Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan New Album Coming Soon!
Out on 14th June. This album honours the jazz great who inspired Zara on her own artistic journey and whose centenary year is marked in 2024.
Nicknamed ‘Sassy’ or the ‘Divine One’, Sarah Vaughan was revered not just for her incomparable vocal range, but for the depth, control, emotion and playfulness of her voice. A pioneering woman who brought bebop to vocal jazz, her contemporaries marvelled at Sarah Vaughan’s enviable musicianship and subsequent generations of jazz vocalists have been inspired by her.
The collection includes one original, the title track Sweet Whispers, a divine, short but touching hymn-like ballad swathed in cello, inspired by quotations from Sarah Vaughan uncovered by Zara on the creative journey. With a soft, beguiling voice, this is Zara’s sonic love letter to her inspirational jazz pioneer.
‘Sweet Whispers: Celebrating Sarah Vaughan’ was recorded analogue at Durham Studios, London. Giacomo assembled a stellar cast of musicians - Joe Webb on piano, Ferg Ireland on double bass, Jas Kayser on drums, Marlon Hibbert on Steel Pan and Gabriella Swallow on cello – to record 11 tracks live to tape; with minimal overdubs, the recording has retained a live, vintage feel.
Produced by Giacomo Smith.
Released on Eternal Source of Light
Disintegrated EP
Watch the award winning dance film.
This meditation of movement and sound, was commissioned by LA based experimental dance company Jacob Jonas The Company (JJTC) for Zara to compose, produce and perform the music for dance film DisInteGrated choreographed and directed by Wade Robson and Tony Testa. The score has been created from her voice only, manipulating the sound to mimic a range of instruments.
Released on Mama Done Music
Songs of An Unknown Tongue Album
Born out of an extended trip to Jamaica to research the early folk rhythms unique to the island. Zara’s new sound is the culmination of this research and weaves a subversion of the colonial legacy of slavery. Teaming up with London producers Kwake Bass and Wu-Lu to explore a meeting point between current electronic sounds and the traditional rhythms of Jamaica.
Released on Brownswood Recordings
Arise Album
An exploration of the meeting points between British Jazz sounds and the rhythms of Jamaica namely; Reggae, Kumina, and Nyabinghi. Produced by multi award-winning drummer Moses Boyd also of Caribbean descent, the collaboration has resulted in a very sophisticated, honest offering of socio- conscious lyrics and pulsating rhythm. The album, supported by funding from PRSF Women Make Music Fund, features a stellar line up of some of the key players on the London jazz scene; Moses Boyd [Drums], Binker Golding [Ten. Sax], Peter Edwards [Piano], Max Luther [D.Bass], Shirley Tetteh [Guitar], Nathaniel Cross [Trombone], Pete Eckford [percussion] and Shabaka Hutchings [Clarinet].
Released on Brownswood Recordings
If You Her Knew Album
The sophomore album, IF YOU KNEW HER, released on Brownswood Recordings in 2014, showcased a more ambitious body of work drawing from many influences; from the deep spiritual jazz reminiscent of the ‘spiritual jazz’ movement and of 70’s black America to soul, jazz, dub and reggae. It saw her blossom as a lyrically conscious songwriter and garnered further recognition winning 3 awards; a Best Jazz MOBO Award 2014, an Urban Music Award for Best Jazz Act 2015 and a Jazz FM Award for Vocalist of the Year in 2015.
Released on Brownswood Recordings
Until Tomorrow Album
The Debut Album
“Until Tomorrow is a delight ...filled with musical treasures, waiting to be discovered” - All About Jazz
“To my ears she seems exceptional....Brownswood are known for releasing cutting-edge material, but to me, releasing this wonderful CD...is their best statement yet” - Blues & Soul
“Zara McFarlane walks a fine line between jazz and the grown-up end of R&B...Delicate arrangements flutter and sparkle...McFarlane could not have asked for a cooler backdrop.” - Sunday Times
“What sets McFarlane apart from so much current jazz is her direct, intelligent songwriting” – Uncut (four stars).
Released on Brownswood Recordings