Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, was undoubtedly one of the defining voices of the 20th Century.  She moved gospel from the church into the secular world of pop and brought with it the struggles of the civil rights movement, and those sounds have spanned generations.  Rolling Stone magazine listed Aretha as the greatest voice of all time and her peers and audience stood in standing ovation. At the young age of six, Aretha was playing complex gospel piano chords…

September is the month for Big Bands at Doo-Bop Jazz Bar as we announce the launch of Big Band Tuesday’s as well as a number of other ‘Big Bands’ set to take the Doo-Bop stage. Ever wondered what exactly it is that  makes a big band BIG? read on to find out… A quick history of the era of swing aka big band jazz! Written by Emma Ives Whilst big band refers to a jazz band with more than ten…