Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World , in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. This episode offers something a little different - a snapshot of the world of songwriters and an insight into an international music competition. The  International Songwriting Competition  is an annual song contest that offers aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional international arena. Joe explains something of the aims and mechanics of the competition. I'm delighted that Harmonious World has become one of the  ISC's industry partners . The track at the start and end of this conversation is the Harmonious World theme tune, performed by pianist and composer  Joe English . Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share: click on the link and subscribe to support the show. Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonio...

Lineup is still to be announced, but the dates have been revealed for next year's Watford Jazz Junction Festival . The 2024 edition was spectacular, and we're looking for another wide range of music - something for everyone between 10 and 18 May 2025. And the music starts even before that, with a special performance from the amazing Orphy Robinson on 28 February 2025 . Meanwhile, WJJ are running a crowd funder to ensure that their free event around Oxhey village on 18 May remains free to the audience, with artists paid to perform. Please contribute if you can.

Subscribing to Harmonious World is easy - and you'll get some great benefits. There are several options, so just choose the one that suits you best. 1. Buy me a coffee  - choose the amount you'd like to contribute and you can buy a keyring. 2. Subscribe to support the Harmonious World podcast - choose a monthly amount that suits you and you'll receive a monthly subscribers-only episode with details of some of the great guests I've got booked in and an insight into some of the music I've been listening to. 3. Subscribe to my Substack to receive the regular short story collection 'Encounters with Harmonious World' (from 1 January 2025). These won't be available to free subscribers. For all these options, you'll receive a regular email newsletter and, after subscribing for three months, you'll receive a free keyring, pen and bookmark. After twelve months, you'll receive a free T-shirt to celebrate your contribution towards a Harmonious World.

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. I can scarcely believe that I have reached 250 episodes (not my 250th guest, as there have been some duplications) but I am delighted that this special edition features guitarist, composer and singer  Rosie Frater-Taylor . I've seen and heard Rosie several times through 2024 and it was a delight that we finally got to chat about her background and her music, especially her latest album,  Featherweight . Please do sign up to Rosie's email  newsletter  to find out where you can hear her in 2025 - you won't be disappointed. Thanks to Rosie for allowing me to play clips of a couple of her tracks from the  Featherweight  Deluxe version alongside our conversation. Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share: click on the link and subscribe to support the show. Don't forget the Quincy Jones q...

It's called 'The Pocket Ellington', but there is nothing about this band that is small. A big sound and some really high-quality arrangements that wowed the audience at London's fabulous Vortex jazz club. With Alex Webb on piano and musical director duties, this is a tight, well-rehearsed and impressive band: Tony Kofi (tenor sax). Alan Barnes (baritone and alto saxes, clarinet), David Lalljee (trombone), Andy Davies (trumpet), Dave Green (double bass) and Winston Clifford (drums). The project was conceived by Webb and Kofi, who share a love of the Ellington big band sound: The Pocket Ellington takes music composed by the great Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, as well as by a number of other musicians influenced by them, and reduces them to a manageable septet setting. The four  horns themselves have to work hard to produce the sense of around 15 and the combinations seem to do just that. With a great rhythm section behind them, there really is a sense of the 'bi...

I've been lucky enough to hear this project live a few months ago, but now it's ready to be shared with everyone. The incredible vocalist Ineza, backed by pianist Alex Webb and his band of Copasetics, have recorded 'Women's Words, Sisters' Stories' to showcase some of the finest songs written and performed by jazz women across the years. Pianist and arranger Alex Webb (who appeared on Harmonious World in May 2022), has arranged a selection of songs composed by women and added one of his own original tracks, plus one co-written with Ineza. If you've never heard Ineza perform, then you're in for a treat. Born in Rwanda, raised in Belgium and now living in the UK, she's got a voice that's a force to be reckoned with and it's a pleasure to hear her versions of classics like Billie Holiday's  Tell Me More and Peggy Lee-Schluger's I Love Being Here With You . Two singles have already been released from the album, and you can find Women...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious Worl d, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. This conversation took place between sets at  Cambridge Jazz Festival  a couple of weeks ago, when  Dennis Rollins  was working as composer, conductor and artistic director with the  Cambridge University Jazz Orchestra . It was a real pleasure to chat with Dennis and I hope we can fit in a more lengthy conversation in the near future. His passion for education knows no bounds, and you can experience his wisdom wherever you are in the world at  funkytrombone.com Thanks to Dennis for allowing me to play clips of a couple of his tracks alongside our conversation. Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share: click on the link and subscribe to support the show. Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person,...

