Jazz vocalist and poet Lou Beckerman, pianist Joss Peach and multi-talented friends are coming together once again for Raise the Roof 2 in the beautiful setting of Danny House for an important fundraiser. It’s a South Downs Welcome Project event in aid of the impressive Brighton-based charity The Hummingbird Project which works with young refugees.
The evening promises to be a warm, vibrant and entertaining performance of music and poetry to lift the spirit. There’ll be a mix of jazz and folk – standards through to especially composed pieces for this event – interspersed with poems – all delivered with style! You can be assured of a warm welcome.
At the heart of Lou’s work has always been her love of music and her delight in sharing it with audiences. With her improvisational style and soulful sound, her repertoire covers some of the best loved jazz standards and contemporary compositions. Her career has included television, radio and recording.
More recently she has embraced writing and has several pieces published in two anthologies. Her recently completed poetry collection, together with her own illustrations, is for publication in 2023. She writes for both the page and to perform the work as spoken word, frequently woven together with musical interpretation. Themes range from reflecting on the personal and observational to social commentary and broad spirituality – drawing on the colourful threads from her experience and enquiry into the human condition. She has a playfulness with words but beneath them invariably lie life’s deeper issues.
Joss Peach’s career has seen him work with a wide variety of jazz ensembles across Europe. He now focuses most of his energies on composing for children’s TV for BBC, Sky and Sesame St. He won a BAFTA for Tee and Mo “Help Our Little World”, a song to help little people engage with environmental issues. He loves collaborating with other musicians and his trio featuring bassist Terry Pack and drummer Milo Fell has performed to sell out audiences He and Lou will be taking their ‘A Weaving of Jazz Jewels and Poetry’ to venues during 2023. Joss’s versatility and warm manner have made him a firm favourite. He loves to sing too so watch out for a duet or two…