REVIEWS AND PAST PERFORMANCES

Reviews of CD 'BIRD OF PARADISE' (LISALEO 0601)

"An impressive set of songs from Scottish singer-songwriter.
Singer-songwriter Sophie Bancroft hails from Scotland and follows in a long tradition of outstanding female artists that come from north of the border. Bancroft actually comes from one of Britain's top jazz families but this set of songs is firmly based around a folk feel with hints of pop and rock thrown in for good measure. In fact there is a varied musical background here—Bancroft has even explored the world of electronic music and her songs have been used on US TV shows such as Six Feet Under—and recently her acoustic songs have been widely covered including by one of my own personal favourites—the award winning jazz vocalist Lianne Carroll.
This CD is a set of acoustic music with some simple backing and arrangements but there is real depth to the lyrical performance and some impressive vocals. Scottish music legend Boo Hewerdine lends a hand on the final track Caroline and there is more than a hint of Eddi Reader here. Bancroft has delivered an outstanding set of songs that deserve to be heard by a wider audience."
MAVERICK MAGAZINE 4 STARS

"Bird Of Paradise" seems to be a far more relaxed, more laid back affair than Sophie Bancroft's previous albums. It's as though she's found an inner contentment and seems to be more at home in herself. The result is a more free flowing album, one that almost effortlessly trips off both tongue and guitar. That doesn't mean that the anger and passion of those previous cuts is missing, it most certainly isn't, Bancroft remains an excellent reviewer of the human condition with song as the medium for her writing. She's found a different edge to that expression and it suits her well." FATEA
"Sophie Bancroft is a Scottish singer-songwriter with jazz and folk roots. Over the years she's drawn comparison to several world-class artists, including Peggy Lee, Alison Krauss and Norah Jones. That sort of information comes as no great surprise once you've had the chance to hear Bancroft sing. Her voice is a perfect instrument, and when partnered by her own songs, the effect is both moving and incredibly life affirming.
"Bird Of Paradise" is her fifth album, and she's accompanied by her husband (and double bassist) Tom Lyne, fiddler Amy Geddes and guitarist / percussionist Ross Mitson. Though very much a songwriter's collection, it's performed very much in a folk style. This is partly down to the purity of Bancroft's voice, but also the unfussy arrangements and the subject matter of the songs, which involve themselves in the day-to-day lives of ordinary people. "LEICESTER BANGS

"A Scottish folkster with a jazz family background, Bancroft's explored both fields in her previous albums, not to mention experimenting with electronica. There's jazz blues flavours here on the musically flirty Occasional China where she slips into scat backed by Amy Geddes providing gypsy fiddle, the breathy No Smokin with a percussion rhythm that sounds like the bellows of an electronic lung, and the skittish Dented with Tom Lyne's double bass groove.
Mostly though she channels her jazz raising into folk intimacy, delivering the rippling, bluegrass flecked Supersize Me with its laments about the lack of community and childhood in the modern age, the waltzing I Carried Your Heart's age-enduring love song and, also touching on a theme of passing years, the sparse wood-smoked When The Geese Fly South.
Written four years back, Boo Hewardine guests on co-penned closing track Caroline, a 3am jazz cellar piano blues account of an unconsummated drunken one night stand and subsequent self-questioning while, underscoring the classiness of the project, the album's co-produced and mixed by Mark Freegard whose extensive credits include Maria McKee, Manic Street Preachers and, more pertinently for that sultry jazz vibe, Swans Way.
Probably more one for the Ronnie Scott's crowd than your local folk club, but certainly worth the exploring. NETRHYTHMS

Reviews of CD 'HANDWRITTEN' (LISALEO 0501)

