You’ll feel very, very good after ‘Feeling Good’ a night of roof-raising jazz, soul and blues by Karen Underwood and her four-piece band in Ballymaloe Grainstore on Friday 22 April. The Chicago native has captivated audiences all over Ireland with her powerful, passionate and moving interpretations of the songs of Billie Holliday, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse.
Karen’s Feeling Good song list includes What A Difference A Day Makes, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You, My Funny Valentine, Let’s Stay Together, Somebody To Love, Natural Woman, Unforgettable, Here Comes The Sun, Ain’t Got No, You’ve Got A Friend, and many more.
And, of course, the Nina Simone classic, Feeling Good.
Karen was born on the south side of Chicago where she began her singing career in the church and as she says “there were no soloists, no instruments, everyone sang together in four part harmony”. Before she arrived in Ireland she had never sung with instrumental accompaniment or even a band. This changed when she moved to Cork in 1997, found her feet and started playing with The Flying Monkeys in March 2000.
Karen has written and performed four of her own shows that have toured across the country to critical and popular acclaim. She has played a host of Irish venues including The Olympia, Vicar Street, the Gaiety, National Concert Hall and Cork Opera House to name but a few. She is a regular at festivals including Oxegen, Electric Picnic, Body and Soul, Black Box Festival of Fools, and Cork Jazz Festival. She has appeared live on TV3, TG4 and been guest on numerous radio shows including Pat Kenny, Derek Mooney, Marty Whelan, Miriam O’Callaghan, John Creedon. Her two albums are ‘Ban the use of Jazz Music’ with Cartoon and her debut solo album ‘Live at the Everyman’ with John O’Brien.
John O’Brien is a classically-trained pianist, conductor, director and composer based in Cork. He serves as Karen’s musical director and accompanies her on piano. John has worked on more than forty different productions of opera and musical theatre in Ireland, UK and Canada, and has toured with choirs across Europe, Japan and China.
Karen and John will be joined by Eoghan Regan (guitar); David Duffy (bass) and Davie Ryan (drums).
Tickets for Feeling Good with Karen Underwood and her Band in Ballymaloe Grainstore are €25 and can be booked online on www.ballymaloegrainstore.com or by phone on 021 465 2531. Early three-course dinner (6pm) in Ballymaloe House and ticket are €70.