Lucy Woodward

BIO

Lucy Woodward is a powerhouse singer whose soulful, impeccably controlled vocals will turn on a dime, from a runaway-train full-throttle intensity to a soft, slow burning sultry whisper, only to take you back into an inferno. With dynamic arrangements explicitly written to match Lucy’s passionate vocal manner, color, and timbre; her songs range from a high-energy explosion to a sultry, blues pulse to a hauntingly intimate hymn-like meditation.

Lucy Woodward & The Rocketeers (Quartet) Jelle Roozenburg (guitar), Niek de Bruijn (drums), and Udo Pannekeet (bass), have been Lucy’s touring band for several years, performing with her at international renowned festivals such as Istanbul Jazz Fest and Athens Jazz, as well as throughout Europe and more recently, at London’s Ronnie Scott’s. On the road, their musical chemistry and immense trust in each other’s abilities have gelled into something deeply organic, telepathic, and thrilling.

Lucy released two albums in 2024: her 7th album Stories From The Dust, is comprised of original music she wrote and produced with GRAMMY-award producer David Garza whom she spent several weeks in downtown LA with, writing stories about women – the fiercely independent and unconventional women who raised her and those she merely observed from afar, whether in the sandbox or on the subway. Dust was recorded in Texas facing the mountains of Mexico and features bass extraordinaire Tim Lefebvre and co-writer pianist Larry Goldings. Inspired by Bill Withers and Nina Simone, she added inspiration from the deep rivers of Americana, blues and jazz. The album is rootsy and melodic, continuing a decades-long streak of craft oriented, critically acclaimed full length albums from the New York native.

Lucy Woodward & The Rocketeers was also released in 2024 on GroundUP Music with her bespoke 18-person jazz collective, a musical “extension” of The Rocketeers Quartet featuring men and women from countries such as The Netherlands, Spain, Italy and Ghana. Inspired by American composers such as Donny Hathaway, Nina Simone and Billy Strayhorn and recorded and filmed in Rotterdam’s iconic venue LantarenVenster, the compositions and arrangements for this album fully employ Lucy’s full range and are vibrantly pushed forward by the players’ ambitions, consummate skills, and unbiased personalities.

Music-driven movement is within Lucy Woodward’s life force. Born in London to classical musicians and traveling since birth, her childhood was spent traveling between The Netherlands, where her father lived after her parents separated, and her hometown of New York, where she lived with her mother, growing up on a steady diet of Chopin and Michael Jackson. Her NYC soundtrack was found in countless New York bodegas and on subways.

Lucy started her singer/songwriter career busking in NYC coffee shops and countless cover bands. She has released albums on Atlantic with songs landing on top 40 radio earning her two BMI Music Awards, Verve Records with the legendary producer Tony Visconti (Bowie, McCartney) and GroundUP Music with a record produced by Michael League (Snarky Puppy) and Henry Hey (Rudder/Forq ). She has collaborated with Snarky Puppy in the studio and live, opening up for them, with them as her backing band. In 2019, her and guitar virtuoso Charlie Hunter opened for them at London’s Royal Albert Hall. She recorded two albums with Hunter, backed by extensive international touring. Pink Martini enlisted Lucy as a temporary sub for China Forbes, with Lucy learning their repertoire of Croatian, Turkish, Spanish, French, and Japanese songs on a few days’ notice debuting at Montreal Jazz Fest with the band among several other North American Jazz Festivals. She has guest appeared with European jazz orchestras such as WDR Big Band, Danish Radio Big Band and Frankfurt Radio Big Band.

Lucy has also sung vocals and written vocal arrangements for legends including Rod Stewart, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, and Chaka Khan. She has sung on and written for several movie soundtracks including blockbusters The Blind Side, Last Vegas, What a Girl Wants, Birds Of Prey, and, with her version of the Bjork classic “It’s Oh So Quiet,” on Ice Princess.

“the new album by Lucy Woodward is pure creative magic! Full of thought provoking well crafted songs, beautiful and refreshing.”
– SIR ROD STEWART CBE

 

“Lucy is a deep, soulful vocalist who is as versatile and virtuosic as she is passionate.”
– MICHAEL LEAGUE (bandleader of Snarky Puppy)

 

“Piercing thoughts and soaring vocals…”
– THE MAIL ON SUNDAY (Daily Mail UK)