"Ten years after her debut, the Scottish singer Sophie Bancroft releases her forth album. Bancroft grew up in a family where many were busy with jazz and folk music. Her music blends both, but jazz is clearly her main ingredient. Although a song like Streets of summer shows she knows her way around the folky style as well. This album contains eleven original songs, all a poetic reflection f her memories and thoughts. Bancroft has a nice, warm voice and backed by bass, violin and accordion she creates a intimate musical world. Nice how a jazz singer uses folk influences to create her own, unique style. I know it's her forth release already, but the first one that I heard and I love it." FOLKWORLD
"The female element in the Bancroft clan, (brothers Tom and Phil are, respectively, drummer and saxophonist) turns her family jazz influence down low on her latest album, allowing folk, blues and contemporary singer-songwriter styles to weave inside her compositions. As the title suggests, this is a more personalised affair than any number of polished Norah Jones or Beth Rowley productions; recorded in Bancroft's sitting room in Pathhead, just outside Edinburgh, the album recruits the talents of Bancroft's husband, bassist Tom Lyne and neighbours Martin Green (accordion) and Amy Geddes (fiddle). The occasional foreign flavour of a Parisian cafe or Gypsy wedding adds colour to the songs, but it's the velvet-draped voice of Bancroft herself that wafts through the set like a warm breeze. Lyrically too she is on good form, taking on the body fascists with I Would Rather Be Me and adding to a noble heritage of naughty blues lines with Won't Be You: "Who's gonna check my oil/Now that you've gone and done the dirty on me?" SUNDAY HERALD

"More than almost any artist in the winsome nouveau folk sphere of current fashionability, there is something utterly disarming about the transparency and straightforwardness of jazz singer Sophie Bancroft. It seems like she would not know irony if it came down from its web and sat down beside her. Has there ever been a more domestic break-up song than the opener, Won't Be You, or a simpler contribution to the size zero debate than I Would Rather Be Me? The fruits of her time in the Burnsong woodshed are among the highlights, with Geoff Martyn helping out on Always Ever After and Davie Scott co-writing the best track, Clumsy, which has graced a Pearlfishers' B-side" THE HERALD
"Having enjoyed Sophie Bancroft's previous cut, I was really pleased when her new album, "Handwritten", popped through the letterbox and onto the office mat. There is a cheekiness and a hint of a Gallic shrug to Ms Bancroft's light jazz style. Her songs tend towards the observational often with a wry sense of perspective. "Won't Be You" sees an unfaithful partner sent on their way, but who's now going to service the car and walk the dog? Populated with people and places, including a memorial song to the much missed Martyn Bennett. Like chasing butterflies on a summer's day." FATEA

Reviews of CD 'HOT AND COLD' (LISALEO 0401)

"Along with its remarkable flowering of instrumental jazz, Scotland now has some fascinating vocalists. This elegant and meticulously produced CD inhabits the border territory between jazz and folk-country-pop, which suits Sophie Bancroft's cool, rather ethereal voice to perfection. She also writes songs with touchingly earnest lyrics and attractive tunes. Easy To See' has a quite gorgeous, Celic-tinged melody, while Butterfly' is a kind of Scottish bossa nove. It's impossible to separate the stylistic elements, although jazz predominates, especially in the very sharp acoompaniment. This includes Dave Milliagan (who plays so brilliantly on Colin Steele's new CD reviewed here recently) and Sophie's saxophonist brother, Phil Bancroft. "THE OBSERVER

"Coming as she does from one of Scotland's musical dynasties, Sophie Bancroft has been exposed to music for as long she can remember, and the wide exposure over a period of time shows in the maturity, complete authority and confidence she brings to this her third outing as a solo artist.
Wary of catagorisation for it's own sake, but necessary to give an indication where Sophie sits musically, it is perhaps fair to say that as well as jazz buffs she will also appeal to the adult oriented pop market. Not that I would wish to say that Bancroft is from the same stable as say Norah Jones, but she does manage to inhabit that undefineable gray area between genres that can sometime alienate the diehards but have a general wider appeal.
Sophie is without a doubt a jazz singer, but to this brings via her own song-writing talents influences from the world of pop and country. She has a light a clear delivery that is immediately appealing, and has a knack of writing a catchy melody that she is able to arrange in a way that keeps the interest not just for the listener, but also the first class band that she has retained for the last couple of years.
Bass playing husband, Tom Lyne, along with drummer Donalds Hay, brings a solid yet flexible rhythm to proceedings whilst Dave Milligan's work at the piano brings out the subtle harmonies inherent in Sophie's compositions. Coupled with guitarist, Sandy Wright who is resposnible for all the guitar solo that at times really lift set, and Bancroft's own contributions on acoustic guitar, there is a lot more going on than is apparent on first hearing.
As fine as her previous two albums are, this is the best to date, with stand out tracks 'Cruel Or Just Kind', 'Butterfly' and the title track. Do yourself a favour and make sure that you do not overlook a young lady who is continuing to develop her personal sound and style that bodes well for the future." JAZZ VIEWS September 2005

