Emma-Jean Thackray (born c. 1989) is an English jazz musician, producer, bandleader, and DJ. She was born and brought up in Leeds, West Yorkshire,[1] and is now based in south London.[2]
Emma-Jean Thackray | |
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| Birth name | Emma-Jean Thackray |
| Origin | Leeds, England, UK |
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| Years active | 2015-present |
| Website | emmajeanthackray |
Early life
editThackray played the cornet in local brass bands in Yorkshire.[3] She studied jazz performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under British jazz pianist and composer Keith Tippett.[4] After her studies at the college, she took a Masters in orchestral jazz composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance under composers Issie Barratt and Errollyn Wallen.[3]
Music career
editIn 2020 Thackray started her own record label, called Movementt, as an outlet for her own music.[5] The label's first release was her solo EP Rain Dance, followed by reissues of her 2016 EP Walrus and 2018 EP Ley Lines.[6] In June 2021, shortly after appearing on Jools Holland's BBC Two show Later… With Jools Holland, she was signed by Warner Chappell Music.[7]
In July 2021, Thackray released Yellow, her debut album, on her own Movementt record label. The chosen label name reflects her motto: “move the body, move the mind, move the soul".[8] The album reached No. 1 in the UK Jazz Albums Chart, and No. 3 in the UK Independent Albums Chart.[9][10]
Discography
edit| Title | Label | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Walrus EP | Deptford Beach | 2016 |
| Ley Lines EP | The Vinyl Factory | 2018 |
| Um Yang 음 양 EP | Night Dreamer | 2020 |
| Rain Dance EP | Movementt | 2020 |
| Yellow Album | Movementt | 2021 |
Personal life
editEmma-Jean is a Taoist, and regularly releases music inspired by her practice. [12]
References
edit- ^ "Emma-Jean Thackray: "It's about trying to get that genuine, organic sound. Not trying to force it, not trying to contrive anything."". jazzwise.com. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ sourced by her bandcamp bio notifications
- ^ a b Richards, Debra. "Emma-Jean Thackray: "It's about trying to get that genuine, organic sound..."". Jazzwise. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Hutchinson. "One to watch: Emma-Jean Thackray". The Guardian.
- ^ Bulut, Selim (4 March 2020). "Emma-Jean Thackray makes music to move the body, mind, and soul". Dazeddigital.com.
- ^ Helfet, Gabriela (12 February 2020). "Multi-instrumentalist/producer Emma-Jean Thackray launches new label with first EP, Rain Dance". The Vinyl Factory.
- ^ Andre Paine (14 June 2021). "Warner Chappell signs rising UK jazz star Emma-Jean Thackray". Music Week. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ "One to watch: Emma-Jean Thackray". The Guardian. 3 July 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2021.
- ^ "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ "Emma-Jean Thackray Discography". Discogs.
- ^ "UM YANG Bandcamp Release". Bandcamp.com. Retrieved 31 July 2020.