From an early age singer/songwriter Helen McDonald was influenced by many great jazz singers; Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Nina Simone and the jazz funk, soul of The Stylistics, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to name but a few. With a notebook full of original songs and melodies, she sought musicians to collaborate with and bring her experiences and musical ideas to fruition. From within her other musical projects (Yaaba Funk, London Bridge Ensemble) she found like minded musicians hence Future Groove was born.
Expect rare groove rendition from the likes of Roy Ayres, Rotary Connection and Gill Scott-Heron. Expect scintillating originals but above all expect to DANCE!!
The chances are you will have been wowed by Helen McDonald either performing at top events such as The London Jazz Festival, Womad, The PizzaExpress (Dean Street), Jazz Cafe, Trafalgar Sq (2017 Africa Day) or touring internationally with flautist Keith Waite or Yaaba Funk.
She has played with many supreme artists such as the late great Gill Scott-Heron, Roy Ayers, Jean Toussaint, Jason Yarde, Robert Mitchell and Omar Puento.
The band has been gigging continuously since its inception five years ago, thrusting its jazz/funk soul renditions (tunes by Gill Scott-Heron, Roy Ayres, The Rotary Connection Hugh Masekela ) and crafted originals on elated audiences at such venues as The Tabernacle (London), The Cambridge Jazz Festival, Derby Jazz, The Lambeth Country Show (Brixton), Jazz at The Crypt (Camberwell) and Toulouse Lautrec Jazz Club.
