Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

This year has been an incredible one for my writing and podcasting and, although a couple of other projects have necessarily had to take a back seat, it's been overwhelmingly positive. My first live podcast episode in front of an audience featured guitarist Rob Luft. Harmonious World grew by 26% in 2024 and was elevated to the top 10% of UK podcasts. I uploaded 50 episodes including interviews with some extraordinary musical talent. The top five episodes of this year are: #228 - Live chat with campers and tutors on the Great British Music Camp . The video of that episode is also the second most popular video on my YouTube channel #210 - In conversation with the inspirational Darius Brubeck #200 - Dan Jennings from the 'Desperately Seeking Paul' podcast #213 - Live conversation with pianist and Snarky Puppy co-founder Bill Laurance #190 - A live chat with singer Lucy-Anne Daniels My first live podcast episode in front of an audience with guitarist Rob Luft came in a clos...

Firstly, I'd like to wish you a very happy 2025. As we prepare to begin the year, I'm looking back on the fantastic guests I've been able to interview for my  Harmonious World  podcast in the last three months. I'm grateful to all of them for their time and also to all of my listeners. Season 18 guests were: Tom Bancroft Ashley Slater Joel Lyssarides Laila Biali (number 3) Roberto Fonseca - Live at the EFG London Jazz Festival Kim Cypher Dennis Rollins - Live at the Cambridge Jazz Festival Rosie Frater-Taylor Jim Morgan Cat Bourne - Live at Kings Place, London Pete Chambers - Live at the Coventry Music Museum

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. Me with Pete Chambers in the 'Ghost Town' car It is a real pleasure to end 2024 with this interview featuring  Pete Chambers , journalist and curator of the impressive  Coventry Music Museum . I'm a great believer in the need to both embrace the music that influences us and to celebrate emerging artists. Pete and I discuss both the historic place of Coventry in music but also the future: successful artists continue to come out of this part of the UK. 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."

More than three carrier bags full of litter have been removed from the footpaths around my home town in the days after Christmas - the weather has been mild, so what better than to improve the environment while walking the dog?

Friend of Harmonious World Michael Shapiro has been working on his opera ‘The Slave\, based on the novel by Isaac Bashevis Singer for several years. It’s now complete and Michael is working on the not inconsiderable project of getting it produced With several potential productions across the world, I’m looking forward to attending the premiere! But first, I need to read the original book (although not in the original Yiddish). Having hunted around second hand book stores and various online sites, I had pretty much given up on finding a version I could read, but was delighted to receive this copy for Christmas! I may be some time …  

 

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. This conversation took place in the lobby of London's Kings Place concert hall and it was great to chat with  Catriona Bourne  about her jazz, classical and folk influences. Her debut album  Triquetra  came out in October and features her on harp, flute and voice, as well as writing, arranging and producing. Thanks to Cat for allowing me to play clips of a couple of her 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, both young and old, shared a little of what he is good at doing."

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.

One of the joys of reviewing albums from around the world is the huge variety of sounds and styles that reach my ears. The latest such delight comes from Poland's Unleashed Cooperation and their new album 'Trust'. I have to confess that Poland's jazz scene is not one I am particularly familiar with, but Unleashed Cooperation are providing with Trust  an innovative combination of contemporary jazz, improvisation and Polish folk. Unleashed Cooperation has taken a number of influences anad produced this intense and energetic collection of tracks. Band leader Krzysztof Kusmierek (tenor saxophone) is joined by Patryk Rynkiewicz (trumpet), Patryk Matwiejczuk (piano), Flavio Guilotta (double bass) and Stanislaw Aleksandrowicz (drums). Leading jazz vocalist and improviser Anna Gadt joins the group for four tracks. If you want to start with one track, I'd recommend Polistes Dominula , which includes some astonishing ensemble and solo sections with a virtuosity that is mind-b...

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...

It was a genuine delight - and something of a surprise - to be featured in the December issue of the Women in Jazz Media Magazine . I’m proud of the work I put in to promote jazz musicians - men and women - from around the world and it’s great to have a little recognition for that at the end of what has been a busy year.

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,...

For most of us, our sanctuary is home, but for many around the world, finding that haven is a challenge. Violinist Jason Anick and pianist Jason Yeager have undertaken a sensitive musical exploration of that human need for a safe space on 'Sanctuary', their second co-led album. The compositions and arrangements, which include guest musicians, show an evolution since their 2017 debut album together - United.  Out just a couple of months ago on Sunnyside Records, Sanctuary includes appearances from Jason Palmer and Billy Buss (both trumpet), Edmar Colón (saxophone), Naseem Alatrash (cello), Greg Loughman (bass) and Mike Connors (drums). More than half of the tracks on Sanctuary  are credited to both musicians and is partly a reflection on the Covid-19 pandemic that interjected lockdowns into the creative process. Anick says: “We had two goals at the outset of this album. First, we wanted to develop a cohesive music from our shared voices by composing together. Second, we really...

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

To quote Aristotle: "Change in all things is sweet", and the latest album from composer and guitarist Neff Irizarry provides the sweetest jazz. 'Cambio' (‘Change’) brings Latin Jazz without the piano in a highly intuitive and innovative manner. Released on Blue Canoe Records back in September, this is one of my favourite albums of 2024. Composer, guitarist, author and educator specialising in Latin and contemporary jazz, Neff Irizarry brings a delightful and energetic use of the guitar in a blend of influences from Puerto Rican Sabor and a Nordic cool known as Sisu. This latest album -  Cambio  - combines innovative jazz guitar in combination with the vibraphone. The Cambio ensemble features three-time Grammy-winning Jimmy Haslip (bass), Martin Fabricius (vibraphone), and Ricardo Padilla (percussion) in a fusion of Latin rhythms and soulful melodies. The overall sound is uplifting and a reflection of Latin American heat combined with Scandinavian cool. Start with my f...

Listen to the title track on 'Solid Jackson' by MTB when you can. Thank me later. A collaboration between Brad Mehldau (piano), Mark Turner (tenor saxophone) and Peter Bernstein (guitar), this album brings together some of the finest jazz musicians of our time. Recorded in November 2023 and out now on Criss Cross records,  Solid Jackson  reveals the jazz these musicians produce at the highest level, together with Larry Grenadier (bass) and Bill Stewart (drums). Begin with the title track and you won't go far wrong. We hear each part in ensemble and solo mode, with a collective intensity that is both joyous and controlled. Similarly, the start of The Things That Fall Away  really shows modern jazz at its sweetest - Bernstein's guitar melody is joined by Turner's sax and the whole ensemble underpins their interplay, with Mehldau's sparing piano edging into a lovely solo where each note matters. Bernstein says: “There was a natural blend. We all go way back, and ev...

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."

When I began my podcast, Harmonious World, it was with the intention of featuring music across genres and from around the world. 'Home Now', the new album from London-based New Zealand pianist and composer John-Paul Muir on Ubuntu Music ticks all of those boxes with panache. Unashamedly a jazz album,  Home Now  is nevertheless proud of its classical influences. That is true of the compositions and the performances of Muir himself and also his fellow band members. John-Paul’s many accolades across both classical and jazz disciplines include winning the Kerikeri International Piano Competition, the New Zealand National Concerto Competition and the New Zealand National Young Performer of the Year Awards. His move to London to study with senior professor Joan Havill at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama inspired a shift in focus to jazz and improvisation, resulting in the stunning Home Now . The five pieces - Sunlight, Home Now, Silent Acknowledgement, Balm and Overjo...

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 & ...