Georgia Cécile performs her new single “He Knew How To Love” in Narcissus Flowers, Edinburgh
Hotly tipped Jazz vocalist GEORGIA CÉCILE returns with her boldest release to date, the emotional ballad ‘HE KNEW HOW TO LOVE’.
Georgia Cécile – He Knew How To Love out now
Music video:
“Vocalist of the Year” Nominee Jazz FM Awards 2020
“Her voice is spectacular. Cécile & Stevenson are a songwriting pair to watch out for” Jamie Cullum (BBC R2)
“Her clarity of tone, creativity and ability to sing with genuine emotional depth will take her a long way” Jazzwise
One of UK Jazz’s hottest new prospects, Georgia Cécile is at the helm of an exciting new wave of UK female jazz talents. Tipped as ‘One To Watch’ by BBC Introducing and Jazzwise Magazine, Cécile’s stock has been rising on the strength of her live performances and her songwriting partnership with award-winning pianist/composer Euan Stevenson.
She has an accessible approach to jazz (with pop to soul influences) which is key to her crossover appeal as she cites contemporaries such as Celeste, Melody Gardot and Gregory Porter as influences – as well as old favourites like Stevie Wonder, Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone.
Her new single ‘He Knew How To Love’ is perhaps her most accessible release to date, as the jazz-flavoured beginning builds into a full blown pop ballad at times. Co-writer/arranger Euan Stevenson guides the instrumentation with a cinematic soundscape of strings, percussion, piano and hammond organ as the track ebbs and flows, mirroring the ups and downs of life. As Georgia’s vocals take centre stage, she recounts stories of her father’s love and devotion through the years, taking stock of her journey from childhood into womanhood. She explains:
“He Knew How To Love celebrates paternal love – that special bond that exists between all fathers and daughters but it’s also about difficult choices in life, family and sacrifice. The song captures the essence of my own father – his presence, spirituality and selfless nature – the ways in which he nurtured and shaped my world. The choices and sacrifices he made in life allowed me to pursue my dreams”.
This year, Georgia marked International Women’s Day by performing live for the BBC’s Jazz Nights show and she was included in Jazzwise’s ‘Women In Jazz’ feature that day. Also around that time, her single ‘Always Be Right’ was featured by Wonderland Magazine, and was playlisted on Jazz FM. ‘He Knew How To Love’ is the second single taken from Georgia’s debut album which is due for release early September. In November she will be opening the prestigious London Jazz Festival with the Guy Barker Orchestra and will be recording at Abbey Road this summer.
Previously, her track ‘Blue Is Just A Colour’ premiered on BBC Radio 2’s Jamie Cullum show, following sell-out shows at UK jazz festivals including Cheltenham, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London. She was championed by The Scottish Sun, The Herald, The Scotsman and The Sunday post after picking up ‘Best Vocalist’ at the 2019 Scottish Jazz Awards and a nomination for ‘Vocalist of the Year’ at the prestigious 2020 Jazz FM awards.
About the music video:
In collaboration with Scottish film director and choreographer Rianne White, the pair have delivered an elegantly rich and movie-like music video to accompany the release. Rianne has gained recognition as one of the UK’s most exciting young film directors, having directed films with Young Fathers, Ellie Goulding, Aurora and Kate Tempest. This project, supported by PRS Woman Make Music, marks the unity of two young women at the height of their creative ambition – bringing female collaboration and support to the forefront of not only their personal but collective visions.
The concept for this video was to create a timeless bold expression of Georgia, and to frame her evolution and unfolding through nurture and growth. The video presents her in an honest perspective evolving to womanhood, from a world richly nourished by paternal love. The two core scenes explore opposing perspectives that empower a visual representation of states of being; from the womb-like serene isolation to the wide-open sky. We expose and energise a vision of self-realisation that ultimately champions the importance and equality in every state of evolution.
The acoustic instrumentation is brought to life on screen by the string quartet, who appear only as Georgia is vulnerable and exposed to the elements. They move in synergy with her, and their gentle support is as natural and resilient as the instruments they play. The blue “Cloud” dress worn by Georgia was designed by London based designer Inga Kovalerova; the colour blue symbolising unchanged love and spiritual grounding.
‘He Knew How To Love’ is out on all DSPs 9th July
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