BIO
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, Cleo Lane’s prestigious venue The Stables and Limerick Jazz Festival 2023 to name a few.
Beverley recorded her debut album Seasons of Love in 2010, to a hugely positive response, including plays on National Radio plays on BBC Radio 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 mainly 80’s pop tunes for JJWTHF with London pianist Sam Watt’s.
‘Such is Beirne’s skill that she sings these pop favourites as though she were singing Gershwin, Porter or Berlin’
Jazz Journal (Derek Ansell)
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 (Nile Rogers, Carly Simon, Peter Gabriel) mixed and mastered by Mike Fossenkemper (Vanessa Williams, Paul Wella) 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 Beverley was asked to talk about her version of ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials on her ‘Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun’ album on the BBC Radio 4 show ‘Soul Music,’ where her version was also featured in the programme. Listen HERE.
“I love the jazz version of Noize…Fab Singer!” - Noddy Holder
In 2020, Beverley was the featured singer on ‘The Ilkley Suite’ a specially commissioned piece to celebrate the Ilkley Jazz Festival’s 5th year, released on 33 Jazz Records. Written and composed by jazz composer and lyricist Jamil Sheriff, Head of Jazz at Leeds Conservatoire, also featuring sought after jazz luminaries and Leeds Conservatoire educators, Dave Walsh (Drums), Garry Jackson (Bass) and British Jazz Award Nominee Nadim Teimoori. The album gained exceptional 4**** reviews and allowed Beverley to explore a more avant garde approach as well as to deliver some exquisite ballads such as ‘Cut From Stone.’
‘‘Her deep, soulful and highly flexible vocals have attracted justifiable comparisons with Cleo Lane, but Beirne is very much her own woman.’
Ian Mann/TheJazzMann
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. ‘Jazz Just Wants To Have Fun may have brought Beverley Beirne to the attention of an audience not familiar to jazz music; Dream Dancer emphasises why she is considered by many to be one of the leading vocalists in British Jazz.’
SIMPLYJAZZTALK, Simon Defty