Soul, jazz, and blues-infused original compositions blend effortlessly with contemporary covers of songs by jazz greats such as Wayne Shorter, Johnny Mercer and Donny Hathaway. Live To Love is the new album by acclaimed singer Jacqui Dankworth, and she’ll be performing tracks from it when she comes to the Radlett Centre next week.

“There’s a lot of new material on there,” says the 50-year-old, who is the daughter of legendary jazz musician, arranger and composer Sir John Dankworth and singer Dame Cleo Laine, “a lot of originals. I can’t say that I have a favourite, I really like them all.”

Following the success of 2011’s It Happens Quietly, which received widespread critical acclaim and topped jazz charts around the world and which tipped its hat to the past with interpretations of classic standards, Live To Love has a mixture of old and new.

In addition to four cover songs, it contains some powerful original material in the form of All Is Quiet, a stark, haunting ballad about human slavery written by Jacqui and bassist Geoff Gascoyne and featuring a guest appearance by The Brodsky Quartet; the album’s title track, a laidback, gently affecting song written by Jacqui’s husband, the pianist Charlie Wood; and a reggae-inflected version of Tomorrow’s World, a tune written by Jacqui’s late father for the BBC science series of the same name, to which she has added her own touch.

Although primarily known as a jazz singer, Jacqui has worked with a diverse array of musicians throughout her career, including Marvin Hamlisch, Paloma Faith, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and Chick Corea.

But it wasn’t in singing that Jacqui started her career – she first appeared on stage as an actress, working with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre among others. The plays became musicals and Jacqui then found herself playing in the West End, which in turn led to her recording career.

But she has always kept her eye open for further acting opportunities, and has recently played small roles in episodes of The Borgias and the 2012 smash hit film Les Misérables.

“I was a beggar woman in Les Mis,” laughs Jacqui. “My big moment was my one line – ‘Something’s gotta give!’ Which is funny, because on the album I sing the Johnny Mercer tune Something’s Gotta Give. It’s one of those weird coincidences.”

  • Jacqui Dankworth performs at the Radlett Centre, Aldenham Avenue, Radlett, on Saturday, April 12, at 7.30pm. Details: 01923 859291, radlettcentre.co.uk