Hilary Seabrook - writer, podcaster, musician

Thanks for popping over and I hope you find something to read and enjoy. I am delighted to now have a website containing live and album reviews so please head over to hilaryseabrook.co.uk to see what is there!

In June 2020, I released the first episode of my podcast -   Harmonious World  - and I had no idea how much delight it would bring me to share conversations with musicians from around the world. Whether you're a guest, a listener or one of the collaborators who have helped me find my guests, thank you! I now have listeners in 2, 475 cities across 129 countries, so wherever you are, welcome to our collective musical attempts to make the world more harmonious. Season 20 guests were: Chris Gall Sultan Stevenson Fotina Naumenko Quinn Sternberg Tara Minton for International Jazz Day Nicole Zuraitis Dave Keech Ute Lemper Vonn Vanier Iain Farrington Cecilie Strange Becca Wilkins Dave Handler

I headed right back to Tin Pan Alley - London’s Denmark Street - for a delightful Sunday afternoon of music with singer songwriter Hannah Brine . Hannah’s debut album Blue Sky Now  features ten songs written by the singer herself, either solo or in collaboration with some songwriting heavyweights, namely Jeff Franzel ,  Michael Garvin , Henk Pool and Emily Phillips . Produced by guitarist and bandleader Jamie McCredie , it is a genuinely beautiful collection of tracks that allows Hannah’s voice to shine - it’s more often forming part of choirs and a huge range of vocal ensembles in high-profile TV, live and recording projects. Hannah is used to directing groups of voices and it’s really lovely to hear her solo voice in her own compositions. Today’s gig at Rough Trade on Denmark Street was even more engaging, with just the singer, McCredie’s guitar and backing vocals from Imogen Halsey and Celia Crwys-Finnigan. The album itself includes an impressive selection of the UK’s best...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. For this episode, you can hear my conversation with  David Handler , who is a composer, violinist and club owner in New York City. His debut album - Life Like Violence - is out now on Cantaloupe Music. It's a fascinating collection of acoustic and electronic music that, as we discuss, is not for background listening. Thanks to David for allowing me to share clips from Life Like Violence 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."

Sometimes I feel like I’m late to the party on artists that other people have long-since discovered. One such happened last night, as a packed Barbican Hall was treated to a mesmerising performance by the incredible pianist and band-leader Tigran Hamasyan . Photo (c) Daragh Drake Virtuosity a nd invention filled the stage and blasted the audience as Hamasyan and his band performed work from his latest album -   The Bird of a Thousand Voices . There’s an intensity about this music, that encompasses irregularity and rhythmic and melodic complexity that never descends into cacophony. Born from Armenian folklore - specifically in a retelling of   Hazaran Bibul  - the music tells the tale through rock, jazz, improvisation and quasi-classical virtuosity that all harks back to folk music. Perhaps the reason I haven’t encountered Hamasyan before is precisely that eclectic mix of styles and influences. But once heard, never forgotten. I missed this band at Cadogan Hall last year a...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. The sun was shining and children were playing as I interviewed vocalist  Becca Wilkins  in London's Finsbury Park just a few days before the launch of her album  Reverie . It was a delight to bump into Becca (and her drummer  Billy Pod , who I interviewed in 2022) last night at the Barbican, and we followed up this live chat about her album and all things musical and creative. Thanks to Becca for allowing me to share clips from Reverie 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."

It was a delight to interview Ute Lemper for a recent episode of Harmonious World, and her performance at London’s Cadogan Hall gave me the chance to hear her sing live for the first time in 35 years. The first time I was aware of Ute’s voice was in the planning stages of ‘The Wall’ Berlin 1990, when I was working for the Producer, Mick Worwood. Mick had conversations with Roger Waters about the artists that would be appearing on stage and the name Ute Lemper came up very early in conversations. Even then, she was becoming renowned for her incredible voice and her performances of the work of Kurt Weill. Now, 35 years later, I heard some of those songs live, with just a piano accompaniment. Long-term collaborator Vana Gierig was more than an accompanist and clearly the musical understanding between these two consummate artists is intense. There was humour and polish in the entire show, which included personal and innovative arrangements of some much-loved Weill classics. Everything fro...

