Biography
Jazz vocalist Jacqui Dankworth has pursued an expansive path that encompasses classical repertoire, folk, blues, and soul alongside her primary genre, while also establishing herself as a songwriter after an early career on the stage. Born Jacqueline Caryl Dankworth on February 5, 1963, in Northampton in England’s East Midlands, she is the daughter of jazz singer Cleo Laine and her husband John Dankworth, who served as both composer and music director while performing on clarinet and saxophone. Following her secondary education at St. Christopher School in Hertfordshire, Dankworth trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, completing her studies and later receiving recognition as a fellow.
Her initial professional work came through acting, beginning with engagements at the Royal National Theatre and extending to musical theater roles such as Cinderella in the London premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Additional stage credits include appearances in the Duke Ellington revue Sophisticated Ladies and the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. These experiences prompted her shift toward vocal performance, leading to guest contributions on vibraphonist Anthony Kerr’s First Cry in 1994 and pianist James Pearson’s For All We Know in 2000.
Dankworth issued her debut solo recording, As the Sun Shines Down on Me, on the Candid label in 2001. The album drew the interest of BBC radio producer Michael Parkinson, resulting in regular airings on BBC Radio 2. In 2003 she appeared on saxophonist Courtney Pine’s Devotion and joined him for a performance at the London Jazz Festival. Subsequent releases on Candid preceded moves to Audacious for Back to You in 2009 and to Specific Jazz for It Happens Quietly in 2011. Her recorded partnerships have featured nostalgia pianist Marvin Hamlisch, Memphis blues keyboardist Charlie Wood—who became her husband—and jazz pianist Chick Corea. Several projects have incorporated or crossed into classical territory, including collaborations with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, and Ireland’s RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
In 2019 Dankworth received the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). She reunited with The Brodsky Quartet for the 2022 Chandos release Rocking Horse Road.
Her initial professional work came through acting, beginning with engagements at the Royal National Theatre and extending to musical theater roles such as Cinderella in the London premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. Additional stage credits include appearances in the Duke Ellington revue Sophisticated Ladies and the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. These experiences prompted her shift toward vocal performance, leading to guest contributions on vibraphonist Anthony Kerr’s First Cry in 1994 and pianist James Pearson’s For All We Know in 2000.
Dankworth issued her debut solo recording, As the Sun Shines Down on Me, on the Candid label in 2001. The album drew the interest of BBC radio producer Michael Parkinson, resulting in regular airings on BBC Radio 2. In 2003 she appeared on saxophonist Courtney Pine’s Devotion and joined him for a performance at the London Jazz Festival. Subsequent releases on Candid preceded moves to Audacious for Back to You in 2009 and to Specific Jazz for It Happens Quietly in 2011. Her recorded partnerships have featured nostalgia pianist Marvin Hamlisch, Memphis blues keyboardist Charlie Wood—who became her husband—and jazz pianist Chick Corea. Several projects have incorporated or crossed into classical territory, including collaborations with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, and Ireland’s RTÉ Concert Orchestra.
In 2019 Dankworth received the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). She reunited with The Brodsky Quartet for the 2022 Chandos release Rocking Horse Road.
Albums
