Fiona Ross – Thougths, Conversations and to do Lists

In the UK, there’s a tradition of pianist-singers who are obviously inspired by their American elders and contemporaries: Nat “King” Cole, Blossom Dearie, Bob Dorough, Mose Allison, Shirley Horne, Ben Sidran, Harry Connick Jr., Patricia Barber…

In London and elsewhere, these include, in addition to Jamie Cullum – whose reputation quickly spread beyond the borders of his native island – Ian Shaw (Cullum’s teacher), Liane Carroll and Fiona Ross. It has to be said that on the other side of the Channel, singing is a much more common practice than in France, and has been for ages.

From vocal ensembles like the Tallis Singers, specialists in medieval music, to free singers like Phil Minton or Maggie Nichols, there are countless renowned vocalists: James Bowman and Emma Kirkby in baroque music, Kathleen Ferrier and Dame Janet Baker in classical lyricism, Rod Stewart and Joe Cocker in blues-rock, Martin Carthy and Jacqui McShee in folk, Tom Jones and Amy Winehouse in pop, Claire Martin and Norma Winstone in jazz… you name it!

Fiona Ross, whom I discovered by chance in London a few years ago, is part of this tradition. I was strolling along Piccadilly one afternoon when I saw a double bass player holding his instrument, another man carrying a bag of cymbals and a lady standing on a sidewalk.

I immediately asked them where they were going to play. They replied, “Across the street!” and, after I had introduced myself, they invited me to attend their soundcheck in the auditorium of the Brasserie Zédel, an establishment created at the end of the 19th century by an Alsatian who had fled to London to escape the German occupation of 1870. A café, by the way, that’s very much home-grown, as you can enjoy – among other French specialties – a real sausage sandwich, made with a real crusty baguette and not the sandwich bread crap that the Anglo-Saxons love so much. Needless to say, I stayed for the evening concert, so convinced was I by what I’d heard at the sound check. And that’s how Fiona Ross entered my pantheon of jazz singers, an idiom she practices in a highly original way, since she only plays themes for which she writes the words and music, and also handles the arrangements.

Well, I know what some French listeners will say, that her music is “commercial”. They’re wrong. On the one hand, as the status of “intermittent du spectacle” does not exist in the UK, and government or regional subsidies are rare, British musicians have no choice but to be close to their audience(s) if they want to be able to perform. On the other hand, the notion of “commercial” in the UK (as in the USA) is not the same as in France, where a fringe of listeners and programmers – whom I don’t hesitate to call “intellos” – believe that what appeals to a wide audience doesn’t deserve to be called “art”.

Fiona Ross is a true artist, but above all she is a craftswoman who, record after record, hones a vein that is both high-level and popular, and that cannot fail to touch anyone who loves swing, groove and song. One of her hallmarks is that Fiona – whose themes can be considered as songs, each telling a story – admirably knows how to surround herself with sidemen/women who are authentic jazz musicians and who, alongside her, form an unfailingly solid rhythm section, a loyal band totally devoted to her leader’s aesthetic, and who repeatedly offer solos in which their improvisational talents work wonders. On this new CD, each track is a finely-crafted gem, at times rousing, at others more peaceful, with Fiona‘s high-pitched voice expressing the joy of singing, or a more sentimental lyricism on the ballads. It’s hard to resist the charm of this music, which exudes authenticity, and we could only – until recently – regret the fact that Fiona Ross and her musicians don’t have the opportunity to come to France to share with us their pleasure in bringing happiness to their audience, without worrying about inane ideological questions. But good news, for Parisians: Fiona Ross and her bassist will perform at the Sunside on April 30^th as part of the International Jazz Day Celebration. A rare occasion not to be missed!