The Launch!

On 4th May 2025 Joanna Eden launched her 6th Studio album:-

THE ROAD TO PAYSANDU at Pizza Express Jazz Club, Soho, London.

It's a complicated thing releasing an album! And the album launch concert feels like a kind of conclusion but really it's just the beginning. A bit like giving birth I suppose! My horizon when I was waiting for my daughter to be born, was (quite stupidly) her birth. I couldn't see beyond! My horizon for the last 12 months has been May 4th 2025. The launch and release of my new album 'The Road to Paysandu'. Three years in the making on 3 continents... It's a big one and feels like a really special album to me!

Bringing out a jazz inspired album of mainly original songs isn't easy. I sometimes despair that jazz is suspended in aspic, in danger of becoming a purely nostalgic genre for most people. Jazz clubs are often reluctant to book me to sing original songs and arrangements. They'd rather hear my treatment of standards. But when we get the green light, audiences are thrilled and we all come together. They've taken a chance on something original and their gamble has paid off! The songs are authentic, current, alive and jazzy!

Meeting, writing with, living with, playing with and marrying (as of October '24!) the wonderful bassist Andrés Lafone had a huge effect on my life and my creativity.

I finally found the holy grail for an artist. Someone you love who you can create with!

The added bonus has been (.. and will be I hope!) regular trips to his native Uruguay.

Much of the album was written there, most of it was recorded there and we actually had our modest South American launch in Montevideo with Uruguayan collaborators Hugo Fattoruso and Albana Barrocas in March 24!

Uruguay has captured my heart and set my imagination on fire. It's a new lens to see the world through and - maybe because it's so far away and so, well so foreign - has given me a deeper, wider perspective on many things.

So our album launch was a very Uruguayan affair with our wonderful guitarist Guillermo Hill providing so much texture... the distinctive nylon string guitar sound of bossanova (Uruguay and Brazil are neighbours!) and a vast array of electric guitar sounds which took me straight to Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and a myriad of fusion albums.

Andrés offered incredible South American and jazz grooves which I just LOVE to marry into my original songs AND he brought Gudrun, his double bass, who he encouraged to sing for us beautifully! Check this out...

We also invited special guest Uruguayan percussionist Andrés Ticino to join us on the last couple of numbers so the East Anglian's were outnumbered! I don't know how many times Pizza Express has played host to Uruguayan Candombe drums but they were ringing out that night thanks to Andrés and Guille!

Drummer, Suffolk's finest, George Double, was as groovy as ever and just knows what a song needs... and - more importantly - what it doesn't need. As a singer who's spent a lot of her career praying for the sonic 'space' in a band, George is a gift from the gods!

The other wonderful thing about album launches is that you get to invite your friends and ours turned out in style! I am so blessed with people who've stuck with me through thick and thin, believing in my music. Of course after the concert I was wracked with guilt because there's never enough time to thank everyone. I hope they know how much their friendship means to me!

A special thank you to Django and Seren (who definitely stayed up past her bedtime!) who sent this wonderful pic! Obviously just before we sold out! Which we actually did!

And that's thanks to my amazing PR Geri Perry who filled the room with jazzy people and has made sure I've been dashing around Radio studios for the last couple of months! BBC Five Live and Times Radio are still coming up! And thanks to Geri our arrangement of Joni Mitchell's Blue from the new album was Jazz FM's track of the week!

So now what do I do now? Well the tour is happening! We're slowly rambling our way around the country sharing these songs and stories. You can find out where we are at my website here:-

https://www.joannaeden.net/

If you want to be kept up to date with new gigs that come in, please do join the mailing list (you'll be prompted when you visit my website). I promise not to share your details with anyone!

So, a big, big thank you to everyone involved with the making of The Road to Paysandu. I'm sending it out on its way in the world and wishing it well. I hope the songs travel well. Especially as they were inspired by travel! If you hear my music playing in any unexpected locations let me know!!

If you come to a gig please do come and say hi! And if you know of a wonderful venue where I could be performing please let me know! And tell them they need me!

And.... again..... thank you for your support!