PHILIPPA HEALEY is a Lancashire born singer, pianist, composer/ songwriter/ arranger who studied at Manchester’s acclaimed Chetham’s School Of Music. Clever girl, she has a degree from Oxford, a Diploma with Distinction in Classical Singing from Leeds College of Music and she’s worked in the West End (‘Les Mis’ no less). With plenty of strings to her bow she’s also been featured on BBC Radio 2’s “Voice Of Musical Theatre”, as well as recording contemporary classical music for Hyperion Records and performing Vegas style cabaret on Cunard cruise ships!
What’s all this got to do with Soul, Jazz and Funk you may ask! Well right now Ms H has decided to change tack – she’s working on an album of modern funk and jazz from which a funky workout, ‘F.M.L.’ has just been released!
The track is energy-packed and it’s easy to hear the influence of people like Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock – a proper old school 70s jazz-funk vibe going down. Helping to deliver that vibe are Jamiroquai band members,Rob Harris (guitar) , Paul Turner (bass) and Derrick McKenzie (drums)
Despite the title, the song’s not explicit; indeed Philippa tells us that her abbreviation means “funk my life” – funky for sure!