Oliver Bolton (vocals)
Glen Leach (piano)
Josh Dyer (drums)

1. The Single Man (Rod McKuen)
2. I've Got It Bad (Duke Ellington/composition, Oliver Bolton/vocalese of Johnny Hodges’ performance from Johnny Hodges With Billy Strayhorn And The Orchestra, 1961)
3. Something Special (a poem by Oliver Bolton, improvised composition by Leach/Dyer)
4. (Intro to Dilated Universe)
5. Dilated Universe (Oliver Bolton)
6. How Could I Be So Blind (Oliver Bolton)
7. I missed you (a poem by Oliver Bolton, improvised composition by Glen Leach)
8. The Streetlamp (Oliver Bolton, plus extended improvisation from Bolton/Leach/Dyer, and Apophenia (a poem by Oliver Bolton, improvised composition by Leach/Dyer)
9. Peri's Scope (Bill Evans/composition and original solo (Portrait In Jazz, 1960), Oliver Bolton/vocalese of solo)

The examiners described the performance as “totally captivating”, “truly unique” and “a dark, yet illuminating journey that at times was challenging, unnerving, thought provoking, moving, enchanting and beautiful.” They graded it at 90/100.

For this performance, I wanted to capture the often frenetic and bizarrely universal experience of isolation. I wanted to find ways to sing those most complicated implications of the pandemic. Above all, I wanted to explore how nothing runs off clean anymore, everything so clearly entangles those things around it; no relationship without flaws, no concepts without critique, and how fundamentally OK that all is. I hope you enjoy it :)

Songs recorded at SevenArts were produced by Alex Greenwood.

Peri's Scope - Final Recital at Leeds Conservatoire

The Streetlamp & Apophenia (poem) - Final Recital at Leeds Conservatoire

I missed you (poem) - Final Recital at Leeds Conservatoire

How Could I Be So Blind - Live at SevenArts

Dilated Universe - Final Recital at Leeds Conservatoire

Intro to Dilated Universe - Final Recital at Leeds Conservatoire

Something Special (poem) - Final Recital at Leeds Conservatoire

I've Got It Bad - Final Recital at Leeds Conservatoire

The Single Man - Live at SevenArts

This is an original vocalese of 'I Got It Bad' from the 1961 album 'Johnny Hodges With Billy Strayhorn And The Orchestra'. Lyrics (written by me) can be found in the youtube description box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nouENhldE6I

Guitar - Krzysztof Lach
Double Bass - Elliot Roffe
Drums - Breck Stewart

Photo owned by Ted Chen

I Got It Bad (Rehearsal Take)

Hi, I'm a jazz singer based in Leeds, UK.
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4hjRDSi6XysVJ-_PpiL-ng