank Sinatra when he toured the UK, stars on two of his own tracks, “Now We’re Just Friends,” a regrets break-up blues with “a crazy beautiful melody,’ and “Old Brazil,” (the Mr Benn theme tune now with lyrics that Lamont surprised Beverley with the night before heading into the studio to record). The track also features percussionist, the great Cyro Baptista and world leading Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo.
Dream Dancer has already gained 4**** reviews and worldwide airplay.
‘The second CD by Beverley Beirne to be produced by Jason Miles is successful because all the elements are exactly right...it isn’t often that all these things come together on one new record but here they do.’ JAZZ JOURNAL, Derek Ansell, 4 ****
Dream Dancer promises to usher in new fans. “It is such a beautiful spin on
the classics,” says producer Miles. “And Beverley has one of those voices that you can keep on listening to. I just don’t hear many jazz singers today like her.”
