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Einst sang sie sich mit den Communards in die Hitparaden. Man schrieb das Jahr 1985, vital pumpende, milchig interpretierte Discohymnen hatten Saison. Selbst in den USA. Sarah Jane Morris nützte die mediale Aufmerksamkeit und leistete sich jede vorstellbare modische Torheit, von zweifärbigen Hosenträgern bis zur Vogelnestfrisur. Die Kunst, sich stilvoll zu kleiden, beherrscht die sympathische Sängerin bis heute nicht. Im Porgy & Bess tänzelte sie in einer Art Kartoffelsack mit Leopardenfellpumps über die Bühne. Ästhetik ist ihr ausschließlich in der Musik wichtig. Da hat sich die Fünfzigjährige enorm weiterentwickelt. Ihr Repertoire umfasst unterschiedlichste Spielarten des Pop, Jazz und Soul. Während die Fans gerne von ihrer Vieroktavenstimme schwärmen, zog es die resche Britin bei ihrem Wiener Auftritt vor, lustvoll in den tieferen Lagen zu grundeln. Im intimen Setting, begleitet nur vom formidablen Sting-Gitarristen Dominic Miller, startete sie mit einer eindringlichen Version von Damien Rices „Blower's Daughter“. Morris' Stimme zeichnet sich durch Flexibilität aus – und durch die charakteristische raue Patina, mit der sie besonders ihre neuesten, auf dem nächsten Album „Where It Hurts“ versammelten Psychodramen liebkoste. Sie erzählt nicht nur von „cold goodbyes“, sondern lebt sie in der Manier einer Method-Actress aus der Lee-Strasberg-School aus, mit viel Drama in Mimik und Kehlkopf. So ansprechend ihre neuen eigenen Songs auch textlich sind, es enttäuschte, dass sie musikalisch so heftig mit dem Mainstream flirtet. Mutiger war sie in den bedachtsam ausgesuchten Coverversionen, die sie mit wundervoll belegter Stimme sang. Ob Jimi Hendrix' „Little Wing“, Stings „Fragile“ oder Bob Dylans „Just Like A Woman“, diese Frau kann auch beinahe zu Tode interpretierten Songs aufregend neue Aspekte abgewinnen. Das bewies sie auch bei den Philly-Soul-Evergreens „Me And Mrs. Jones“ und „Don't Leave Me This Way“. Absolutes Highlight war indes eine auf kleiner Flamme köchelnde, aber ungemein intensive Adaption von John Martyns „I Don't Wanna Know About Evil“. (Samir H. Köck, anlässlich eines Konzertes im Januar 2009)

“Leave your preconceptions at home,” begins one London critic’s assessment of sensual singer-songwriter Sarah Jane Morris, who straddles rock, blues, jazz and soul with a goosebump-raising four octave range that rumbles from the heels of her size eight shoes to the tips of her flame-red mane.

Famed for her association with the Communards in the mid-80s and infamous for a banned rendition of the classic Me and Mrs Jones, Sarah Jane Morris has always attracted as much attention for her politics as for her soul-driven, seismic voice. Many solo albums later, pop stardom on the continent, and a diverse set of musical collaborations on record, film and stage, Morris continues to steer her unorthodox career to greater heights.

Sarah Jane has just finished recording “Cello Songs”. An incredible live album with Enrico Melozzi, Dominic Miller (nylon string guitar) and 14 Cellos. This album was launched in Rome at the end of 2011 and she was invited to perform at the Vatican on 21st December with the orchestra and Dominic Miller and it was broadcast live on Italian TV! Below is a recording of the very first performance in Parma.

The first performance in the UK was at the prestigious Hay Literary Festival on June 6th. The grand launch will be at the Purcell Rooms on November 14th as part of the London Jazz Festival, followed by dates around the country.

Sarah Jane’s last album was “Where it Hurts” which is a stunning co-written and co-produced album. The tracks are co-written with Dominic Miller (Sting’s right hand man and co-writer of ‘Shape My Heart’) and Martyn Barker (Billy Bragg and The Blokes). The Album was launched at Ronnie Scotts (London) and Blue Note (Milan).

“Where it Hurts”is also the title or Sarah Jane’s one woman show which was previewed at the Edinburgh Festival to rave reviews. Co-written with Michael Crompton (Silent Witness), with Dominic Miller accompanying on guitar, this show has been touring the UK theatres and Arts Centres. It includes stories and songs from her childhood through to her collaboration on the song ‘Coal Not Dole’ with Matt Fox (Happy End) and Kay Sutcliffe (a Kent Miners wife) for the miners strike, The Communards, nearly playing the part of Janis Joplin in the Paramount movie and beyond.

In 2006, she celebrated her 25-year career with the release of a double-CD, After All These Years. This 34-track compilation, which went Top 40 in Europe, includes acoustic sessions, dance remixes and live performances that showcase the true spirit and energy of this charismatic, uncompromising performer. The CD traces Sarah Jane’s career from her early days with political bands The Republic and The Happy End, to chart success, solo singles and unreleased live tracks, and contains a new bossa nova version of her cult hit Me and Mrs Jones. To celebrate her hit with the Communards, Sarah Jane released a new rendition of Don’t Leave Me This Way, twenty years after it hit #1 in Britain and became the best selling single of the year.

In September 2008, Sarah Jane released her second CD “Migratory Birds” in collaboration with Marc Ribot (Tom Waits). The 12 track CD is a collection of songs from Bob Dylan, Rickie Lee Jones, Janis Ian, Damien Rice, Dolly Parton and Velvet Underground.

Her international success includes hits in Japan, Germany, Greece (two #1 records), and Italy, where she was been awarded the key to the city of Verona, honoured with a European Grammy and won the international Sanremo song festival (only for the award to be swiped by runner-up Grace Jones!).

Concert highlights have included a Swing Ladies concert with Chaka Khan and Monserrat Caballe, a performance in front of 10,000 fans in Athens, the Red Wedge Tour, Venice Opera House, The Verona Arena, Taormina Amphitheatre in Sicily, Royal Albert Hall, European Tour with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, numerous sell-out weeks at Ronnie Scott’s Club in London, and the What Women Want concert with Sinead O’Connor and Chrissie Hynde at the Royal Festival Hall.

“Just four days in January 2009 embraced my first hearing of the music from ‘Where It Hurts’, a night at London’s Pizza Express Jazz Club where Sarah Jane was mesmerically performing live (nothing like as regular a privilege for London’s music-lovers as it should be), and Obama’s historic inauguration on 20 January.” (John Fordham, The Guardian 2009)

“A voice that can excite shivers of passion and delight … Soaring, swooping, sensual and sophisticated, this voice is more than a style, it’s a force of nature … Torch song, soul standard or smoky blues, the message remains constant: human passion with a dazzling voice.” (Neil Spencer, The Observer).
“Those in-the-know rate her as one of the world's great jazz-soul vocalists of the past twenty years and more.” (Vogue Italia)