Ian Shaw

In line with our policy of bringing artists of world class standard to the Anchor Sessions, we are beyond delighted to welcome 'national treasure' Ian Shaw to our intimate venue on Thursday 16th January 2025.

With multiple awards as 'best' jazz vocalist - from the likes of the BBC, Parliamentary and Jazz FM Awards, to name but three - Ian Shaw has been named, along with Mark Murphy and Kurt Elling, as one of the world?s finest male jazz vocalists.

But that's only half the story, as Shaw's craftsmanship extends well beyond the constraints of 'jazz' music; his career actually began on the Alternative Cabaret Circuit, alongside such performers as Julian Clary, Rory Bremner and Jo Brand. From there he developed an enviable reputation as a fine, non genre specific, singer and songwriter in his own right as well as for his very personal re-imagining the work of classic artists like David Bowie, Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen.

Ian has played at many - if not all - of the major jazz festivals in the UK and Europe has also performed regularly in the States including Jazz at the Lincoln Center (New York), Cine Grill (Hollywood), the Fairmont (Chicago), The Nest (Washington DC), Fez Club (New York), the Ellington Church (New York), the Pasadena Auditorium (California), the Miami Film and Music Festival and the Arizona Jazz Party. He has also performed at the Hanoi Opera House and Ho Chi Minh City Opera in Vietnam. At the invitation of Barry Humphries, Ian took his show to the Adelaide Cabaret Festival before touring across Australia.

Ian's numerous TV appearances include the likes of Jools Holland, Top of the Pops, The Jack Dee Show, Christmas Night with the Stars (BBC), BBC 2's 'The Review Show', Channel 4?s The Happening, TVAM, BBC Breakfast Show, BBC 2?s A Night of Love, BBC 2?s Jazz at the 606 alongside numerous appearances on the Performance and Artsworld channels.

Showcasing Shaw's versatility, Pete Townshend invited Ian to re-voice songs from Quadrophenia (scored by composer, Rachel Fuller) for a new recording. In a similar vein, Gail Zappa invited Ian to play "Mark" in a fully orchestrated new version of 200 Motels, Frank Zappa's cult 1972 movie which was performed on the Royal Festival Hall stage and broadcast on Radio 3 as part of Hear and Now in October 2013. Shaw then reprised this role for the Belgian premiere of the work, in Antwerp, with the Brussels Philharmonic, in March 2014.

In 2023, Ian released a favourite (non jazz) album of mine, 'Greek Street Friday', and, when Ian heard of this, he generously offered to perform an 'acoustic' version of this wonderful album - with some other favourites too - just for us!