Twice BBC Jazz Award winner Ian Shaw met the powerful singer and songwriter, Sarah Jane Morris in the late 80s, just after her massive success as Jimmy Somerville’s vocal sparring partner.

Shaw, who has amassed fifteen albums and worked with Quincy Jones, Jamie Cullum, Charlotte Church and big bands and orchestras all over the world, and Morris form a unique and affecting onstage double act, singing a glittering cross section from Tom Waits, through Lou Reed and Otis Redding to their own compositions.

Shaw has an onstage history of working with other vocalists. The jazz repertoire is a broad church and, pared down to just the two voices with piano as the sole accompaniment, the true art of storytelling and improvisation is at its most exciting in this intimate concert setting. Both Morris and Shaw have an immense need to involve the audience at all times (Shaw cut his teeth on the alternative comedy circuit, Morris was the singer with The Happy End and The Republic, two extraordinarily powerful bands that thrived in the live environment).

Recently, this soulful pairing has been touring Italy (where Sarah Jane Morris is a household name) from one hundred seater jazz clubs to the larger open-air festivals. Both are regular headline acts at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s club in London’s Soho. Ian also presents The International Ronnie Scott’s Radio Show for Jazz FM91, on which Sarah Jane was a hugely entertaining recent special guest. Ian’s first interview was the iconiclastic song stylist and rock star, Van Morrison.

Tonight promises to be a musical highlight so why not treat your ears to the “leather lunged” (Time Out) and “remarkable depth and sonority” (The Guardian) of Sarah Jane Morris, in a fascinating, deeply honest duo setting with “our fave jazz singer”, Ian Shaw.

 ‘Morris and Shaw weave new colours into a musical and vocal history of popular song’  The Guardian