"Emma Johnson and her Gravy Boat are one of the most refreshingly imaginative and perfectly configured acts in contemporary Jazz"
Neil March, Trust The Doc
ABOUT
Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat are a cinematic, melodic instrumental band based in Leeds, led by saxophonist and composer Emma Johnson.
The group won the Peter Whittingham Award to record their debut album, Worry Not, which was released to great acclaim in 2021 and described as ‘an exciting prospect indeed’ by Jazzwise Magazine. Since then, they’ve completed a national tour, welcoming audiences returning to live music with stories, warmth and melodic, spacious compositions that allow each band member to shine.
As a recipient of Lancaster Jazz Festival’s Evolve Commission for 2022, Johnson premiered a stand out set of new work as the culmination of a joyous weekend of live music at the festival in September 2022.
Johnson has since developed this music into the band's second full length release, Northern Flame, which was recorded at Giant Wafer Studio in Wales and produced by Ivor Novello nominated James Hamilton. Released on November 3 2023, the quintet explores dynamic and interplay further in this new album, which marks a more open and exploratory way of writing and recording for Johnson and Gravy Boat.
The release was supported by a tour of festival dates including London, Marsden and Hull, and venues such as NQ Jazz and Howard Assembly Room, with Gravy Boat sharing their 'characteristic Northern warmth and charm' with audiences, through both the music and the tales that inspire it.
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saxophone solo, music video, jazz music, sax, birds, birdwatching, old music, swing music, recording studio, animated video, nature, starling animation, starlings, bird animation, animation, murmuration, saxophone, piano, rspb, ballad, vocal music, song, songwriter, jazz, chilled, illustration, bird drawing, guitar, mellow music, studio, drums, artwork, jazz vocals, vocalist, singer, chilled music, guitar solo, double bass, vocals, swing, birdwatcher, drawing
Gravy Boat
Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat - Worry Not [Good Boy Live Sessions at Northern Monk Refectory]
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Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat perform the title track from their debut album Worry Not live at Northern Monk Refectory, Leeds. Recorded and filmed by Good Boy Live Sessions https://goodboy.live Saxophone and Composition - Emma Johnson Electric Guitar - Fergus Vickers Piano - Richard Jones Double Bass - Angus Milne Drums - Steve HanleyMusic
Sun Stones - Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat
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Debut album 'Worry Not' out 2nd July 2021. Pre-order it here now for immediate download of both singles: https://emmajohnsonsgravyboat.bandcamp.com Sun Stones is the first single from debut album Worry Not by Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat. Inspired by sitting on a pebble beach, beer in hand, watching the sun pass overhead and heat up the stones. Lineup: Saxophone and Composition - Emma Johnson Electric Guitar - Fergus Vickers Piano - Richard Jones Double Bass - Angus Milne Drums - Steve Hanley Video and Artwork by Joe Collinson Recorded at Valley Wood Studios by Barkley McKay Mixed by Tom Orrell Mastered by Tim ThomasMusic
Hold Me Tight - Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat
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Debut album 'Worry Not' out 2nd July 2021. Pre-order it here now for immediate download of both singles: https://emmajohnsonsgravyboat.bandcamp.com Second single taken from the debut album Worry Not by Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat with an incredible video animation by Jolin Matraku. Saxophone and Composition: Emma Johnson Electric Guitar - Fergus Vickers Piano - Richard Jones Double Bass - Angus Milne Drums - Steve Hanley Recorded by George Atkins at 80 Hertz Studios Mixed by Tom Orrell at Nave Studios Mastered by Tim Thomas Video by Jolin Matraku About the song: This song is the only one from the record that just came out fully formed. We had a house flood before Christmas and in January I was trying to write the album and practice and do a million other things. Our house was a mess, everything had got on top of me and I didn’t think I could get it all done. I was totally overwhelmed and Rosie sat me down on our big spinny chair, gave me a big hug and listened to me as I let it all come tumbling out. I’ll never forget this moment and what followed it (even though I’m pretty sure that she already has). After the tears and the worries and a big hug, which is what I always need, she helped me work out where to start. The study was full of all the belongings we’d moved upstairs to save from the water, so you could hardly get in it, and she helped me tidy it up and move stuff around so I could make a start. I wrote this tune the next day and it’s one of my favourites.Music
jazz, jazz music, music video, animation, animated video, saxophone, piano, guitar
Where Were You Hiding? (feat. Nishla Smith) - Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat
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To buy: https://emmajohnsonsgravyboat.bandcamp.com To stream: https://spoti.fi/3dLD6a8 Relaxed, mellow single from Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat featuring Manchester based vocalist Nishla Smith. The video is a hand drawn animation featuring a starling murmuration. Animation and Video - Dougie Harley Audio Engineer - Barkley McKay Audio Mixing - Tom Orrell Audio Mastering - Tim Thomas Vocals - Nishla Smith Saxophone - Emma Johnson Guitar - Fergus Vickers Piano - Richard Jones Double Bass - Angus Milne Drum Kit - Steve HanleyMusic
saxophone, jazz, jazz music, sax, saxophone solo, guitar solo, piano, double bass, drums, guitar, studio, recording studio, vocals, jazz vocals, vocalist, singer, vocal music, ballad, old music, mellow music, chilled music, chilled, song, songwriter, swing, swing music, murmuration, birds, birdwatching, birdwatcher, starlings, animation, illustration, drawing, bird drawing, bird animation, starling animation, artwork, nature, rspb
Pelican (Live at Seven Arts 260820) - Emma Johnson's Gravy Boat
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Hugely enjoyable first gig back after lockdown, to a lovely and socially distant audience. Excuse the road noise etc but nice to have a capture of a full song thanks to Trevor Prinn! To check out the animated video of our latest single, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa4AROzmpDo For updates and more: www.johnsonmusic.co.uk/gravy-boatMusic