Touring
Bancroft & Lyne are available for touring. Please contact sbancroft@btinternet.com
Bancroft & Lyne Biog
Performing together for the past 2 decades Bancroft & Lyne’s repertoire includes a mix of original contemporary jazz-based songs alongside reimagined jazz classics and covers of songs by songwriters such as Suzanne Vega, Rickie Lee Jones and Joni Mitchell. Heralded as a ‘must see’ act at a recent Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, New York they have performed at many venues and festivals around the UK, Europe and North America.
As a couple living in the same house during lockdown they used the unexpected time to evolve the duo’s identity, finding different ways to orchestrate old and new songs. Alongside this they developed a weekly international livestream audience and produced their most recent CD Monday Nights which received much critical acclaim, including being listed in JazzViews top jazz albums of 2020
“an album of the highest class, superbly produced, and entertaining” – JAZZVIEWS
A leading Scottish-based duo who have been performing together for over two decades. Their repertoire includes a mix of original contemporary jazz-based songs alongside reimagined jazz classics and covers of songs by the likes of Suzanne Vega and Joni Mitchell. Heralded as a ‘must see’ act at a recent Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, New York they have performed at many venues and festivals around the UK, Europe and North America.
” Pure jazz. Authentic renditions of standards and beautiful originals, reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, Carole King, James Taylor and that golden era.”
JAZZ @ THE GLAD
“Bancroft & Lyne – new jazz from Scotland”
ALYN SHIPTON, THE GUARDIAN
Their most recent album ‘Monday Nights’ which as well as being listed as one of the top Jazz albums of 2020 by JazzViews, received notable comments from Canadian reviewer JazzdaGama, a 4-star write-up in the prestigious The Whole Note magazine, and various others great reviews including London Jazz News, The Scotsman etc.
“Bancroft & Lyne are first-class jazz performers, improvisers and songwriters.”
THE WHOLENOTE, Canada
“Monday Nights – an album to absolutely die for”
JAZZDAGAMA, Canada
“Monday Nights – an album of the highest class, superbly produced, and entertaining”
JAZZVIEWS
SOPHIE heralds from one of the UK’s top jazz families. Enjoying a career as a jazz vocalist over the last four decades she has also received much acclaim as a songwriter and composer. Her music has been used in major US TV shows such as ‘Six Feet Under,’ and CSI, her songs recorded and performed by award-winning jazz luminaries such as US pianist Louis Durra and UK vocalist Liane Carroll and she was recently music director and composer for the 4-star-reviewed Dementia The Musical that toured the major theatres around Scotland in Autumn 2024. Sophie is also a filmmaker and her most recent short film and song ‘OLD MOTHER BLACKBIRD’ is currently being shown as part of Virgin Atlantic’s inflight entertainment. www.sophiebancroft.co.uk
TOM is a leading figure on the Scottish jazz scene with an impressively diverse portfolio featuring double and electric bass, studio production and sound designer, composition and arrangement. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, Lyne, who played violin at the age of three and went on to study double bass at McGill University in Montreal, has been living in Scotland since 1998. He has played with the country’s leading jazz artists such as Dave Milligan, Brian Kellock, Tom Bancroft and Kevin MacKenzie. Lyne’s new solo album ‘Well Mixed Blue’ is a celebration of his longstanding musical partnership with pianist Dave Milligan, which is built on the strong, intuitive chemistry between the two men as well as their strengths as individual players.www.tomlyne.co.uk
Education
Sophie and Tom are both experienced jazz educators. Sophie teaches voice at Edinburgh University’s Reid School Of Music, has numerous private teaching students and runs jazz vocal workshops around the UK with colleagues and jazz luminaries Liane Carroll, Sara Colman and Brian Kellock. Tom has taught at Napier and Aberdeen Universities and McGill Conservatoire. They regularly run workshops together working with vocalists and instrumentalists – see here.
Photo below – Teaching a Jazz Workshop at the
Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, New York
Promotional Photos Bancroft & Lyne
Reviews
“Bancroft & Lyne are first-class jazz performers, improvisers and songwriters. Their performances here are upbeat, musical and subtle, and surprisingly made me totally forget about our COVID outbreak isolation lockdown.” THE WHOLENOTE (link to original review)
“an album of the highest class, superbly produced, and entertaining” – JAZZVIEWS (link to original review)
“this music heralds a new kind of lieder in which both Miss Bancroft and Mr Lyne are equal partners. What this duo succeed in doing is add a veneer of most eloquent intimacy to the art of the [voice and bass] duet” – JAZZDAGAMA (link to original review)
“Tom Waits meets Cole Porter. Mixing jazz and folk influences including elements of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald.“ – THE WORLD OF JAZZ (link to original review)
“Stunning pairing of the guitar and vocals of Sophie Bancroft and bassist Tom Lyne joined forces to provide an intimate but joyful duo” – JAZZVIEWS (link to original review)
“Uncommon artistry on the part of both members of the duo” – JAZZDAGAMA (link to original review)
“jazz and folk, delivered with an intimacy and joy” – MICHAEL’S MUSIC BLOG SPOT (link to original review)
Songs
Videos
Gigs
Some of our favourite past gigs have included:
- ‘Made In UK’ Showcase @ Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, New York
- Support slot with Bert Jansch at ABC Glasgow
- American-Scottish Foundation, New York
- Double bill with Paul Jones & Dave Kelly @ Celtic Connections
- Double bill with Christine Tobin @ Celtic Connections
- Gigs around the Highlands with the Scotland On Tour initiative in 2022 – coming out of lockdown
Contact Info
Sophie Bancroft:
email – sbancroft@btinternet.com
+44 (0) 7989915302
Tom Lyne:
tomlyne@btinternet.com
+44 (0) 7811594824
Links
Website:
https://bancroftlyne.com/
http://www.sophiebancroft.co.uk/
http://tomlyne.co.uk/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sophiebancroftmusic
https://www.facebook.com/TomlyneMusic
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sophiebancroftmusic
https://www.instagram.com/tomlyne/
Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqBcvWbNTJGUJr4DGYwvIcw
https://www.youtube.com/user/tomlyne
Twitter:
@sjbancroft
@BassLyne
Streaming links:
SoundCloud https://soundcloud.com/bancroft-lyne/sets/monday-nights
Spotify: https://artists.spotify.com/c/artist/4sIbO3x4hgTpmGLcXGlcpV/home
Tech Specs
Sophie:
- Guitar Amp – Acoustic style amp like AER60 or equivalent which can provide DI to front of house (or mic it)
- Guitar Stand –has own
- Vocal Mic – SM58 or similar
- Monitor – We can also work from single monitor
Tom:
- Bass Amp – Good quality 150 watts or more – has own preamp selector for mixing Double and Electric bass. Front of house can also take a DI from the preamp.
- Guitar Stand – has own
- Vocal Mic – SM58 or similar
- Monitor – Can also work from single monitor
- Will make specific arrangements if there is need of a double or electric bass
Setup and sound can usually be complete within one hour.