The Sarah Gillespie Band

Thursday 23rd May 2024

The Spin is thrilled to be able to present to you this exceptional artist with her band of KILLER musicians!

Anglo-American singer songwriter Sarah Gillespie is renowned for mixing elements of jazz, folk & blues with her streetwise poetic lyricism. Having released 5 critically acclaimed albums in the last 12 years, she’s toured all over the world headlining leading venues & festivals in Europe and the USA including Ronnie Scotts, Blue Note - Milan and New York’s CBGB’s.

Gillespie will perform material from her most recent album ‘Half Cut’ recorded in Berlin’s legendary Hansa Studios (David Bowie) and partly co-written with guitarist/composer Chris Montague. The band features: 

Ruth Goller - bass

Joel Barford - drums 

Chris Montague - guitar

James Pearson - piano 

Sarah Gillespie - guitar, piano and vocals. 

Just to focus in on one of these top-flight players: James Pearson has been the house pianist and Musical Director at Ronnie Scott’s for more than 20 years and has performed all over the world, both as a jazzer, but also as a concert pianist in the classical world. He has collaborated with everyone from Sir Paul McCartney to Wynton Marsalis…, credits including works with Jeff Beck, Joss Stone, Gregory Porter, Elvin Jones, Nigel Kennedy etc. etc.!

But back to Sarah’s own works… let’s just finish here with a few quotes from the press to whet your appetites:

 ‘Joni Mitchell with a little rap-like percussiveness thrown in, Gillespie is an original.’ John Fordham - The Guardian ★★★★

‘Her witty, free-flowing originals on Wishbones have a beat poet's eye for observation’ JAZZWISE ★★★★

‘Haunting tunes and striking lyrics…yearningly pretty and bitter sweet’ The Independent ★★★★★

‘Beat poet adventurer strays beyond the boundaries of singer-songwriter’ MOJO ★★★★

‘Her songs are beautiful, poetic artefacts’ Sunday Times ★★★★