My new series of short stories comes out on Substack on 1 January 2025. Read about it here .

You are going to want to book your tickets for the Love Supreme Festival 2025 (4-6 July) because there are some incredible acts now confirmed to appear. Come and see incredible sax player Lakecia Benjamin in the July sunshine at Glynde Place A brilliant list of artists will be appearing in Europe's largest greenfield jazz festival. You can read some of my musings from the 2024 festival here , here and here , but trust me - wandering around between the tents and the delicious food outlets and hearing a huge range of jazz, funk and soul acts really could be where your summer 2025 peaks. The good thing about Love Supreme tickets is that the price is best when you buy it early and there are so many great artists announced already - with more to come - that there is bound to be a couple you really don't want to miss this summer. A couple of weeks ago, soul star Maxwell was announced, for the headliner slot on Sunday evening and now Motown legend Smokey Robinson is confirmed for hi...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World , in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. I've known about  Kim Cypher  - sax player, composer and vocalist - for several years, but we've never actually met. It was a delight to chat with her  about her new album,  Catching Moments . Thanks to Kim for allowing me to play clips of tracks from  Catching Moments  alongside our conversation. Get in touch to let me know what you think! Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share: click on the link and subscribe to support the show. Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."

Wishing you a very happy December and lots of exciting gigs coming up - get your tickets for something to look forward to in the summer! Check out some of these venues and events below, especially those featuring past guests on the Harmonious World podcast: Saturday 14th December: The Vortex,11 Gillett Square, Dalston N16 8AZ The Pocket Ellington, a seven-piece celebration of the Ellington repertoire with Alan Barnes (reeds), Tony Kofi (tenor), Andy Davies (trumpet), David Lalljee (trombone), Dave Green (bass) and Winston Clifford (drums). As well as clever adaptations of Ellington classics by pianist / MD Alex Webb, the group also plays music from arranger/composers influenced by the Duke, including Mingus, Monk and Gil Evans. Click here for tickets & info Tuesday 31 December 2024: Soul Mama, Gantry Hotel, 40 Celebration Ave, Stratford E20 1DB Enjoy what promises to be an epic New Year's Eve celebration with Natalie Williams's NYE Soul Revue. Click here for tickets & ...

I was delighted to be able to help Hitchin Creative and Visit Hitchin decorate the streets of our town with the very first Winter Art Trail. Designing the posters was fun. You can read some of the press release I wrote below: Repurposing stands originally used for hand sanitisers around the town, Hitchin Creative has created a trail of large paintings produced by members of our local artistic community. “We’re grateful to Town Centre Manager Tom Hardy and his team for coming up with the idea of making creative use of the stands,” says Hitchin Creative Chair Hilary Seabrook. “The 11 artists featured in the trail are all working locally and it’s great to be able to produce this first Winter Art Trail to coincide with the second Hitchin Winter Festival.” Hitchin Creative has taken over the administration of Hitchin Festival and details of Hitchin Winter Festival and the Winter Art Trail map are available online at www.hitchinfestival.co.uk . For more information about Hitchin Creative, ju...

On one of the coldest days of the year, we spent a relaxing and interesting day around the middle of the UK in Warwickshire, which prides itself on its connections with William Shakespeare. What I hadn’t realised was the connection with Jane Austen, via her mother’s cousin. Stoneleigh Abbey, a stunning connection with Jane Austen Christmas at Packwood House Baddesley Clinton Three stunning stately homes all gave a fascinating insight into how families have lived in the UK across centuries. The fact that these buildings - with a lot of original contents - are open to the visiting public is thanks to a lot of hard work, much from volunteers.

Singer, pianist and composer Laila Biali was my first guest on Harmonious World in June 2020. Tonight, we met for the first time at Ronnie Scott’s iconic jazz club, where she was joined on stage by the extraordinary sax player Emma Rawicz , whose gig I loved just ten days ago. It’s a great story, how these two unlikely musical talents met, as they’re both recording artists with ACT Music and performed a gig together a few months ago. For Canadian vocalist and pianist Laila, it was an obvious choice to including UK saxist Emma on her date at Ronnie Scott’s.  Also on stage with Laila and Emma was Laila’s husband, Ben Wittman, on drums and the brilliant bass player Max Luthert .  Laila and Emma together entranced the packed audience at Ronnie Scott’s, with originals from Laila’s impressive repertoire, including the recent release of ‘Wintersongs’. Thr pianist’s arrangements of standards such as ‘Autumn Leaves’, ‘Bye Bye Blackbird’ and ‘Pennies From Heaven’ were equally inventive...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. With apologies for the background noise (including the sound-checking of Roberto's piano while we chatted a few feet away) this is the live chat I had with Cuban jazz pianist  Roberto Fonseca . It was a real pleasure to chat with hijm and then to hear him play as part of London Jazz Festival. Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share: click on the link and subscribe to support the show. Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."

