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Bill Sharpe of SHAKATAK, on keyboards, Brit Funk and his new album with Imagination's Leee John

Bill Sharpe

55m 15s
First published: April 4, 2024
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Bill Sharpe, British keyboardist and composer, was a founding member of the jazz-funk group Shakatak. Born in 1952, Sharpe developed a love of the piano at an early age, studied music at University, and after a period of being in a band with Trevor Horn, formed Shakatak with Nigel Wright, Roger Odell and Keith Winter. With vocals from Jill Saward, who later became an official member of the band, they quickly rose to fame in the early 1980s with a unique blend of jazz, funk, and pop. "Night Birds" and "Down on the Street," amongst their successes in that era, both in Britain and in the States.

Interview link:
https://youtu.be/qryJJSGqwo0?si=YOTKSB_fs77JAVpm

Bill's success continues today, alongside touring as Shakatak, he's just released an album with the Imagination frontman Leee John. INTIMATE GLOW is full of smooth jazz sounds from both these legends, and the first single release “Take Me Back” features the phenomenal Mark King from Level 42 on bass, and also MEZZOFORTE’s Friðrik Karlsson.

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