Meet Elizabeth Shepherd. She’s one of the new breed of young and gifted jazz talents bringing just the right amount of warmth, body and soul for this new century of ours. She injects a sense of fun, spirit, and delight, pouring a wealth of energy into what she does.

You’re going to be hearing a lot from her.

She doesn’t just play the piano. Both the piano and she have become kindred spirits; an inseparable whole. With stellar backing from Scott Kemp on bass and Colin Kingsmore on drums, the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio infuses a much-needed dose of freshness for an ever evolving and age defying genre.

The title track starts the album in tremendous form, bursting like a glorious shooting star radiating positive vibes. For a jazz trio, the sounds loom large, and Shepherd exudes gusto and attitude with her floating vocals and fluid key work. Kemp and Kingsmore never overpower, complementing her on each piece on the album. “Four” packs liveliness into a tight four-minute track. Shepherd’s rapid-fire delivery swirls around uptempo bass and flourishing drums, which are frenetic as a bumblebee’s animated wing beating.

Though most of the album goes between uptempo wonders and midtempo gems, she can croon heartfelt words over ballads too. “Ton Visage,” sung in French, is a nostalgic piece reminiscent of 60’s Paris. “Roots” is an elegant number in a more American jazz vibe of that period.

Let there be no mistake that Elizabeth Shepherd is very much in charge; Start To Move makes that abundantly clear. With co-production from Do Right’s founder John Kong, the LP is one of the best debuts of its kind this year.

Have I told you that you’re going to be hearing a lot from her?


Elizabeth Shepherd Trio's Start To Move is available now on Do Right! Music.