Manchester vocalist and Leeds College of Music graduate, Mali Hayes, visited the University of Hull venue last week to perform a mix of her work, new and old.
The performance was effortless as she danced around the stage in white and yellow, completely apt for the sunny tunes. Just like the performance, her voice was fluid, decorating the melody effortlessly with complicated vocal runs and ornaments. The four-piece band was made up of equally accomplished musicians, keeping the rhythm of the ‘Jazzy-Nu-R&B type Neo Soul’, the beat inhabiting many of the audience members as a wave of bopping shoulders appeared for each track. I think the gig might have been better suited to a standing audience rather than a seated auditorium, purely because, if that were the case, Hayes would have got the public dancing with her. Jump from Hayes’ first EP Quiet Silence, released in 2016, was played on BBC 6 Music and by Jamie Cullum on Radio 2 who had great things to say about her:
"A really great new British female vocalist from Manchester. She's got a real un-flashy kind of approach which I really like. Kind of a milder Jill Scott / Erykah Badu, definitely one to watch. We'll be hearing a lot more from her I'm sure!"
Since then, Hayes has released multiple singles, working with George ‘Jazz Man’ Holliday and her producer and sound engineer mother, Yvonne Ellis. Her most recent single, Come Closer, was, in fact, released the same day as the gig. Despite its stripped back nature - just guitar and vocals, both recorded by Hayes herself - it is still very obviously a product of her creative talents. You can feel the raw soul throughout the chilled track and hear the authenticity in her voice.
I’m hoping to see more exposure surrounding Mali Hayes this year and if you get the chance to attend one of her sets at a festival or one of her gigs, it’s highly recommended. Mali Hayes has found a fun, innovative way to approach this ‘Jazzy-Nu-R&B type Neo Soul’ that gets the audience just as excited about the music as the musicians.
Comments