LONDON: Jazz Verse Jukebox

Sunday, 7th August, 2011, doors 6.30pm, show 8pm
, £10-£22.50

Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club ,
47 Frith Street,

London

W1D 4HT
Book Online: www.ronniescotts.co.uk
Tel Reservations: 020 7439 0747

Tube: Tottenham Court Road
 or Leicester Square
Web:www.ronniescotts.co.uk

It’s a Jazz Poetry Party!

The JAZZ VERSE JUKEBOX goes downstairs to the main space at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club for a one -off special performance poetry event as part of the Brit Jazz Festival 2011.
Join us for what promises to be an extraordinary night with appearances from some of the leading lights on the UK spoken word scene.
Special guests include: Soweto Kinch, Charlie Dark, Carrie Grant, Mr Gee, Zena Edwards, Hollie McNish, Sh’Maya.

Compered by & with music from Jumoké Fashola
 (www.jumokefashola.com)

A rare spoken word & music appearance from rapping sax prodigy Soweto Kinch who has amassed an impressive list of accolades and awards on both sides of the Atlantic - including a Mercury Music Prize nomination, two UMA Awards and a MOBO for best Jazz Act in 2003. In October 2007, he won his second MOBO Award in the Best Jazz Act category- fending off stiff competition from the likes of Wynton Marsalis.  Most recently he was a mentor on Goldies Band - By Royal Appointment (BBC1 TV) the prime time reality music show, which followed Goldie, Soweto et al as they discovered and coached 12 vulnerable young mentees towards their first live performance before HM Prince Harry at Buckingham Palace. His current album, The New Emancipation explores a variety of different musical styles, from jazz to hip hop via neo-soul with vocal sketches based on Soweto’s recent studies on slavery. It’s been described as ‘sheer brilliance for a new century’.

Charlie Dark is a one of the most influential  spoken Word artist in the UK & a dynamic part of the United Kingdom’s poetry and performance scene as a writer, producer and DJ known for flamboyant gestures and vocal gymnastics.He is globally recognized as an important musical visionary through his eclectic Dj sets, production and remix work. As one third of the hip hop-inspired trio Attica Blues, he toured around the globe (both independently and with the band) to points as far dispersed as Tokyo, New York and Berlin. He makes regular appearances on the literature and spoken word circuit, is an experienced tutor and workshop facilitator, and was a Poet Coach for the London Teenage Poetry Slam for three years running. Charlie founded Blacktronica, a loose collective of poets, painters, musicians, film makers and other creative types which pushes, explores and unifies the innovative sounds of the black electronic music scene in the UK with its global cousins. Blacktronica holds regular gatherings at venues around the world alongside a hugely successful four-year residency at the Institute for Contemporary Arts in London.

www.myspace.com/charliedark

Mr Gee is the host of BBC Radio 4's "Rhyme & Reason" and "Bespoken Word",

From humble beginnings as a Hip-Hop DJ, Mister Gee honed his spoken word skills as the host of the renowned performance poetry club Brix-tongue and is now one of the stars of the UK poetry scene. He has performed at the New York Nuyorican Poets Café and the Black Lily night in Philadelphia (home to Jill Scott and the Roots), as well as at the Edinburgh Festival. He runs workshops in schools and his album Poetry in the Key of Gee was released to critical acclaim.
Mister Gee is a co-winner of a Sony Gold Award for Radio as the resident poet on the Russell Brand Show on BBC Radio 2, and was  the resident poet of the hit West-End musical Into The Hoods.
http://www.myspace.com/djmrgee

Zena Edwards is a London-based performance poet, writer and musician. Her vibrant poetry is inspired by her experiences of travel, particularly through Africa, as well as traditional African music and song. She often accompanies her work with mbira, kalimba and marimba (thumb pianos). She has performed for Jonzi D’s Aeroplane Man (percussion and vocals), BBC Radio 4’s Poetry Please, BBC Radio 3, London Live Radio. She wrote and performed her one-person show Security, touring across the UK and internationally. Zena has performed at WOMAD, The London Jazz Festival, Poetry International at the Royal Festival Hall, The URB Hip Hop Festival (Helsinki), Glastonbury as well as many others.

Sh'maya plugs the depths. His spoken word explores rhythm and jazz, the spiritual, the city, vibe vibe vibe and the great beyond. He performs lyrical pieces, tells stories, asks questions in beats and visions. A regular on the London poetry circuit, Sh'maya brings his inimitable style to the stage; one of passion and sucker-punch-to-the-gut yesses. Sh'maya is based in Brixton town and is also known for having a great beard. Yes.
www.myspace.com/shmayapoetics