Ian Shaw interviewed in Jazzwise

Ian Shaw, who is described as "the leading male jazz singer of his generation in the UK", chats to Andy Robson in the April issue of Jazzwise about his influences, the inspiration behind "Lifejacket", his collaborations with Liane Carroll and Guy Barker, his attitude to live performance and much more...

Ian cites influences such as David Bowie, Chaka Khan and Joni Mitchell, but has no cross-over ambitions prefering to flourish within the vibrant London jazz scene where he works regularly with drummer Mark Fletcher, singer Liane Carroll ("she's a force of nature - I love her") and guitarist David Preston.

Shaw's inspirations for "Lifejacket" came from being homesick for Wales "maybe my mid-life crisis is making me Welsher", of being in love "I've written my first ever long song The Safest Place", and growing older "42 is a Pogues-type paean to self-destruction at the realisation that we're just middle-aged kids".

Read the interview in full in the April issue of Jazzwise.