Nishla Smith voice, songs with Aaron Wood trumpet, Richard Jones piano, Joshua Cavanagh-Brierley bass, Johnny Hunter drums
Nishla is a singer and songwriter who defies easy categorisation: her live sets include a breathtaking variety of material, from celebrated originals to dark jazz standards and devastating ballads. Her often dreamy and melancholic aura is offset by an energetic and imaginative band of fine young contemporary improvisers.
Formed out of a residency at Sage Gateshead, the Nishla Smith Quintet have recently performed at the Manchester and Lancaster Jazz Festivals, NQ Jazz, and Ronnie Scott’s, and are currently part of Jazz North’s Northern Line artist roster.
Outside of her work with the quintet, Nishla is a prolific composer and collaborator. She’s made work for Opera North, Lancaster Jazz Festival and Manchester Collective, and is currently working on new music for East Neuk Festival and Manchester Jazz Festival.
She appeared at Seven Arts along with Leeds saxophonist Emma Johnson in 2019.
‘Classic songwriting worthy of the Great American Songbook, suffused with a skewed, haunted quality’ Opera North
Her new album ‘Friends with Monsters’, is on Whirlwind records on Nov 5th 2021.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7qmP1l1rtk
Nishla Smith Quintet Sun 14 Nov 1.30pm @Seven Arts £10/8/5 Tix here https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/jazzleeds
