Results for "Wendy Kirkland"

Musician

Wendy Kirkland

Born: April 17

Wendy’s musical career began at age 10, when she started taking piano lessons. She won a scholarship to have all her lessons paid for by Derbyshire Music, and continued to take her ABRSM piano grades.

Switching to jazz in her late teens, Wendy continued her playing career as a dance class pianist, accompanist to singers and as a keyboardist in club bands.

After being persuaded to sing by a great friend and guitarist, Bill McCreath, Wendy learned to reach people who are perhaps turned off by instrumental jazz, as she learnt to communicate with the audience through the songs. Wendy’s voice has been likened to Blossom Dearie with hints of Diana Krall.

Her influences range from Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald through Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly to Chick Corea, Eliane Elias and Michel Petrucciani.

Current projects include Piano Divas, a tribute to the female pianist singers of jazz; hammond organ jazz outfit Organik Fource featuring Pat Sprakes on guitar and guest saxophonist; Organik Trio Goes To The Movies and The Organik Cookbook celebrating the early soul-jazz albums of George Benson.

Wendy is married to jazz guitarist and bass player Pat Sprakes

Article: Radio

Celebrate Women's History Month With Birthday Celebrations for Flora Purim, Carol Sloane, Carole Bayer Sager And More

by Mary Foster Conklin
March 15, 2021

March is Women's History Month and A Broad Spectrum begins another year on the air with the best of women-driven jazz music, past and present. This broadcast features new releases from vocalist Frances Coché, pianist Lara Downes and a single from trombonist Aubrey Logan plus birthday shoutouts to pianist Tomoko Ohno, vocalists Carol Sloane, Flora Purim, ...

Article: Radio

These Leos Are Jazz Lions

by Mary Foster Conklin
September 14, 2019

Some heavyweight birthdays in this mid-August broadcast, which included new releases from saxophonist Ben Flocks, songwriter Mark Winkler and guitarist Paul Silbergleit with celebratory shout outs to songwriter Bernice Petkere, Benny Carter and organist Trudy Pitts in the first hour, Roberta Piket, Jeri Southern, Howard Johnson and Regina Carter in the second hour, Abbey Lincoln in ...

Article: Radio

Love Song for August

by Mary Foster Conklin
August 31, 2019

The first broadcast in August included new releases from Veronica Swift, John Storie, Wendy Kirkland, Gretje Angell, Sara Gazarek and Wayne Wallace and Moy Eng, with birthday shout outs to Louis Armstrong, Tony Bennett, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, pianists Diane Moser and Josh Nelson, plus vocalists Kat Edmonson, KJ Denhart, Kevin Mahogany, Baby Jane Dexter, and ...

Article: Jazz Journal

Winter 2018

by Doug Collette
February 26, 2018

Jazz Journal is a regular column consisting of pithy takes on recent jazz releases of note as well as spotlights on those titles in the genre that might otherwise go unnoticed under the cultural radar. Mark Wade Trio Moving Day Self-Produced 2018 Often ghostly in its ambiance, the ...

Album

Piano Divas

By Wendy Kirkland

Label: Blue Quaver
Released: 2017
Track listing: Come Dance With Me - Bahia - Slow Boat To China - Some Other Time - Hey Good Lookin - It's Not Unusual - Be Nice - Samba Chica - Don't Worry Be Happy - Cheek To Cheek - My Baby Just Cares For Me - Meet Me Midnight -