ABOUT

A regular performer on the UK jazz scene, Louise Dodds has performed at many of the UK’s top jazz festivals and venues, including opening for Norma Winstone MBE at the Scottish Jazz Weekend, and a headline slot at the London Jazz Festival at Pizza Express. Hailing from Edinburgh originally, she has enjoyed an international career, and her musicality and vocal ability has allowed her to call upon the UK’s top jazz musicians to accompany her.

In 2013 she released her album ‘Fly’, a mix of arrangements of jazz standards, self-penned vocaleses and her own original compositions, which was featured on multiple BBC Radio jazz shows alongside live telephone interviews with Louise.

She was honoured to be able to record with the incredible John Pearce, Dave Green, Steve Brown and Martin Shaw, and the success of the album allowed her to subsequently book a UK tour.

In 2014, Louise became one of only a handful of UK jazz artists to be awarded touring support from Jazz Services UK and the Arts Council England for the tour.

Louise was also semi-finalist at the International Jazz Vocalist competition in Lithuania in 2012

Jazz is her first love but Louise is also a published songwriter in other genres. 

She’s released numerous tracks in Europe, been sub-published by BMG in the US and UK and several of her songs have been bought by Universal Music. 

She also works as a session vocalist, recently lending her vocals to the hit 2019 PS4 game ‘Mutazione’.

After concentrating on songwriting and production for a few years, she returned to the stage and back to doing what she adores in 2018. 

In their words

“Supporting (Norma) Winstone’s trio was local vocalist Louise Dodds, with the ever excellent Steve Hamilton on piano. Hamilton said this was only their third show together, but in a short time they have developed a magical charm. They played standards such as Carmen McRae’s version of Monk’s Pannonica, as well as songs written by Dodds, with real flair.” London Jazz News

“Louise exudes the confidence of a vocalist who has put in the hard work...who loves her craft… who has carefully studied those who have gone before and has picked out elements of their jazz language and sculpted it into something that is very much her own. Her charm ensures a delivery that is sincere, and allows her musicality to reinforce her performance which is at all times genuine, demonstrating depth and warmth in spadefuls” Linley Hamilton, BBC Radio Ulster

“On track for success” Rob Adams, The Herald

“Louise Dodds is a Scottish jazz vocalist I’ve had my ear on for a while now. A genuine improvising jazz vocalist” Stephen Duffy, BBC Radio Scotland

“Impressed with her command of a lyric…Freddie Hubbard's waltz Up Jumped Spring, Until the Real Thing Comes Along (Dodds' voice a bebop horn) and Kenny Dorham's Poetic Spring suggested our vocalist was more than comfortable with the breadth of material in the set list… today's guest knows how to put together a winning set list!” Bebop Spoken Here

“She has been making a name for herself on the jazz scene and justifiably so on the evidence of the various performances on this particular CD” Paul Barnes, BBC Radio Norwich

 “Far and away the best vocalist of the evening” Edinburgh Evening News

“She always sings with heart, and a true feeling for jazz, with great phrasing in the groove. She knows what the lyrics are about, and above all she swings. It was a real pleasure to work with Louise in the recording studio” Steve Brown, drummer

“It was a pleasure to do the album with Louise. I really liked the way she worked with the trio. Her vocals were integrated and blended into the trio rather than being “singer accompanied by..” which gave the whole thing a really nice group feeling” Dave Green, double bass

‘her well-honed skill as a vocalist permits her to call on major names to accompany her, including on this album: John Pearce (piano), Dave Green (double bass), Steve Brown (drums) and Martin Shaw (trumpet and flugelhorn)’ Album review by Keith Ames, The Musician magazine

"You certainly have a flair with the standards!  And, I loved your originals as well" Mark Edwards, Smooth Jazz Fm

“A top class singer, her performance, delivery, audience communication and stage management are all flawless, and her shows always attract appreciative, listening audiences” Bill Kyle, The Jazz Bar

"LOVE IT!!!  So Joyous.  The first and last chorus with the original lyrics, and your improvisation mid way is really good." Anne Zindars, lyricist & wife of composer Earl Zindars on Louise's version of How My Heart Sings