Jazz singer plans party

Friday February 12, 2010

A Hammersmith songbird is tuning up to launch her third album of self-penned jazz melodies - complete with a fabulous party.

Liza Finn, 26, who lives in Brackenbury Road, will release her new collection, Moving On, during a glamorous launch concert at Cafe de Paris, Piccadilly Circus, on February 19.

The talented young soprano said she had blended her love of pop and jazz in the latest album, drawing inspiration from childhood, modern life and her own social commentary in the lyrics.

"In Childish Dreams I wanted to explore the theme of why we stop dreaming or believing things are attainable," she said. "I think people give up too easily on things and decide it's just too hard.

"And in Get a Life I'm looking at the way people want instant gratification, and the pressure they feel to have the latest iPod or the latest jeans - they're buying into a lifestyle, basically."

Liza grew up in north-west London and caught the music bug as a young schoolgirl, learning several instruments as well as singing in the choir.

"I studied classical music for 15 years, which included jazz standards, and jazz is my favourite music to listen to," she said.

"I started writing pop tunes at the age of nine, and then the two combined themselves. I love the fluidity of voice in jazz and combining that with pop chords - and I'm lucky to be able to combine the two."

Liza said she had grown accustomed to living an artistic 'double life', working four days a week as an office manager in Camden to pay the bills and then allowing herself one day off to write new songs and practise her vocals.

"I've been working since I graduated from uni to support my music and often I feel like I'm living a dual lifestyle," she said. "I have a big electric piano at home and I write all my songs on there. I get a lot more pleasure out of composing my own music - it's often hard to be attracted to something written by someone else or written 100 years ago."

Liza has lived in Brackenbury Road for about a year and has previously performed locally at Thursday night live music sessions at The Goldhawk pub in Goldhawk Road.

She said her blend of pop and jazz had netted a wide fan base, ranging from teenage pop fans right through to jazz buffs in their 60s and 70s.

"I'm very lucky that my audience is so broad," she said. "I have young people who visit my Facebook and MySpace pages, and in my songs I'm talking about current issues, and they can relate to that.

"But I write in quite a classic style and that appeals to my parents' generation who like Joni Mitchell and Suzanne Vega. So if you come to one of my gigs you can have students, professionals and OAPs! That's what I love about music - it brings people of all different age groups together."

Liza will perform a half-hour set at Cafe de Paris during her album launch on February 19, starting from about 9pm.

Doors open at 7pm and tickets cost £8 or £5 concession.

Moving On is available on iTunes or www. amazon. com. For more information on Liza, visit www.lizafinn.com or www.myspace.com/lizafinn