Annie Whitehead

Annie Whitehead

The fifteenth person in our series of introductions to performers taking part in International Poetry ReIncarnation at the Roundhouse in Camden on 30th May 2015 is the musician Annie Whitehead.

Born in Oldham, Lancs, Annie learned trombone at school and by the age of fourteen was already busy playing with brass bands, local dance groups and the Manchester Youth Jazz Orchestra. At sixteen, she started her professional career with Ivy Benson’s legendary All Girls Orchestra.

Annie has worked with many well known artists including Elvis Costello, Joan Armatrading, Chris Rea, The Style Council and Robert Wyatt. She was a member of Chris MacGregor’s Brotherhood of Breath, The Carla Bley Very Big Band and the Penguin Café Orchestra. She has contributed to more than 50 albums and has recorded five albums under her own name.

“Annie Whitehead is a trombonist of elegant technique and musical tastes taking in funk, salsa and ska as well as jazz” – John Fordham.

At the Roundhouse, Annie will be performing as part of the William Blake Klezmatrix band, a poetry & music collaborative formed to perform William Blake’s most lyrical texts, & also excerpts from his longer works.

As well as versions of Blake lyrics, the band – which at the Roundhouse will feature Annie Whitehead on trombone and vocals, Peter Lemer on piano, & Michael Horovitz on anglo-saxophone & other voicings – also performs diverse jazz poems, klezmer & other folk music and song, plus jazz, blues, calypso, settings of the poetry of Ginsberg, the Bible, et al, plus original compositions & improvisations.

Get your tickets for the evening’s star-laden performance here: The International Poetry ReIncarnation