"Scotland is full of angels and demons. Some music is clearly from the bowels of Beelzebub and some is clearly inspired by angels. Sophie Bancroft from Edinburgh is the latter. Her voice is heavenly. She could sing about opening a bag of crisps and it would feel spiritually uplifting.
With her new lo-fi jazz album, Hot and Cold, Sophie does the impossible. She makes jazz accessible and reaches people who wouldn't normally touch jazz with a barge pole. The title track on Hot and Cold is one of the many effortless tunes on a blissful album that has elements of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.
Play it on your way out and let it rescue you from the ceiling when you get home.
This album is hip, cool and simply beautiful." THE BIG ISSUE

Reviews of CD 'MODERN LOVE' (LISALEO 0301)

"Although born into one of Scotland's leading jazz dynasties, Sophie Bancroft has also pursued her muse in the directions of pop, folk and electronic music and, in the best possible way, her diverse taste shows.
Her new solo CD is a dynamic mix of these and many other styles, including soul, funk, dance music and chanson, sewn together by the wayward, arresting trajectories of her elastic, creamy voice.
Echoes along the way range from Peggy Lee to Joan Armatrading, Alison Krauss to BjÖrk, in a a boldly achieved balance of the classic and the contemporary". SUNDAY HERALD

"The sister of brothers Tom and Phil who are making waves with and on the Caber label north of the border, Sophie Bancroft has an impressive CV that covers jazz, pop and folk. She draws on all these diverse skills, weaving them through a captivatingly moody set of songs just right for staring out of the window on a rainy day.
One of the great problems a jazz singer faces is the weight of tradition (Ella, Billie, Sarah, Carmen, Betty) and being boxed into a corner by the standards repertoire. As soon as you sing Gershwin or Kern or Rogers and Hart you are immediately in competition with the past, which is great if that's what you want to do. There's a whole nouveau school of jazz singers emerging doing just that and audiences are apparently clamouring for more. But standards tend to swallow a singer's individuality whole because they plug into a range of audience expectations that have to be met. Originality is hard to find, craftsmanship is what audiences want the good old songs sang the same old way.
The way to get around this road block is to write your own material. Since the rise of singer songwriter in pop this seems an obvious route to take, but few have. But by doing so you create your own scene, play by your own rules and that's what Sophie Bancroft has done, and it works. Comparisons are odious , but if they are to be made, it's because that's the way our brains work. When someone we haven't heard comes along we need to compare it to what we know, so we can form an opinion about it. So think Eva Cassidy and the easy, folksy grooves she gets. That's what Bancroft is into here Modern love' and And The Rain'. There's an openness and transparency in her songs that communicate, and after all, that's what it's all about." JAZZWISE

Reviews of SPYLAB FEAT SOPHIE BANCROFT CD 'THIS UTOPIA'
(Guidance Records GDRC-604)

"Sophie Bancroft's voice will send shivers of sensuality down your spine." Massive Magazine
"The melancholy lyrics, carried by Bancroft's sweet, soulful whisper of a voice, nail you." Propeller Magazine
"To keep this a national secret would be nothing short of criminal." DJ Magazine
"Original trip-hop tunes elevate further with the dreamy, white-soul vocals of Sophie Bancroft. Persuasively terrific." NZ Herald

PERFORMANCE REVIEWS

"Bancroft is a vocalist and songwriter who has really come into her own in recent years. Showcasing tunes from her new album, she revealed how far she's travelled, and her performance, imbued with warmth and humour, was delightful." THE HERALD (4 stars)

"Gorgeous, original acoustic music." THE LIST

"Weaving a tapestry of songs over the course of two hours, her smooth and smoky voice lifts above the mellowed beat of the music, washing over the audience, leaving them transfixed. Her eclectic mix of jazz, country, blues and folky rock, creates a sound that will appeal to everyone for years to come." THREEWEEKS.CO.UK

"Refreshing and utterly magical."THE HERALD

"It is for her ability as a musician that she's become part of the wave talent now being recognised in Central Scotland."The Herald

"This voice has elegant and ethereal qualities and should be encouraged ."The Scotsman

