Charlotte Glasson is an award winning multi instrumentalist, composer and band leader, playing mainly original music, which drawing on on influences from across the globe. Since wining the ‘Best Newcomer Award’ in Marlborough Jazz Festival, the Charlotte Glasson Band have been wowing audiences from many jazz festivals including London Jazz Festival, Love Supreme, Southport Jazz Festival, Swanage, Teignmouth, Ealing and Oxford.
Hard to pigeon hole, stylistically, Charlotte's compositions draw on Latin rhythms, New Orleans Mardi Gras, Swing, Arabic, Spaghetti Western and Gypsy Jazz influences.
She has the sensitivity to combine these styles into something that is uniquely her own, upbeat and bouncy on the surface, and with all sorts of interesting twists and turns as a sub-text, and the ability to draw an unexpectedly emotional response in the listener.
Charlotte uses the enormously varied instrumental resources at her disposal in an unfailingly imaginative way. Her own musical armoury contains a small orchestra's worth of sonic possibilities, starting from her woodwind (Tenor and Soprano Sax, Flute, Whistles), Violin and percussion. Then, when you add in contributions by such fine players as trombonist virtuoso Mark Bassey, and genius pianist Chris Kibble, who has worked extensively in the Latin Jazz scene in the UK (Terry Callier, Snowboy, Pucho and The Latin Soul Brothers, King Salsa), this is a band who create a unique and uplifting experience.
The band is made up by Lloyd Coote on bases and sousaphone, and Sam Glasson, Charlotte’s brother, on Drums and Percussion. This offers the band a creative base, built on the sounds of New Orleans, that can cover the global influences her music demands.
The band are touring to promote the new album, Bonito, recorded earlier this year. The tunes collected reflects Charlotte’s fascination into what inspires other artists, and takes its name from Frida Kahlo’s Parrot. Drawing on the lives and loves of a variety of artists for inspiration, the songs tell tales of countries seen, seas sailed, games played and the joy of life as a creative dance.
Charlotte has worked with a host of popular musicians, including Nick Cave, John Martyn, The Divine Comedy, Unkle, Jah Wobble, Oasis, The Lost and Found Orchestra, and Camille O’Sullivan.