Kings Live Lounge: Kirkcaldy venue hosts jazz saxophonist Laura Macdonald at weekend gig

Raised in Prestwick she attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Art for two years before her scholarship at Berklee College of Music in Boston USA.

This came about after a chance meeting at her Glasgow jazz residency at Blackfriars when the vice-president of Berklee said ‘you have got to come to our college’.

These experiences led to her joining the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra before the release of her first album called simply Laura with her then husband Tommy Smith.

She had been offered a record deal with Linn Records but chose to release independently on their own Spartacus label. More notice was achieved with her solo album Awakenings in 2003 and various lineups with quartet and sextet.

Speaking to her this week she is looking forward to coming across to Fife for what is her first live show with an audience since the beginning of lockdown.

Laura will be joined by Mario Caribe on bass and Paul Harrison on piano playing a selection of standards familiar to all and with cabaret setting in an intimate jazz club atmosphere.

For the past two years the only outlet was online, and Laura said it was a massive learning curve to master the streaming and technology needed to upload quality music while being miles apart. Her True collaboration with guitarist Martin Taylor is a joy to hear as both at masters of their instrument and together it works so well.

They grew up in the same area and knew of each other as careers progressed, yet the wee video was the first musical combination and now preserved online for all.

Actually, her album Duets from 2013 has some renown partners like David Berkman and Steve Hamilton.

Lots of fans will know her though from MasterChef as she reached the finals in 2021 and this has opened so many new doors like recipe development and food festivals which will include Foodies Edinburgh this August in the chef’s theatre.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival will feature too though, and Laura told me to watch out for some jazz and food events still to be announced.

As her Instagram exploded due to the TV exposure, we can now expect a recipe book at some stage.

We do have a new album to look forward to as well with more jazz friends set for release next month and called Together. This week though see her trio live at Kings Live Lounge on Saturday, tickets at the door or from Langtoun Jazz.

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