LONDON: Jazz Verse Jukebox

Sunday, February 13th, 2011, doors open 6.30pm, show from 8pm, £7 (only on the door)
Upstairs @ Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club (Aka Ronnie's Bar),
47 Frith Street, London W1D 4HT
Tube: Tottenham Court Road
Web :www.jumokefashola.com
Email: JazzVerseJukebox@me.com

Join us for a pre-Valentine show featuring spoken word from Musa Okwonga; Yomi 'G.R.E.E.Ds Sode; Somayé; with music from Michelle Escoffery plus open mic for poets/singers.

February's line up is SERIOUS! If you enjoy spoken word and jazz tinged with a touch of politics and even football (!) don't miss this. Plus it's the night before Valentine’s Day so come and join in whether you are loved up or on your lonesome. You could even serenade or recite to your loved one if you get picked for our Jukebox Open Mic! Compered by and with music from Jumoké Fashola.

Featuring…

Musa Okwonga is an acclaimed poet, football writer, musician of Ugandan descent.  A scholarship student at Eton College, he won the WH Smith Young Writers Competition, the leading national creative writing contest, at the age of 16; he went on to study law at St.John's College, Oxford,  qualifying as a solicitor, then leaving to pursue a career as a performance poet and author. A front man of fast-rising band Benin City (Outkast meets James Brown), he has performed live on BBC Radios One and Three, has recited his poetry at the EU Energy Summit before all of Europe's environment and energy ministers, and has appeared at several festivals, including Latitude. He is part of poetry collective A Poem in between People (PIP) In 2008 his first football book, A Cultured Left Foot, was nominated for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award; his second book, Will You Manage?, was published by Serpent's Tail in August 2010.
http://www.myspace.com/ofmooseandmen

Yomi 'G.R.E.Ed.S' Sode is a Spoken Word aficionado who seamlessly fuses music to his poignant, introspective rhymes. His debut album, 'Volume In Silence', explores his poetic journey via internal fantasies and external realities. This multi-talented writer, MC, Poet and Storyteller goes by the alias G.R.E.Ed.S (Generating Rhymes to Engage the EnlighteneD Soul.) and believes his purpose in life is to ‘bring a new sound, feel and texture to performance poetry’. G.R.E.E.D.S is unafraid to merge the boundaries between musical genres, whilst firmly remaining true to his chosen artistic form, spoken word.
http://www.iamgreeds.com

Somaye is an innovator in Jazz Persian fusion and a poet with a conscience. She has an emotive singing voice that has moved audiences to tears and has been compared to the great Billie Holiday.
As a skilled tombak (Persian goblet drum) player Somaye can be seen performing with various Persian groups around London as well as a soloist.
"Prepare to have your socks knocked off!" Simon Behrman, music writer, on Strange Fruit
http://www.myspace.com/somaye

With music from singer/songwriter #Michelle Escoffery began her singing career with her three sisters as 'The Escofferys' and spent school holidays touring churches across Europe and the UK until they were signed by American label Atlantic. In 1993, Michelle was headhunted to join R&B girl group Truce. Her writing for the group attracted industry attention and she began writing for other artists including Hinda Hicks, Damage, Fierce and she enjoyed huge success with The Artful Dodger album 'It's All About The Stragglers'.
Subsequently she decided to devote herself to her songwriting and vocal production winning an IVOR NOVELLO award in 2002
As a  songwriter, she has written for All Saints, Tina Turner and Beverly Knight and once sang with Stevie Wonder. She is the founder of the Kindred Spirits Collective.
http://www.myspace.com/michelleescoffery

PLUS Jukebox Open Mic:
Come & sing with our amazing house band or perform some poetry.