Lizzy Parks

Lizzy Parks

Lizzy Parks is a singer and songwriter from the United Kingdom. She works in jazz, soul and funk, and is associated with Tru Thoughts. Her debut album, Watching Space, draws on jazz vocal traditions while combining them with a more contemporary approach. Her singing has been compared with Erykah Badu, and her songwriting with Carole King.

Early life and training

Parks grows up in Devon, in the south-west of England, and later moves to Birmingham to study jazz at university. Before that, she plays music through clarinet, piano and tenor saxophone as well as voice. Birmingham becomes an important base for her musical development, and she starts working with other musicians there.

Career

She first draws wider attention through her involvement with the Nostalgia 77 and Nostalgia 77 Octet projects, both linked to Tru Thoughts. She also sings on Chris Bowden’s Slightly Askew album for Ninja Tune, which appears in 2001. Other session work follows for different labels and artists, including Nostalgia 77’s Hope Suite for Tru Thoughts and Will Saul’s Space Between for Simple.

Hope Suite is nominated for Gilles Peterson’s BBC Radio 1 Track of the Year in 2005. Parks then works on her debut album Watching Space in 2005 for the independent label The Birds. She later records Raise the Roof for Tru Thoughts, co-produced by Nostalgia 77. The album is preceded by a 7-inch single of the same name.

Live work and collaborations

Parks performs regularly with the Nostalgia 77 Octet and also appears with The Heritage Orchestra on occasion. She fronts her own band, Lizzy Parks, and continues to work on solo music and collaborations. Her live appearances include The Jazz Café, Cargo, the National Theatre, the Royal Festival Hall, The Spitz, Ronnie Scott’s, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Glastonbury Festival, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and the Gateshead International Jazz Festival. She also performs internationally in Denmark, Portugal, Bratislava, Athens, Ghent, Belgium and Germany.

Style

Parks describes her music as coming from broad listening and a love of singing, with an emphasis on sharing music with others. Her work is often placed within jazz, soul and funk, and it combines jazz freedom with a modern edge.