Utter:Jazz is a poetry reading-with-improvised music plus jazz and cabaret songs selected for their notable lyrics. Presented with spark and plenty of humour by jazz singer, songwriter & poet Ruthie Culver and her band of talented musicians.
Utter:Jazz is not a soundtrack for poetry, but something quite different. Sparking off the words as they hear them for the first time, the title or story gives life to sounds, rhythms and melodies, each player making split-second decisions based on what they hear from the text and each other. In turn, the speaker’s choice of tone, speed, silence, pitch and volume are influenced by the music, and thus text becomes a partner in the improvisation. Music and words develop a symbiotic exploration of texture, each opening up new avenues for the other’s expression and interpretation.
From the beautiful Rilke poems of Jo Shapcott to the witty teenage memories of Simon Armitage, the improvisation around each poem becomes a never-to-be repeated world premiere. The music vividly enhances the poetry – and vice versa – perhaps illuminating an intriguing corner, drawing comedy from a serious poem or adding a layer of intense seriousness to an ostensibly light piece. Sometimes the poem is dominant, other times the words inspire an extended piece of music with a life of its own: utterly jazz, utterly unpredictable.
“It makes free jazz impro into something ordinary
mortals like me can really enjoy!”
Audience member, Marlborough Festival, 2008
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Ruthie Culver – described as “an intriguing cross between Peggy Lee and Ute Lemper” – has performed at jazz clubs and festivals across the UK and as far afield as New Zealand and the USA. Her performances draw on European song as well as classical, pop and Latin-American music to explore unusual themes that stretch both the intellect and the emotions, and also incorporate Ruthie’s original songs setting poems by writers such as Fran Landesman or her own lyrics.
Jonny Gee – musical director & double bassist – has collaborated with many leading musicians including Ravi Shankar, Jacqui Dankworth and Antonio Forcione and toured with groups like ZUM and English Touring Opera, as well as with poet Jehane Markham.