When jazz pianist Brian Kellock died recently, London’s 606 Club initially cancelled the night where he was due to perform just a couple of weeks later. There’s a memorial concert planned in the autumn, but the night that Brian was scheduled to appear instead because something of a celebration of his music with some of his fellow Scots. Fraser Urquhart (piano), Calum Gourlay (bass) and Corrie Dick (drums) were joined by trumpeter Bruce Adams and the irrepressible Jim Mullen on guitar. @HilarySWriter The music was just wonderful as the quintet, who had never performed together before, filled the 606 with a selection of standards that would have made Brian Kellock smile. Everything from The Way You Look Tonight  and Shiny Stockings to What is This Thing Called Love?  and Cotton Tail  but with some personal features that really showed what this extraordinary group of musicians is capable of. Fraser Urquhart’s piano is always understated and he is often heard alongside ...

Some albums require time to mature and that is certainly true of 'Songs With Words' from Malakoff Kowalski. There is a global sense of this collection, which includes pianists Igor Levit, Johanna Summer and Chilly Gonzales, and it sits across many genres and none. The album features miniatures by classical composers coupled with sung poems by American Beat poet Allen Ginsberg. The songs themselves are vibrant - literally, brimming with life - and they deftly combine all the global influences of Kowalski, a Berlin-based German-American composer and singer of Persian origin. It is particularly telling of the eclectic creative process that there are three different pianists helping the singer create this beautiful collection. Kowalski says: “It took about five years to birth these twelve songs. They were assembled from both famous and lesser-known miniatures by Frédéric Chopin, Robert Schumann, Aram Khachaturian, Maurice Ravel, Edvard Grieg, Amy Beach, Germaine Tailleferre, Claude...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. Enjoy listening to my chat with saxophonist and composer Cecilie Strange. Her album,  Beech  is the fourth in a collection that really exposes her quasi-classical compositions through storytelling. Cecilie has two upcoming gigs in the UK with Sounds of Denmark - at London's  Pizza Express  on 25 September and the following day at  Turner Sims  in Southampton. Catch her if you can. Thanks to Cecilie for allowing me to share clips from Beech 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."

This was not the gig I was expecting, but it was amazing and full of truly beautiful music played by a stunning quartet who had never so much as soundchecked together! Elina Duni stepped in at the last minute when the billed singer - Vidya, who I wrote about almost exactly a year ago - was sadly taken ill. 06062025 Elina Duni @hilaryswriter Joined by Vidya’s original band - Rob Luft (guitar), Mirko Scarcia (bass) and Corrie Dick (drums) - Elina performed an eclectic collection of originals, arrangements and standards. The band came together in a way that seemed more effortless than it probably was in reality. Luft and Dick are frequent band mates, often with Duni herself, but this was the first time this quartet had appeared on stage and the sound was just beautiful. Duni has an international background and career, so there were songs from Albania, the Balkans, Brazil, Italy and the great American songbook, but they were all arranged to show the very best of these accomplished musici...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. It was a huge delight to be joined live in my local coffee shop by pianist and composer  Iain Farrington . As you will hear through our conversation, Iain has composed for and performed at some highly prestigious events. We were chatting primarily about the forthcoming world premiere of Talk of the Town, which Iain has composed for  Hitchin Chamber Orchestra  to perform on 12 July at  St Mary's Church  as the orchestra celebrates its tenth anniversary.  Click here to join us if you can ! Thanks to Iain for allowing me to share clips from some of his other compositions and performances. 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...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. For this episode, I was joined by  Vonn Vanier , ahead of the release of his fascinating debut album Dawn . Thanks to Vonn for allowing me to share clips from Dawn , which has a fascinating selection of styles and creativity. 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 stand-out albums of 2023 was sax player Joshua Redman's debut on Blue Note Records and he's done it again this year with his second release on the iconic label.  ‘ Words Fall Short ’ - out on 20 June - follows beautifully from 'Where Are We?', which I reviewed in 2023. Redman's second album on Blue Note marks a moment in time with the band leader’s remarkable new outfit. Alongside his quartet of Paul Cornish (piano), Philip Norris (bass) and Nazir Ebo (drums), Redman has called on some exceptional talent in the shape of Melissa Aldana (sax) and Skylar Tang (trumpet). There’s also the wonderful voice of Gabrielle Cavassa, who helped Redman breathe life into the 2023 release ‘Where Are We?’ There'll soon be a full album review on KindofJazz.com

At the end of a lively and exuberant performance that filled the stage with musicians and the air with very real performances, Leeds-based Fergus Quill's Imaginary Big Band spilled out onto Frith Street and blasted passers-by and fine diners with their experimental arrangements. Frith Street comes to life Led by bandleader and bassist Fergus Quill, this disparate group of young musicians performs arrangements of tunes, free improvisations and a plethora of compositions by Quill and other members of the band. Although I was aware of Quill's work - he won the Musicians’ Company 2022 Tina May Jazz Award  - I only found out about the Ronnie Scott's gig by chatting with pianist and composer Nico Widdowson in Watford last week. Widdowson won the Tina May award in 2024. This is no ordinary big band. There's no Glenn Miller or Billy Strayhorn. And that's OK. Because there's plenty of Quill and Widdowson: this is music of the 21st century with a VERY big band - six sax...

