Singer and soul veteran Madeline Bell will be the RNCM Big Band’s guest star at their concert on Friday 13 December in the RNCM Theatre.
For some time now, the Royal Northern College of Music’s (RNCM) Big Band has treated audiences to two public concerts a year (in June and December), alongside a very impressive roster of guest musicians and directors. In the past this has included pianist Nikki Iles, Andy Scott (sax) and Dave Hassell (drums) and trombonist Dennis Rollins. So far, 2024 has been a year for vocalists: Sara Dowling joined the big band for their June concert, and in a few weeks time Madeline Bell will grace the RNCM Theatre’s stage.
Originally from Newark in New Jersey, and with a background in soul and gospel, Madeline Bell built her career in Europe from the early 60’s onwards. Having featured as a session singer for a number of big names including Dusty Springfield, the Rolling Stones and Donavan, Bell joined British pop group Blue Mink in 1969 – with whom she enjoyed several Top 20 hits including “Banner Man”and “Melting Pot”.
More recently, Bell has embraced a jazz and blues repertoire with collaborations with the BBC Big Band and the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, and with performances at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival and London’s 606 Club – not to mention a reunion with Blue Mink’s Roger Cook alongside the English Chamber Orchestra and Ian Shaw at Cadogan Hall, to celebrate her 80th birthday earlier this year.
Given all this, it’s no surprise that both RNCM Big Band director Iain Dixon and also Steve Berry – bassist, Loose Tubes co-founder and Head of Jazz and Improvisation at the college – are so excited to present Madeline Bell at the big band’s December concert this year. I chatted briefly with Berry, who told me of Dixon’s existing relationship with Madeline Bell, the two having worked together when Dixon was at the BBC Big Band: “(Iain’s) phrase about Madeline coming was ‘she’s the real deal’”. This is very special praise coming from Dixon who, I’m told, does not hand out compliments carelessly.
Bell will be singing some soul and jazz classics, including Duke Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing”, Etta James’ “Stormy Weather” and Stevie Wonder’s “If It’s Magic”, as well as tributes to Dusty Springfield and Otis Redding. In addition to Bell’s performance, the big band will play instrumental pieces that have been sourced and (in most cases) arranged by Dixon – including numbers from Wayne Shorter, Ornette Coleman and Herbie Hancock, to name a few household names – as well as two compositions by RNCM students. The showcasing of student work has been a consistent element for the ensemble, and one that I’m told will be “gradually progressing and developing”. Giving a space to this exciting emerging talent is naturally an extremely important aspect for the college, and Berry tells me of the calibre of these compositions that “the bar is always getting higher…these student pieces are a strong and healthy sign of further progress”. Another ensemble to keep an eye out for is MIUAWGA (an acronym standing for ‘Making It Up As We Go Along’). As the name suggests, the emphasis here is on the improvisational element over any boundaries imposed by a perceived definition of jazz. MIUAWGA is open to any instrumentalist or vocalist across the college and also hosts concerts featuring some notable guests: since its conception in 2020, these have included trumpeter Laura Jurd and violinist/vocalist Alice Zawadzki.
The RNCM Big Band’s concert with Madeline Bell promises to be a special evening for audience and ensemble alike. Berry says: “It will be nice for people to get a chance to hear the ‘real dealness’ of (Madeline Bell), to borrow Iain’s phrase, which is great for the students as well because they get right up close and personal with someone who’s really deep in the tradition”.