"She is the best vocalist of the new generation of young Scot's jazz musicians ." The Herald

"The hottest outfit to come from Scotland in a long time." Blow The Fuse, London

PREVIOUS PERFORMANCES & WORKSHOPS

2011:
25th Feb: LIANE CARROLL with SOPHIE BANCROFT+TOM LYNE @ Pathhead
26th + 27th Feb: VOCAL JAZZ COURSE with Sophie Bancroft + Liane Carroll in Pathhead
8th Mar: 100th International Women's Day Event @ Tramway
18th- 20th Mar: VOCAL JAZZ COURSE with Sophie Bancroft + Liane Carroll in Hastings
25th + 26th June: Up Close And Personal Jazz Vocal Workshop in Pathhead
20th - 27th Aug Mediterranean Jazz Summer School, France - vocal tutors Liane Carrol and Sophie Bancroft
8th Sep: Sophie Bancroft Band plus support @ The Hub, Penicuik
10th Sep: Sophie Bancroft Band & Inge Thomson /Martin Green @ Pathhead
21st Oct: Sophie Bancroft & Tom Lyne Duo @ Voices In Paisley Music Festival
22nd Oct: Sophie Bancroft singing workshop @ Voices In Paisley Music Festival
27th Oct: Sophie Bancroft & Tom Lyne Duo, with Liane Carroll + Sara Colman @ Pathhead
28th Oct: Sophie Bancroft, Liane Carroll & Sara Colman @ The Old Brewery, Cromarty
28th - 30th Oct: VOCAL JAZZ COURSE with Sophie Bancroft, Liane Carroll & Sara Colman in Cromarty

2010:
30th/31st Jan: UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WORKSHOP
6th/7th Mar: JUDGE AT THE VOICE AND GUITAR COMPETITION 2010 Germany
8th/9th May: VOCAL JAZZ COURSE WITH SOPHIE BANCROFT AND LIANE CARROLL IN HASTINGS
13th/14th Aug: Sophie Bancroft Band @ The Acoustic Music Centre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
21st - 28th Aug Mediterranean Jazz Summer School, France - vocal tutors Liane Carrol and Sophie Bancroft

2009:
Jan 24th: SB Band @ Pathhead
Jan 25th: SB Band @ THE DENHOLM MEET
Jan 28th: SB Band @ CELTIC CONNECTIONS, THE TRON THEATRE
Feb 1st:CELTIC CONNECTIONS, ABC in MARTIN GREEN'S GREEN MACHINE
Feb 6th - Feb 8th: Residential Jazz Vocal Workshop in Helensburgh
Mar 3rd: Workshop at RSAMD with Scottish Music students
Mar 6th: Workshop at RSAMD with Musical Theatre Post-grad students
May 1st: Workshop at RSAMD with Musical Theatre Post-grad students
Jun 12th: SB & TL @ Three Harbours Arts Festival
Jun 15th - 18th: Tynewater Primary School music week with Pathhead Music Collective
23rd June: Songwriting Workshop & SB & TL performance @ The Hub, Penicuik
25th - 28th June: Glasgow International Jazz Festival, City Inn
25/26 July: 2-day Advanced Workshop in Edinburgh.Tutors: Liane Carroll and Sophie Bancroft with Brian Kellock piano.
28th Jul - Sat 1st Aug 2009 : 5-day Workshop in Edinburgh
Tutors:Sophie Bancroft and Niki King, Musicians: Brian Kellock, Ronnie Rae, Ed Crow
13th + 14th August 2009: Sophie Bancroft Band @ The Acoustic Music Centre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
22nd - 29th August: Mediterranean Jazz Summer School, France - vocal tutors Liane Carrol and Sophie Bancroft
26th September 2009: Pathhead Community Hall
3rd & 4th October 2009: Vocal Workshops @ Choired For Sound, Dundee
17th October 2009: Byres Theatre, St Andrews - The Jazz Standard with Sophie Bancroft, Colin Steele, Brian Kellock, Tom Lyne and Tom Bancroft
23rd - 25th October 2009: Sophie Bancroft Band @ Skye Jazz Festival
27th October 2009: Sophie Bancroft Band @ Peter Potter Gallery, Haddington
28th October 2009: Workshop @ Horsecross Singing Group, Perth
29th October SOPHIE BANCROFT BAND @ Pathhead Community Hall, Pathhead
30th October 2009: Sophie Bancroft Band @ The Catstrand, Galloway
31st October 2009: SB Band @ Private House Concert, Perthshire

