Sunderland’s new live entertainment venue, The Fire Station is set to host a special celebration of the life and music of Amy Winehouse, with some of the country’s most talented young jazz musicians joining forces for an unmissable showcase of the legendary singer’s music.
Amy Winehouse is undoubtedly one of the greatest musical talents to come out of the UK, with her unmistakable character, vocal dexterity and masterful songwriting making her a pop icon.
The National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO) will head to The Fire Station on Thursday 10th February to perform a selection of arrangements from the singer’s iconic discography along with a number of her favourite tunes that she once performed as the featured female vocalist for NYJO over twenty years ago.
Winehouse’s tragic passing in 2011 makes her one of the most sorely missed artists in recent memory. Now, ten years on, her music still shines, undiminished, in all its defiant brilliance.
The concert, which is currently touring the UK, celebrates Amy’s enduring legacy, reimagining her greatest hits and revisiting early works which she sang with the 24-piece National Youth Jazz Orchestra as a promising 16-year-old singer.
Taking on the formidable role of Amy Winehouse is one of the UK’s brightest young jazz vocalists, Lucy-Anne Daniels who, like Amy, became the lead vocalist for NYJO at the age of 16. Since then, she has performed at various venues and festivals across the country and began studying jazz voice at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2020.
Arrangements are provided by the award-winning composer, saxophonist, and improviser Olivia Murphy whose works have been performed by various high-profile jazz ensembles since graduating from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire last year.
Mark Armstrong, Artistic and Music Director, NYJO and Jazz Professor, Royal College of Music, said: “It has been really exciting to tour a programme that celebrates the work of one of the UK’s most iconic pop icons. Visiting venues around the country and meeting local audiences is such an important part of being a performing musician - we’re really looking forward to playing for you in Sunderland!
“Hearing this music in a big band setting really enhances its power and emotion with all the energy and colour this format is capable of: you can expect to hear a variety of Amy’s best loved hits, from Rehab to Valerie.
“It’s great to spotlight the talents of our vocalist Lucy Ann Daniels and arranger/MD Olivia Murphy who have contributed so much to this project. Both are incredibly talented young musicians who it would be great to catch at this point in their careers. It’s a fun night out and like all performers we are so pleased to be able to get back out and play live again so it would be fantastic to have your support - hope we’ll see you there at The Fire Station!”
The band will be conducted by one of the UK’s most in-demand brass instrumentalists, Winston Rollins. His credits as a writer, arranger, trombonist and producer reads like a who's who of pop iconoclasts. Over his successful career, Rollins has worked with the likes of James Brown, Kylie Minogue, Ray Charles, Paloma Faith, Chaka Khan, Jamiroquai, Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Cee Lo Green and Amy Winehouse herself with whom he worked on her 2003 debut album, Frank.
NYJO says it aims to honour Amy’s life and her work, with a performance that fans of big band jazz and Amy obsessives will both love.
Speaking ahead of the show, The Fire Station Venue Director, Tamsin Austin, said: “We are very excited to host National Youth Jazz Orchestra for what promises to be a poignant and celebratory concert of one of music’s most enduring and influential icons, Amy Winehouse.
“We are also excited to hear the warmth and resonance of a full big band in the auditorium for the first time!
The Fire Station opened late last year with an ambitious season of live music, dance, comedy and theatre lined up for the next six months. NYJO’s tribute to Amy Winehouse will join a host of other national and international artists on the venue’s opening programme, Firestarters.
Firestarters is commissioned by Sunderland Music Arts and Culture Trust and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Tickets for ‘Amy Winehouse – A Celebration of Her Life and Music with The National Youth Jazz Orchestra’ are on sale now and priced from £16.50 for adults, and from £5.50 for under 18's, subject to the normal booking fees.
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