LADYBLUE FUNCTION BAND (4-7 piece combining jazz/swing/latin with soul/Motown)
LADYBLUE DANCE BAND (4-7 piece providing strict tempo music for Ballroom & Latin American Dancing)
SHADES OF BLUE (vocal/guitar duo playing jazz/latin and bluesy/jazzy covers of pop/soul classics)
SOUNDS OF SWING ORCHESTRA (14-17 piece swing big band)
KERRY (solo vocalist covering soul/pop/rock/country/swing/disco from the last 7 decades)
Influences
Ella Fitzgerald - Frank Sinatra - Nina Simone - Peggy Lee
Eva Cassidy - Nora Jones - Astrud Gilberto
Aretha Franklin - Stevie Wonder - Marvin Gaye - The Blues Brothers - The Commitments - Duffy - Amy Winehouse - Ike & Tina Turner - Ray Charles - Martha Reeves - The Supremes
The Beatles - The Police - Abba - Sister Sledge - Dusty Springfield - Queen - Kylie - Eurythmics - Etta James -
and many, many more...
Sounds Like
From sophisticated jazz & swing through to exuberant Motown soul for dancing the night away - Ladyblue Music has the band for you!
Welcome to the Corporate Events, Weddings & Functions myspace for these six wonderful acts.
We would love to be part of your special occasion!
* PLEASE NOTE *
ANY OF THESE BANDS CAN BE BOOKED IN COMBINATION WITH EACH OTHER
TO CATER FOR ALL YOUR ENTERTAINMENT NEEDS IN ONE HANDY PACKAGE!
LADYBLUE MUSIC is the umbrella for the various bands/acts of versatile and accomplished professional vocalist Kerry Hodgkin.
ACTS
LADYBLUE Jazz—Swing—Latin
Contemporary jazz combos for all occasions featuring accomplished vocalist Kerry Hodgkin
Ladyblue is a band of highly professional, experienced musicians ranging in size from duo to sextet. Ladyblue is ideal for weddings, civil partnerships, parties, corporate functions, hotels, restaurants, etc.
Repertoire includes songs made famous by: Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Norah Jones, Nat King Cole, Astrud Gilberto, Frank Sinatra, Bill Withers, Eva Cassidy, Van Morrison, Nina Simone, Peggy Lee, & many more...
Band size to suit your venue and budget!
LADYBLUE FUNCTION BAND
& LADYBLUE DANCE BAND
An extremely versatile and professional band featuring a highly accomplished, soulful female vocalist and ranging in size from Trio to Septet. This experienced band is ideal for weddings, civil partnerships, parties, corporate events, etc. as they can range from refined jazz to exuberant dance/soul to accommodate most tastes and requirements.
As the LADYBLUE DANCE BAND this outfit is also equipped to play strict tempo for Ballroom and Latin American dancing - Foxtrot, Waltz, Quickstep, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Cha Cha Cha, Samba, Jive, Salsa, Rumba - as seen on the likes of Come Dancing, Strictly Come Dancing and the film that inspired it, Strictly Ballroom.
Repertoire includes songs made famous by: Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Dusty Springfield, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Norah Jones, Eva Cassidy, Ike & Tina Turner, Martha Reeves, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Astrud Gilberto, George Benson, Little Eva, Otis Redding, Spencer Davis Group, Wilson Pickett, Abba, Van Morrison, La Belle, The Supremes, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin, Smokie Robinson & many more…
For all your party music needs!
SOUL POSSESSION Bringing you the Legends of Motown & Atlantic
PACKAGES TO SUIT YOUR BUDGET!
7-9 piece band including:
Female Lead Vocalist - Male Lead Vocalist with Guitar
Bass Guitar - Keyboards - Drums - Sax - Trumpet
(+ optional extra Sax &/or Female Backing Vocalist)
Repertoire includes songs made famous by: Aretha Franklin, Blues Brothers, Eddie Floyd, Ike & Tina Turner, Martha Reeves, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, The Commitments, Wilson Picket, & many more...
Let us bring the life and soul to your party!
SHADES OF BLUE
Two outstanding performers in their own right - jazz and soul vocalist Kerry Hodgkin and guitar vocalist Geoff J Tooley - join forces to create this eclectic duo. Playing jazz/Latin and bluesy/jazzy covers of soul/pop classics. Ideal for restaurants, hotels, bars, weddings, civil partnerships, parties, corporate events, etc.
Repertoire includes songs made famous by: Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Nat King Cole, Bill Withers, Marvin Gaye, Gabrielle, Nina Simone, Eva Cassidy, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Astrud Gilberto, George Benson, Otis Redding, Van Morrison, The Supremes, Peggy Lee, Aretha Franklin, Smokie Robinson, Eurythmics & many more…
Soul, Jazz & Blues perfectly combined!
