Lucy Mellenfield – ‘Songs of the Understory’ - with Neil Yates

A Jazz Central gig organised by Jazz Midlands and Birmingham Jazz showcasing the Mentors work with their emerging star Mentee.

Lucy Mellenfield is a Birmingham-based vocalist and songwriter. Her music, which crosses the borders between jazz and folk, is influenced by renowned songwriters Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, as well as more contemporary artists including Olivia Chaney, Karen Casey and Lauren Kinsella. She graduated from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2022, after completing a post-graduate master’s degree in jazz vocals, which included arranging and recording her compositions for orchestra, as well as touring with the Conservatoire Folk Ensemble across the UK and France.

Her project, ‘Songs of the Understory’, has been mentored by leading trumpeter and composer Neil Yates, through the Jazz Central Mentoring Programme for Jazz Midlands. Yates is himself deeply rooted in both the jazz and folk traditions. It weaves together a patchwork of influences, exploring the fine balance between respecting the harmonic simplicity of a folk tune and the improvisational nature of jazz music. Expect to hear a mixture of original songs as well as new arrangements that explore low-lying emotions and stories - the ‘understory’ often obscured by our busy lives.

Line Up: Lucy Mellenfield –  voice/piano with Neil Yates – trumpet/bodhran, Tom Henry – guitar & James Owston - bass