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2004: Jacqui Dankworth – “Detour Ahead”.
There was a little more pressure on this album to deliver. It marks my journey so far and there are some lovely tunes on it.
2003: Jacqui Dankworth – “As The Sun Shines Down On Me”
This was my first “solo” album. We literally got into Roy Dodd’s front room and kept putting songs down. These were meant to be demos but Candid liked them so much they became the album!
2002: The Passion (Jacqui Dankworth, Liane Carroll, Sara Colman) – “One Good Reason”
I love working with Liane and sara. They are both amazing musicians and dear friends. We’ve had great times on the road writing and singing and arranging music together. It’s a good experience too to be working just with gals for a change!!
2000: Field Of Blue (JD on Vocals) – “Still”
This was a strange time as the band was splitting up at this point but there are some lovely songs on this album.
2000: Jacqui Dankworth & James Pearson – “For All We Know”
My friend James and I had worked a lot together over the years so we decided to record a live album at the old Stables building. We set some poems to music on this CD so there’s an interesting mix of material.
2000: The Mick Foster Group (JD on Vocals) – “Changing Fortunes”
This was a wonderful group of talented Jazz musicians. Mick asked me to join the group to mainly do wordless vocals. It was my first and last attempt. It’s quite hard. I also wrote, however, a lyric to one of Mick’s tunes called “Where The Rain Falls”. I had just seen the film “IL Postino” so the lyrics are inspired by the final scene in that movie where the woman gets left alone after her man gets killed in the Spanish civil war.
1996: Jacqui Dankworth & New Perspectives – “Housman Settings”
I was asked by my friend John Williams (saxophone player!) to do a collaborative project with his group New Perspectives. It was the Housman centenary and as John lives in Shropshire it was an appropriate idea .Some fine composers were commissioned to set Housman poems (my father one of them!). Patrick Gowers set the poem Stupid Stuff which was incredibly hard to sing but a great challenge. It was an interesting project and some great music came out of it.
1996: Field Of Blue (JD on Vocals) – “Field Of Blue”
This was my first album with FOB. The name came from a song I wrote about walking in a flax field in Kent. It was the first time I had seen a blue field and it made quite an impression on me.
1994: Jacqui Dankworth & Anthony Kerr – “First Cry” Anthony had written music some years before I met him and I had the idea of writing lyrics to his original instrumental music describing a journey from birth to death and everything in between! Anthony also wrote some new music as I handed him more lyrics! This was my first album. SWEET CHARITY: John Yapp asked me to do this album. It amazes me when I listen to it now because I sound like a completely different person. It was a thrill to sing the score with such a great orchestra. If I were to do it again I would try to sound more like me though! Compositions and Guest appearances:
2003: Cliff Richard – “Cliff At Christmas” (as Lyricist) The Passion were asked to translate some Polish poems(not literally!) that had been set by Preisner. Sir Cliff liked one of them so much he put one on his Christmas album. What a gas to have your lyric sung by a rock icon!!!
2007: Cleo Laine & John Dankworth – “I Hear Music” (as Vocalist It’s always lovely to be asked by mum and dad to collaborate with them and this was no exception. We did some recordings in their front room and some at rod argent’s studio in Bedford
2007: Todd Gordon – “Ballads From The Midnight Hotel” (as Vocalist) Todd is a dear friend and a lovely man. It was lovely to be asked to sing with him on his album.
GERARD PRESCENSER: THE OPTIMIST I became friends with Gerard when he and his wife moved up for a while to Norfolk where I used to live. It was an honour to work with him as I consider him to be one of the great jazz musicians of our time. He has a direct phone line to the gods as far as I can hear!!
COURTNEY PINE: DEVOTION When I got a call from Courtney himself asking if I would sing on his next album I nearly fainted. I thought it was a hoax!!! It was quite a nerve wracking experience and I learned a Terrence Trent Derby song called Sign Your Name. Courtney sent me the backing tracks and I came in to his home studio for a couple of hours to put it down.
Jacqui On Film:
1985: “1919” (played “Alexander’s Sister” – opposite Paul Scofield, Colin Firth) This was my first professional acting job. I was “spotted” by a casting director whilst still at The Guildhall. It was a small but significant (I like to think!) part. I was Colin firth’s incestuous sister and I had to try to seduce him whilst hanging on to three supposedly ferocious Borzois dogs!!! Well, the dogs were completely soppy and the owner had to throw spam at them to get them more animated. Try seducing Colin Firth whilst negotiating three dogs and a tin of spam in Greenwich Park!!! Not easy. 1987: “The Bill (TV Series)” (Episode: “Missing, Presumed Dead”) My line was “Mr.Stobbs will see you now”……….I was a gangster’s moll. 1990: “1871” (played a “Street Singer” – opposite Timothy Spall, Roshan Seth) I was a revolutionary street singer. I remember the night I had to be shot by the police on camera, was the same day the students were massacred in Tiananmen Square in China. It was quite eerie…..and everyone on the set was spooked. It was great to work with Tim Spall and Roshan Seth. It was a good time all round.
2003: “Shoreditch” (as herself – opposite Joely Richardson, Shane Richie) I was a club singer and had to sing some Billy Holiday numbers. I also had to dance and sing a duet with Lance Ellington. He’s a nice man. I don’t think it was a good film but it was a good experience. Theatre: Eliza Doolittle, My Fair Lady, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham This was a gift. What a great part. It was a brilliant production and a great cast. RSC, I played Hero (Much Ado About Nothing) and Nerissa (The Merchant Of Venice) both opposite Fiona Shaw and Nigel Terry. This was an incredible time and a privilege to work with some great actors. West End: RSC “Les Liasonses Dangereuse.” I had a small part but understudied Sam Bond. I never got on. Dam. The National Theatre “Women Of Troy”. I was part of the Greek chorus and had to carry Jane Birkin down the stairs amongst other things. John Dexter’s Company Julius Caesar and Creon , Haymarket Theatre, Leicester. We toured India and visited 9 major cities. It was a life changing experience. John Dexter was a genius but we were all terrified of him. Even the very experienced actors!! WEST END: Into The Woods, The Phoenix Theatre It was a thrill to work with this company, Sondheim, Richard Jones (the director) and play such a great part as Cinderella. The cast was amazing. Imelda Staunton was my hero at the time and Julia McKenzie tried to help me find my dog that had gone missing. I never found him. Sophisticated Ladies: This was produced by Frank and Woji Gerro who produced les Liasonses Dangereuses. It was a review of all of Duke Ellington’s music including singers and dancers, tits and feathers et all and yes, I had to dance in fishnet tights a top hat and cane!!! It’s Better With A Band: The Donmar Warehouse This was a review of the lyrics of David Zippel. David was an unknown then forging his way in the business. He then went on to win a Tony award for best lyrics in City Of Angels and Oscar nomination for the Disney film Herculese. Stevie Wonder has sung his song amongst others too. Amazing. He has a brilliant mind. |
