Louise Cookman is a British jazz singer with a specialist background in swing and big band vocals. With her warm tone and engaging personality, Louise has the knack of communicating with a live audience, an infectious joy in performing, as well as an inherent love and understanding of the Great British and American songbooks.
Louise started her career as a dance band and big band vocalist, specialising in the music of the 20s, 30s and 40s; she was the vocalist with the world famous Pasadena Roof Orchestra for over five years, was a regular special guest singer on Big Band Special on BBC Radio 2 and over the past few years has had the pleasure of touring the UK as guest vocalist with the great Ken Peplowski and the BBC Big Band, as well as appearing with the Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra, the Syd Lawrence Orchestra, the Glenn Miller Orchestra UK, the Len Phillips Swing Orchestra and Michael Law's Piccadilly Dance Orchestra. She also lends her vocal talents to Peter Long's highly regarded recreation of Benny Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall concert.
She has sung on Radio 2, 3 and 4, appeared in Period TV Drama, performed at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Cadogan Hall, the Royal Festival Hall and made countless concert and cabaret appearances throughout the UK and Europe.
She was the featured vocalist on “Len Goodman’s Dancing Feet” and “Len Goodman’s Dance Band Days”, both for BBC4 television.
Louise has sung on various recordings, including the 2002 album "Here and Now", by the Pasadena Roof Orchestra; UK clarinettist Pete Neighbour's 2015 album "Back In The Neighbourhood" (featuring pianist Dave Newton and guitarist Jim Mullen), “Are You Havin’ Any Fun?” by The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra and two albums in collaboration with UK drummer, Steve Rushton. She is also a featured vocalist on Terence Frisby's award winning Musical, "Kisses on a Postcard".
Her own album of jazz standards, "That Old Feeling", is available to stream on Spotify, and to download via iTunes.
"...Sultry vocals that sit perfectly amid the rich settings of the band"
- Alyn Shipton, The Times
"Louise Cookman is THE big band girl vocalist sans pareil in this country. Girl singers simply do not sound or look like this any more which is why she is every big band leader's dream"
- Jay Craig, BBC Big Band,
Syd Lawrence Orchestra
"...She added her own style to numbers associated with Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. Why Don’t You Do Right was outstanding."
- Brighton Argus