Peter Jones is an experienced and versatile jazz singer who has played all over London and the southeast with some of the UK’s finest musicians. His two albums have received rave reviews…
What they say about UTOPIA
‘A fine collection of swinging jazz with great solos, some nice surprises and a superb sound’ – Mark McKergow, London Jazz News
‘Jones channels Mark Murphy to impressive effect’ – Peter Quinn, Jazzwise
‘I listened to the CD – knocked out…. This is crooning for today’ – Lance Liddle, BeBop Spoken Here
‘Impressions is killer!!!’ – Gilles Peterson
‘A wonderfully atmospheric version of Chinatown – brilliant stuff’ – Sarah Ward, Jazz FM
Peter Jones’s second album Utopia was released in February 2016, featuring Nigel Price on guitar and Henry Lowther on trumpet, with Neil Angilley (piano), Misha Mullov-Abbado (double bass) and Davide Giovannini (drums). Tracks have been played on Jazz FM’s flagship Dinner Jazz show, as well as Soulpower Radio, Radio X (Frankfurt), Meridian FM, Croydon Radio and Marlow FM.
Ever since the release of One Way Ticket to Palookaville, in 2013, also featuring Neil and Davide, plus Vasilis Xenopoulos (saxophone and flute) and Geoff Gascoyne (bass), Peter has been building a reputation as a jazz singer. ‘Great arrangements… a killer band. This debut album has lots to recommend it,’ reported Jazzwise magazine. The album received radio play from Croydon Radio, Kane FM and Ridge Radio.
Influenced by the great Mark Murphy, Peter’s mature baritone voice may also remind you of Kurt Elling, Georgie Fame or José James (some have even mentioned Matt Munro). A talented lyricist, he has added words to some jazz classics that didn’t previously have any. With a large and growing repertoire of tunes, he has performed at prestigious venues like The Pheasantry, Toulouse Lautrec, The Bull’s Head, Mill Hill Jazz Club, Twickenham Jazz Club, Leamington Jazz Club, The Langham Hotel, The Spice of Life, Oliver’s in Greenwich and Rincon in Richmond, plus guest spots at Ronnie Scott’s and the 606 Club.
Recent projects have included tributes to both Frank Sinatra and Mark Murphy. The Sinatra show was put together on the occasion of the legendary crooner’s 100th birthday, and features some of his best-loved songs, from Come Fly With Me and Old Devil Moon to the haunting It Was A Very Good Year.
Murphy has been a major influence on many contemporary jazz singers, particularly Kurt Elling. This show features tunes through which he extended the jazz singing repertoire, with the voice used more like an instrument, from the mournful ballad Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most, to his classic rendition of Stolen Moments, to reinterpretations of post-bop tunes like Red Clay and Maiden Voyage, all the way through to Donald Fagen’s Maxine.
Since the end of 2014 Peter has been contributing reviews and articles to London Jazz News. He is also currently writing a book about Mark Murphy for Equinox Publishing.
Check out all of Peter’s forthcoming gigs here.
Here’s a radio interview with Peter from August 2015 (item starts at 17:52 – just hit play and click along the bar):
Interview (April 2015) with Peter in London Jazz News here.
42 seconds of jazz –