a b o u t   l o u i s e

Louise has been singing with various bands in and around Cambridge for some years. She performs regularly with the Louise Hobbs Quartet and Caxton Swing, an eight piece swing band. Her style is melodic, sophisticated, understated and witty, underpinned by a strong commitment to swing.

Louise's material comes from an eclectic range of sources. She's equally at home with the main jazz repertoire, with songs such as On a slow to China and These foolish things, as she is with Burt Bacharach's The look of love or Rupert Holmes' The people you never get to love. She particularly enjoys songs that take a wry look at love and life such as Peel me a grape, My attorney Bernie and When in Rome. A typical set list will include a mix of driving swing numbers, poignant ballads, earthy blues and spicy bossas.

For a while she co-ran the jazz singers network in east England and set up a jazz night in Cambridge to show case local jazz musicians.

Musical influences

Blossom Dearie - understated and witty, Blossom Dearie introduced her to a range of great songs.

Ella Fitzgerald - fab voice, strong sense of swing, emotional intimacy.

Susannah McCorkle - great arrangements, wonderful vocal technique, emotional depth.

Lea Delaria - brings musical theatre influence to her singing, unusual repertoire (Blondie's Call me), high energy stage presence.

And lots of other influences such as Nina Simone, Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, and Diana Krall.

© Louise Hobbs 2007