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Gwen Sampé jazz With the acrobatics which the singer performed on that evening, memories were evoked of jazz greats Bobby Mcferrin and Lauren Newton. Sampé played with her voice as if it were an instrument which has a range covering a thousand tones of colour and a sheer boundless register. Christopher Schultz im Walde Gwen Sampé is an American singer now living in Europe, dividing her time between London and Paris. Her first significqnt musical work was not as a straight-ahead jazz singer but as the composer/director of a poetry-song production titled " Turnings ", based on the poetry of Nigerian author Wole Soyinka. She was also the first woman to play the part of god in Benjamin Britten's " Noah's Flood ". This was followed by her taking the part of " spirit " in a the Ariya production of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. During this time Gwen has also been performing in various jazz venues in Europe - Iceland, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and England. Her percussive and vocally challenging style has been compared to Bobby McFerrin and Betty Carter. Her debut album " Water Gazing ", includes her own compostions, songs from the standards repertoire, and an inspired re-working of Leadbelly's " There's A Man Goin' Round Takin' Names ". The musicians on this album are Phil Dawson guitars, Larry Bartley double bass, and the drummers Sebastian Rochford, Andrea Trillo and Kendricks Rowe. Phil Dawsan is a widely travelled and versatile guitarist. He has toured and recorded in Europe, North America and West Africa. His musical influences include Brasilian, Ghanian and Malian music, together with jazz guitarists Jim Hall and Larry Carlton. On the UK jazz scene he performs currently with Soothsayers, Rowland Sutherland's Mistura and Tony Kofi. He also plays in the Afrobeat Orchestra, and has worked for a variety of artists such as Moreno Velosa Natacha Atlas and Ghanian pop superstar Kodjo Antwi, and he also performs regularly with Polydor's R'n'b Ben Onono. He is currently writing and producing a brasilian music project. " If you like Betty Carter, you'll dig Gwen Sampé " Jonathan Abbott JAZZ EXPRESS. "'Emotional' - the word has an unpleasant ring to it in this modern day ; but it is of course so important because real experiences mirror themselves in it ; And in this sense an emotional and even ecstatic effect was created by the singing of the artist from Houston, Texas, a true 'Orpheus', whose appearance must be rated as the high point of the festival. " Ludinghause Festival. " Unlike many others Gwen is a singer who is not afraid to take chances with her voice. " Helen Mayhew Jazz FM. " Houston, born Gwen Sampé, now resident in Europe, debut album Water Gazing reflects tyhe challenging style that Gwen has developed through the years. She of depth and originality. " Danella Brown Vital Houston. |
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