2008:
Jan 20th:Two Tall Girls @ CELTIC CONNECTIONS, City Halls,
Feb 15th:SB & TL @ Birnam House Hotel,
Mar 6th :SB & TL @ The Jazz Centre, Edinburgh
Jun 6th: SB & TL @ Three Harbour Arts Festival,
Jun 19th : SB Band @ Cabaret Voltaire,
Jun 21st : SB Band CD Launch Party @ Pathhead Community Hall,
Jun 24th: Tron Theatre, Glasgow International Jazz Festival
Jun 24 - 28th: Fionna Duncan Vocal Jazz Workshop during Glasgow International Jazz Festival
Jul 28 - Aug 1st: Tutor on Fionna Duncan Vocal Jazz Workshop during Edinburgh International Jazz Festival
Aug 9th, 10, 11, 12th: TWO TALL GIRLS @ Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Acoustic Music Centre
Aug 23 - 30th: Tutor on the Jazz Summer School in France
Oct 3rd : SB Band @ The Old Brewery, Cromarty
Nov 18th :SB & TL Dalkeith Arts Centre
Dec 20th: SB & TL @ Pathhead Village Hall

2007:
Tune Up Tour
January 23rd: Lochside Theatre, Castle Douglas
January 24th: City Halls, Glasgow
January 25th: An Lanntair, Stornoway, Isle Of Lewis
January 27th: Sunart Centre, Strontian
January 28th: Eastgate Theatre, Peebles
January 29th: Byre Theatre, St Andrews
April 28th: SB & TL @ Collieston, Aberdeenshire
May 31st : SB & TL @ Bongo Club, Edinburgh
June 9th: SB & TL @ Leith Festival, Leith
June 20th: The Lot, Edinburgh
June 23rd - 30th: JazzCamp West, California, USA
Aug 17th: TWO TALL GIRLS @ Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Aug 18th: TTG @ Edin Fringe Festival
Aug 19th: TTG @ Edin Fringe Festival
August 25th to Sept 1st: Tutor on the Jazz Summer School in France with Liane Carrol
Sep 22nd: TTG @ Merchant City Festival, Glasgow
Oct 27th: Martyn Bennett Day Workshops,
Nov 23rd: Heriot-Toun Studio, Heriot,
Nov 24th: The Old Brewery, Cromarty,
Dec 1st: SB & TL @ Queens Hall, Edinburgh,

2006:
Jan 15: Celtic Connections, Glasgow
Jan 19: Celtic Connections, Glasgow
April 1: The Jazz Centre, Edinburgh
June 27th: The Ramshorn Theatre, Glasgow
July 31st : The Hub, Edinburgh
August 10th: Acoustic Music Centre, Edinburgh Fringe Festival
August 11th : The Belladrum Festival performing in Martin Green's 'The Green Machine
August 26th : SB & TL @ ABC, Glasgow, supporting Bert Jansch
2005:
26th Feb: Henrys Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh
29th April: An Tobar, Mull.
June 3 & 4, Henry's Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh.
June 21, Ramshorn Theatre, Glasgow
June 29, The Halfmoon, Putney, London
August 1 , The Hub, Edinburgh International Jazz Festival
August 17, 18 + 19, Henry's Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Sept 2, The Loft, East Grange,
Sept 3, Lyth Arts Centre, Lyth,
Nov 25, The Tron, Glasgow
Nov 26, 27, 28, Burnsong Festival, Dumfries and Galloway.

2004:
21st Feb: Henrys Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh
12th Mar: Henrys Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh
18th Apr: Tron Theatre, Glasgow
22nd May:Orkney
5th Jun: Henrys Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh
29th Jun: Ramshorn Theatre, Glasgow
5th Aug: Edinburgh International Jazz Festival
8th Aug: Edinburgh International Jazz Festival
9th to 12th Aug: Edinburgh Fringe Festival
21st Aug: Edinburgh Book Festival
27th Aug: Edinburgh Book Festival
30th Sep: Tolbooth, Stirling
28th Oct: Henrys Jazz Cellar, Edinburgh