Jill Saward (London, December 12, 1953) is a British singer, musician and composer, best known for being the lead voice of the English jazz-funk band of Shakatak.
Career
She began her musical career at the age of 16, with the British progressive jazz rock band Fusion Orchestra, from 1969 to 1972, dominating the English club scene at that time.[citation needed]
Jill Saward and the Fusion Orchestra gained a huge following of fans who secured a record deal with EMI music to produce their first album 'Skeleton in Armour', an album that immediately received critical acclaim upon its debut, and is now considered a collector's item highly sought after.
After the band Fusion Orchestra split, Jill Saward became involved in a new all female group, called 'Brandy'.
The new band, produced by Polydor, was active for about three years in the UK and Europe, before disbanding in 1976.
Jill was spotted later by the band leader Nicky North who invited her to perform in the famous 'Cats Whiskers' with his own big soul funk band. She also made a name for herself as one of the UK's session singers at that time.
Jill Saward also had a brief stint with a musical group of all women, called 'Citizen Gang', built by a French manufacturer of Orpheus Productions, and still managed to collaborate with the Nicky North Band. It was in this period she met band, Nigel Wright and Roger Odell, who are still components of jazz-funk band Shakatak, a British Fusion, Jazz Funk band.
It was through them that Jill Saward was able to record some vocals on an experimental track of a song called 'Steppin', and after nine top ten hits Jill Saward was invited to be a permanent part of the group and started to tour worldwide.
Jill Saward nel 2014 - in concert with Shakatak
Jill Saward became the leading voice of Shakatak sharing remarkable and important success for more than 35 years. The longevity of the group, is unequaled in the history of world contemporary music.[citation needed] The band is still touring and recording and still as popular all around the world, especially in Europe and the Far East. She usually publishes a new album every two years for JVC Records and Secret Records
Despite constant touring and recording Jill Saward has always managed to find time to develop new projects and still continues to write and record new material.
Discography
Jill Saward Solo Album
1999: Just For You;
2016: Just For You (remastered with 3 bonus tracks)
Musicians:
> Jill Saward: all lead and BV voices;
> Jason Rebello, Neil Drinkwater and Chris Ingham: keyboards;
> Snake Davis, Aaron Liddard, Matt Sibley, Derek Nash: saxes;
> Fridrik Karlson: guitars;
> George Anderson: basses;
2016: 2016: M Is For Manhattan (single);
2016: Endless Summer (be release next June 2016)
Musicians:
> Jill Saward: lead voice;
> Aaron Liddard: sax;
> Chris Ingram: Keyboard;
> Chris Johnson: vocals;
> George Anderson: bass;
> James Saward Anderson: Vocals;
> Mornington Lockett: sax;
> Patrick Hartley: trombon;
> Roberto Tola: guitars;
> Simon Allen: sax;
> Steve Dee: Bass;
> Teresa Green: backing vocals;
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Shakatak - Invitations: Do#Dj International Jazz Festival, April 22, 2008, Kyiv - Ukraine.. date July 12, 2012, Youtube (public video-sharing website
