Ese & The Vooduu People - Is This Jazz? (2024) [Hi-Res]

South Londoner Ese Okorodudu has seen it all, done most of it. Graduating from London’s most demanding performing arts school — the streets, as a busker — songwriter Ese (vocals, guitar) is backed by the incendiary Vooduu People: ex-Noisette Pharoah Russell (drums) and Basile Petite (bass) plus Sheena Ross (backing vocals) and Jackson Baird (keyboards).

She and her band are inspired by a range of legends, from Jimi Hendrix to Amy Winehouse via The Isley Brothers, Led Zeppelin, Bowie, Prince, Alice In Chains, Skunk Anansie and Erykah Badu.

Signed to Quadrafon Music Industries, they have released six singles: Dynamite, Fairytale (both 2017), Up In Smoke (live in Brixton), Silver Spoon, Keep On and I Don’t Mind. The debut album Up In Smoke is released in May.

Ese and Sheena joined the lineup of Alabama 3 on their sold-out UK tour in November and December 2018 and are touring with them throughout 2019, with Ese & Sheena also performing Ese’s songs as the support act on many dates.

Ese was a guest star on Jools Holland’s BBC Radio 2 show broadcast on May 19. Aside from being interviewed about her career, she spins two tunes from her forthcoming album and performs a cover of The Stone Roses’ I Wanna Be Adored with Jools and his band including Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis.