Doors 7:45 PM, Music 8:30 PM – 3 set(s) of music
Line-up:
Fini Bearman – Voice
Tom Cawley – Piano
Robin Mullarkey – Bass
James Maddren – Drums
About
Singer, songwriter & instrumentalist Fini Bearman presents this very special, one-off night as part of the London Jazz Festival, celebrating songwriters working in the spaces between jazz, soul & pop-folk music.
Fini will be performing songs from her 5th studio album, ‘Last night of the World’ together with Tom Cawley on piano, Robin Mullarkey on bass & James Maddren on drums. The seeds for this record grew from simple songwriting exercises designed to draw inspiration from all walks of life, coming to fruition in tandem with her pregnancy; final vocal and instrumental takes took place with baby Bridget asleep in a sling… Calling on a diverse spectrum of influences: the melodic inventiveness of Madison Cunningham, the esoteric jazz-folk realms of Becca Stevens, Chris Thile, Paul Simon and the electronic, minimalist songwriting voice of Bjork.
‘Adventurous, beautiful music with great musicianship & improvisation’ – (Jamie Callum, BBC radio 2)
‘An exceptional, unforgettable and profoundly beautiful collection of songs‘ – (Jazzwise)
Fini will be joined for this one-off night by very special guest, Michelle Willis, who will be performing songs from her new album, ‘Rich is the Wanderer’ (2025). Michelle Willis is a Toronto-raised singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist currently based in Scotland. Her blend of soul, folk, and improvisation showcases remarkable musicality and emotional depth. A longtime collaborator of the late David Crosby, she brings sincerity and nuance to every performance. Willis’s talent is undeniable given her formidable résumé amassed through a variety of collaborations as a session keyboardist and vocalist, touring & recording with artists including David Crosby, Becca Stevens, Zac Brown Band, Iggy Pop, Laura Mvula and Michael McDonald.
She is an artist on GroundUP Music, a record label started by Snarky Puppy leader and founder Michael League, with whom she has regularly collaborated and toured with for over a decade.
“Sounds like God on a good day” (David Crosby)
“You can drown in harmonies like these. Willis has power, she has range, she has gorgeous tone and the ability to pack a lot of emotion into even the smallest moment in time..” (The Guardian)
Talkline – the musical collaboration between vocalist and vibraphone player Amy Hollingsworth and pianist Will Hobson
I bloody love them
— David Earl on the Chatabix Podcast
The start of something exciting!
— Jodie Bryant
Talkline’s music has been featured on playlists, local radio and beyond, including notable support from:
Tina Edwards featured ‘Song for a Sign’ on her ‘Spitting Fire’ playlist on Spotify
BBC Introducing Essex and Cambridgeshire – featuring ‘Song for a Sign’, ‘Orbit’, and making ‘Stuck Here’ track of the week