Welcome to the latest episode of Harmonious World, in which I interview musicians about how their music helps make the world more harmonious. It was a real delight to chat with  Ute Lemper : I was assistant to the Producer of The Wall: Berlin 1990 and Ute sang on stage for that performance. Her latest album is Pirate Jenny, a celebration of revolutionary composer Kurt Weill's 125th birthday this year. If you get a chance to hear Ute sing live, please do take it - if you're in the UK, she's appearing at the  Cadogan Hall  on Friday 13 June and I hope to be in the audience. Thanks to Ute for allowing me to share clips from Pirate Jenny and you'll want your headphones on to experience the delights of her voice(s)! 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 singl...

The last Saturday night of Watford Jazz Junction Music Festival 2025 was the most amazing world premiere of a jazz suite composed by singer and violinist  Alice Zawadzki . I was fortunate enough to be present for the first run-through, when this incredible group of musicians came together and made creative contributions to the form and structure of ‘Invented Folklore’. Alice Zawadski and her band The evening began with kinetic wonderment from tap dancer Petra Haller and pianist Tom O’Brien in a rendition of jazz standards and free improvisation. A truly unique experience, since no two performance could ever be the same. Following that, Zawadski and her band were truly entrancing in their creative and collaborative renditions of the violinist and vocalist’s stunning compositions. The compositions allowed each musician the freedom to improvise and come together in ensemble sections that seemed effortless but clearly can only happen when you know and understand both the writing and yo...

Another delightful evening with Watford Jazz Junction Music Festival at the Pump House Theatre, this time with award-winning trumpeter Mark Kavuma supported by another rising star - Oscar Lyons. The Mark Kavuma Quintet Oscar Lyons Quartet The evening began with Oscar Lyons (piano) with George Johnson (tenor sax), Zaki Osahn (bass) and Ananda Brandao (drums) with an impressive set of original compositions proving that the young jazz world is thriving and producing outstanding music. While they may lack the experience, they absolutely have the chops, with each musician performing with a frenetic energy when required and a beautiful calm of freedom and respect for the creativity and improvisation of each other. Percussive piano melds into gentle melodies: intensity and speed ebbs and flows. Clearly, these musicians have done their preparation and enjoy working together, with simplicity and complexity each handled brilliantly. Following a break, the stage was prepared for Mark Kavuma (tru...

Wednesday night brought a breathtaking, extraordinary night of unbridled jazz of which Watford Jazz Junction Music Festival should be proud. Nico Widdowson with his trio Programming is notoriously difficult for jazz festivals and the work done by the team at Watford Jazz Junction has proved that finding solutions is not just possible, but is also incredibly satisfying. Audiences enjoying more than one night of this year's music festival have experienced jazz of extraordinary variety and at an internationally high quality. Wednesday was the highlight so far for me and is up there on my list of best gigs.  Opening the show was Nico Widdowson (piano) with Joe MacLaren (bass) and Jordan Hatfield (drums). From the opening musical onslaught, this was an exciting and invigorating set. Widdowson proved why he won the Musicians' Company Tina May award in 2024 as musician of the year. Interestingly, Tim Garland (of whom more later) won the award in 1997. Avant garde jazz can be difficu...

Watford Jazz Junction Music Festival 2025 continued in fine style on Tuesday with performances from singer and bass player Janet Evra , followed by pianist and vocalist  Ilario Ferrari in the intimate setting of the Watford Pump House. Ilario Ferrari with Charlie Pyne and Katie Patterson The team at Watford Jazz Junction have done an excellent job in selecting a variety of musicians to perform at this year's festival, and it's a delight that they've managed to put on so many shows this year, with the last few being held at the Pump House theatre. After shows with Harry T Pope, Vanessa Haynes and Elaine Delmar, this evening at the cosy Pump House took our jazz in another direction, to continue exploring the genre with Evra's bass trio and Ferrari's piano trio. Janet Evra was joined by Will Buchanan (guitar) and Jamie Joiner (drums) in a selection of original tunes and some beautiful covers - notably Baby I'm a Fool  by Melody Gardot and Blondie's Call Me . Th...