SOUNDS OF SWING ORCHESTRA
Formed in 1977, this exciting Swing Orchestra, features the very best professional musicians and singers, performing the live music of the Big Band era. Since 2006, the band has featured highly accomplished jazz vocalist Kerry Hodgkin.
We like to give the option of booking the band in two sizes:
Repertoire includes numbers made famous by: Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Doris Day, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Glen Miller, Natalie Cole, Peggy Lee, Tommy Dorsey, & many more...
Experience the excitement that only
a live big band can provide!
KERRY
Solo, self-contained vocalist Kerry can perform in cabaret spots, or provide the entertainment for your entire evening. An extremely wide vocal and stylistic range makes Kerry that great rarity - a truly versatile vocalist. Working with quality backing tracks to produce a full band sound at a fraction of the cost and venue space a full band requires, Kerry is ideal for pubs, social clubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, weddings, civil partnerships, parties, corporate events, etc.
Repertoire includes songs made famous by: Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Kylie, Sister Sledge, Dusty Springfield, Queen, Anastacia, Pink, Ike & Tina Turner, Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, Gabrielle, The Bangles, Oleta Adams, Whitney Houston, Nina Simone, Eva Cassidy, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Gladys Knight, Girls Aloud, Fleetwood Mac, Sam Brown, The Supremes, Peggy Lee, Smokie Robinson, Eurythmics, Fairground Attraction, Gloria Gaynor, Martha Reeves, Cyndy Lauper, Des'ree, Brand New Heavies, Joan Jet, Patsy Cline, The Carpenters, Shania Twain, Macy Gray, The Real Thing, Lulu, Alison Moyet, Cher, Jackie Wilson & many more…
True Versatility!
VIDEO DEMOS Ladyblue Jazz Duo
"MY FUNNY VALENTINE"
"STRAIGHTEN UP & FLY RIGHT"
"KILLING ME SOFTLY"
"FINE & MELLOW"
"FRIM FRAM SAUCE"
KERRY HODGKIN
BIOGRAPHY
Kerry comes from a musical family and has been singing professionally since the age of 15. She trained as an actress at the Birmingham School of Speech & Drama and has also worked professionally as an actress.
Kerry has performed in most musical genres over the years, including rock, with the band Ground Zero (1996-98), soul/pop with The Babe Shades (1996-97), original dance music with Darwin (1996), various styles including soul and jazz with the four part all-female a capella group The Spirellas (1994-96) and as a session vocalist for comedian and Rock & Roll Poet Paul B Edwards (1996).
In 1997 Kerry established a Prince's Trust funded business - Ladyblue - providing musical entertainment in varying styles.
Brought up with classical, pop, blues and soul music, it wasn't until her late teens/early twenties that Kerry really discovered jazz. Since 1998 Kerry has been leading various sizes of jazz group, from duo to quintet, but in about 2000 Kerry's real obsession with all things jazz, both vocal and instrumental, really kicked in. Since then she has begun to appear at some key jazz venues, including Pizza on the Park, various Pizza Express restaurants, Stratford Jazz Society, Swindon Jazz Society, Colchester Arts Centre, The Bull's Head in Barnes, The Spice of Life in Soho, Peterborough Jazz Club and the National Theatre Foyer. Her debut CD "...and everything" was released on 33 Records in February 2002, receiving airplay on Jazz FM, BBC Southern Counties Radio and a very favourable review in JazzReview Magazine.
* CLICK HERE TO BUY KERRY'S CD *
by credit card from:
Kerry completed her first UK tour in Feb/March 2003, with The Kerry Hodgkin Quintet:
Kerry Hodgkin - vocals
Alan Barnes - sax/clarinet
Robin Aspland - piano
Simon Thorpe/Jeremy Brown - bass
Clark Tracey - drums
Kerry's new jazz album, Table In The Corner was recorded at the end of 2008 and is due for release in Autumn 2009. The album features the following incredible and award winning musicians:
Kerry Hodgkin - vocals
Janette Mason - piano/hammond/fender rhodes/moog
Nick Pugh - bass
Mark Fletcher - drums
Alan Barnes - sax/clarinet
Andy Davies - trumpet/flugel
Ian Shaw - piano
Kerry Hodgkin & Washina Gospel Choir - backing vocals
Produced by Ian Shaw
For more information please visit Kerry's jazz myspace:
Kerry also teaches vocal technique at the prestigious Bedford Modern School - renowned for its excellent performing arts department. Here she established and leads a Senior School a capella group called Mozzarella and co-leads the Junior School Chamber Choir.
