Emily Saunders is a UK jazz vocalist, songwriter and producer. Her work blends jazz with Brazilian influences, future-jazz ideas, pop hooks and bass-led grooves, and she is known for combining melodic writing with adventurous musicianship.

Music and style

Saunders develops a hybrid sound built around hooky basslines, riffs and Brazilian-inflected rhythms. Her songs are described as combining virtuosity with an accessible pop sensibility, while remaining rooted in jazz and jazz-fusion. Her recorded work is also associated with vocal jazz and dancefloor-oriented jazz contexts.

Releases and recognition

Her music receives praise from broadcasters and critics across jazz and specialist music media. Jamie Cullum describes her as a prolific and skilled songwriter and producer, and Radio 2, JazzFM, BBC Radio 6 Music, the Evening Standard, The Guardian, Metro, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, Echoes, The Arts Desk, Jazzwise, AllAboutJazz and other outlets all single out her musicality, originality, poise and vocals in responses to her albums and tracks.

Individual songs and releases are highlighted in particular: Rugged Waves is played as a track of the week on JazzFM breakfast radio, while Mashup draws attention for its unusual, genre-crossing approach. Her album output is also referred to as among the strongest jazz releases of the period, including a release described as one of the best jazz albums of 2015.

Reception

Listeners and presenters frequently describe Saunders as an original and distinctive artist with a highly individual sound. Her performances and recordings are praised for their catchiness, confidence and compositional detail, and she is presented as a significant figure in contemporary UK jazz and jazz-fusion.