”She possesses all the skills of a great composer and performer. She is blessed with a magnificent voice, a sound grasp of harmony and sophisticated rhythmic sense.”
Brisbane-based singer-songwriter Lauren Lucille is a fresh talent in the field of jazz music. For Lauren, music has been a lifelong passion, and it is all set to come to fruition with the release of her debut and all original album in July 2012.
Lauren Lucille – Biography
Born in Toowoomba, Lauren was surrounded by music from an early age. Her original musical inspiration came from her parents, in particular the musical family of her mother, renowned jazz vocalist Sharny Russell. She could often be found at her mother’s gigs, learning how to swing before she even knew what swing was. Over the last 10 years, artists such as Jane Monheit, Kurt Elling, Tierny Sutton, Gian Slater, Sara Serpa and Ani Difranco have all had a large influence on the way Lauren writes and performs music.
Lauren’s songwriting started at the age of ten, and through her teens, Lauren was writing folk and pop songs on guitar and piano. She is now acknowledged by her peers as a great composer and performer and was a finalist in the 2012 QMusic Awards for one of her jazz compositions. James Morrison the great trumpet player added one of Lauren’s compositions to his ‘best of jazz’ list for QANTAS international and national in-flight entertainment! In February 2013, Lauren was added to the short list of 200 out of 1500 applicants for the APRA Professional Development Awards. Winners are announced at the end of March.
Lauren has been performing professionally in and around Brisbane since 2006, with a few national gigs in Melbourne and Sydney. She is blessed with a magnificent voice, a sound grasp of harmony and sophisticated rhythmic sense. Her desire is to travel and sing and ‘to make people feel something’ with her music. She has performed in the Melbourne International Women’s Jazz Festival, Noosa Jazz Festival, Valley Jazz Festival (Brisbane) and Yeppoon Village Festival.
Lauren launched her 2012 released album ‘Hidden Here’ to a sold out theatre (200 people) at the Powerhouse in July 2012, and had an encore launch to which 100 people attended. This album has been received well by the general public and also radio stations across Australia including ABC! She is wanting to take this album to festivals and venues across Australia and eventually internationally. In March 2013, Lauren plays a concert at the Paris Cat in Melbourne with the great Steve Sedergreen.
Not only does Lauren wish to travel the world as a musician, she wants to help others achieve those dreams too. Lauren is a singing teacher in Brisbane, QLD. She teaches to anyone of any age, with varying levels of experience. She teaches how to find and maintain a healthy, strong voice through the improvement of vocal technique. She also works with students to improve basic piano, guitar, theory and songwriting skills.
She loves her job; loves singing; loves exploring her own voice and working with other brilliant musicians; but most of all, loves making people feel. Lauren Lucille’s debut album is sure to show it to the world.
-Wilson Smith
“This gal has chops!!” Janice Slater – Singer.
‘“Very few singers twice her age or more really get the importance of the understatement she uses so naturally. She seems to be the result of a very favourable combo of nature & nurture for sure.” – Kim Chandler – One of UK’s top Vocal Coaches
“If you have to ask what Jazz is, you’ll never know”-Louis Armstrong.
There are jazz artists & then there are JAZZ ARTISTS! Unlike other commercial genres, it’s not merely the delivery & performance that determines the quality & standard.
Jazz is so much more! It’s the complexities in rhythm, it’s great diversity in daring, cheeky, high levels of energy through to the somber, soothing & ever sincere lyrics & melody lines. The music itself can vary from extremely complex & intricate, down to very simple but yet ever so effective.
It’s a style that can encompass any emotion & mood and appeals to all ages.
Jazz is no new discovery, but like a fine wine, it’s withstood the tests of time and keeps getting better. This being the case & as time goes by, would you say that there is a need for it to be reinvented? Absolutely! And it is reinvented every time it’s played.
It’s the distinguishing factor of improvisation that makes each performance unique.
Let me now introduce to you one of the finest jazz talents in our sunny state of Queensland.
It was surprisingly at a local hotel that I first saw this remarkable young lady perform. I had embarked on a night out with a few friends and as we entered the venue I was very much surprised to hear a 3 piece jazz ensemble fronted by ‘Ms Lauren Lucille.’ Vastly differing from the usual pop rock gigs typical of a local hotel, Lauren’s performance had me captivated. It was from this night on I was inspired to revisit the world of jazz.
Immediately the main aspects that stood out about Lauren was her wonderful vocal quality, clear & silky, pitch perfect at every turn. But wait, there’s so much more. She put her own ‘funky’ kind of bounce & energy into every song. Revving them up at just the right point & then driving them home every time. Immediately her professional delivery and ability were apparent & I guess we could expect nothing less from the daughter of Sharny Russell, arguably one of Australia’s best improvisational jazz artists!
If that’s not enough to get your attention, then a little further digging would reveal her family’s well established jazz routes and background.
So with that much talent pumping through those veins it should come as no surprise that Lauren is continually taking her jazz to newer, greater levels with every performance.
As Noosa Jazz Festival (one of Queensland’s most highly revered) draws closer, Lauren is preparing for a great weekend packed with lively, heartfelt performance which I for one wouldn’t miss for the world!
Definitely a name to look out for, Lauren Lucille is set to take on the world & any other planet she is permitted to Scat on!
So without further ado, if it’s the finest quality Aussie jazz you’re after, here are all the details you’ll need to make contact, support & follow this exceptional young woman!
Randy G – PowerMouth Entertainment