One of the joys of last week was spending time in Abbey Road studios, hearing the first notes of Michael Shapiro 's opera 'The Slave', based on the novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer. The aria 'Let Me Live' was recorded by members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the incredible soprano Miah Persson, all conducted by Michael himself. Now it's time to start re-reading the novel.

The weather is often challenging in the UK and many people have been suffering because of the arrival of Storm Bert this weekend. All it brought for me was a little snow while I was staying with friends in Yorkshire. It was gone by lunchtime.

In the words of the late, great Quincy Jones: “The only music I don’t like is bad music.” Tonight, the London Symphony Orchestra joined with composer and sax player Cassie Kinoshi in the world premiere of her suite ‘Heart’, alongside Anna Clyne’s ‘This Midnight Hour’ and Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ symphony. And it was a classical/jazz combination that worked beautifully - modern and traditional sitting side by side in one of the best venues in London.    Opening your ears to a variety of music is clearly popular, with the main hall almost completely full. An enthusiastic audience clearly made no distinction between the classical and the jazz elements of this considered programming.  Clyne’s ‘This Midnight Hour’ (2015) takes its inspiration from poetry by Baudelaire and Jimenez, with stunning string writing that uses every section of the orchestra from frenetic strings at the start to a bold, brassy ending. The popular ‘Pastoral’ symphony No 6 is well-loved for a reason. Beeth...

I was delighted to read the 89th Annual Readers Poll for Downbeat magazine, and analysing the results, I was delighted to see so many of my podcast guests recognised for their contribution to jazz. Take a listen to some of these outstanding musicians sharing what they're good at. Nik Bartsch : nominated in Keyboards Laila Biali ( June 2020 , November 2020 , November 2024 ): nominated in Voice Kit Downes : nominated in Organ Bill Laurance : nominated in Group (as part of Snarky Puppy) Christian McBride : winner in Bass player and Producer, nominated in Artist of the Year, Group (with Ursa Major), Large Ensemble (with his Big Band), Electric Bass player, Composer and Arranger Allison Miller : nominated in Drums Arturo O'Farrill : nominated in Large Ensemble (with his Latin Jazz Ensemble) and Arranger Ulysses Owens Jr : nominated in Drums and Large Ensemble (with his Big Band) Maria Schneider : winner in Large Ensemble and Composer, nominated in Hall of Fame Craig Taborn : nomina...

Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca improvised his heart out to a packed venue at The Jazz Social as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival. It was a stunning display of his classical and jazz virtuosity. Roberto's solo piano appearance was a warm-up for his show with a seven piece band and Luna Cohen at London's Cadogan Hall. What we got at The Jazz Social - one of the coolest venues on offer for the first time in this year's EFG London Jazz Festival - was a virtuosic display of all the classical, jazz and cuban influences that weave through Roberto's style. His new album is out now and this pared-back appearance included hints of that great work - La Gran Diversion . The gorgeous Yamaha piano (he had an electric set-up but forgot to move onto it!) came alive with cinematic and lyrical improvised pieces and Roberto encouraged audience participation with rhythms and vocalising. A wonderful evening. You can listen to my conversation with Roberto here for Harmonious World .

One of the joys of my podcast is interviewing people who become friends and that is certainly true of composer and conductor Michael Shapiro. This is the third time he has invited me to observe a recording, this time of his collection of Dublin Songs and an aria ‘Let Me Live’ from his opera ‘The Slave’. Soprano Miah Persson joined members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in recording this beautiful music and it was pleasure to be in the control room,

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World , in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. For the third time, I enjoyed chatting with pianist, composer and vocalist  Laila Biali , who has just released  Wintersongs . I'm very much looking forward to catching up with Laila when she brings her tour to London next week. Thanks to Laila for letting me play tracks from the album alongside our conversation and I hope you enjoy listening to them. Get in touch to let me know what you think! Thank you for listening to Harmonious World. Please rate, review and share: click on the link and subscribe to support the show. Don't forget the Quincy Jones quote that sums up why I do this: "Imagine what a harmonious world it would be if every single person, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing." Support the show