'HICKS.. A JONI MITCHELL ON THE CUSP BETWEEN FOLK AND JAZZ'
SUNDAY TIMES
'FINE POPPY BLUEGRASS OUTFIT WITH FOLG AND JAZZ LEANINGS'
TIME OUT
'EXCEPT PERHAPS SINEAD O'CONNER THERE HAS NOT BEENA SINGER/SONGWRITER FROM THE BRITISH ISLES WORTH GETTING EXCITED ABOUT SINCE KATE BUSH... HELEN J. HICKS MANAGES TO MIX AN INFECTIOUS KINETIC MIX OF BLUEGRASS, JAZZ, COUNTRY AND FUNK ABD SNGS LIKE A WOMAN WHO IS HAVING A VERY, VERY GOOD TIME'
HARPERS & QUEEN
'HELEN J WICKS.. TANITA TIKARAM'S 'GOOD TRADITION' MEETS DAVID GRAY'S 'BABYLON' WITH AN EVA CASIDY VOCAL THROWN IN'
BOYZ MAGAZINE
'A SINGING SENSATION'
HELLO
Cambridge Choral Scholar and winner of Best Newcomer at the Marlborough Jazz Festival
Helen J Hicks debut solo album is out now on amazon.co.uk and iTunes, and in HMV Stores, and is also available on www.helenjhicks.com store. A Cambridge Choral Scholar and winner of the Best Newcomer at the 2005 Marlborough Jazz Festival, Helen J Hicks is a "... a Joni Mitchell on the cusp between folk and jazz" Sunday Times.
Helen's passion for music began in her childhood. She began singing at age 3 and by the time she was 8, Helen was playing both piano and guitar. From the age of 10, Helen began writing and composing her own songs. From the humble beginnings of singing around the Christmas Tree, Helen has continued developing as a singer/songwriter through performance and great opportunities
She has collaborated on songs with Izzy from Guns 'n' Roses while working with Charles Norman in LA, she has sung with the likes of Jazz greats David Okumu and Ian Shaw, and Helen has represented the UK at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival. Helen also formed her own Jazz band called KUDU, with local Tanzanian musicians, while living in Dar es Salaam in 2001. KUDU was a huge success, playing at every major event in the city, and appearing on National and South African Television.
Prior to launching this solo album, Helen has recorded 2 albums with her band HoneyRiders and was signed to Universal for their last album. Since then, Helen has launched her own music label LoudMouthMusic Ltd.
Currently conducting a regional radio tour, Helen J Hicks is performing at various London venues and some regional venues over the summer. These include: The Marlborough Jazz Festival 13th July, The Elm Tree Jazz Pub Cambridge 26th July, Pizza Express Soho Dean Street 30th July, Vann Festival 3rd-5th August, Greenbelt Festival 25th August, and The 606 Club 5th September.
"The album has an overridingly folky, country edge, full of beautiful soaring string arrangements." Irish World, 2007.
