Jazz Songstress Hot Foots It from Ronnie Scott's to The Kenton
Jazz Songstress Hot Foots It from Ronnie Scott's to The Kenton"Isn't' she great! Now there's a vocalist," says Michael Bublé of singer songwriter Tammy Weis who launches her latest album at Ronnie Scott's just days before she takes to the stage at The Kenton on Sunday 28th February.
A fifth generation musician with country roots, Weis was influenced in her early years by great singers like Tammy Wynette (after whom she is named) and Bonnie Raitt, giving her voice an original 'edge' not common in many jazz performers. Her love of Sarah Vaughan and Peggy Lee can be heard in her subtle intonations and inflections and composer/pianist and BBC Radio 3 Jazz presenter, Julian Joseph calls her, "A master of the ballad."
Weis' new album, Where I Need to Be, is a stirring collection that draws on her past and the move to London from her native Canada: stories of old ties being severed, the confusion that comes with change, the nostalgia of the past and the excitement of beginning again somewhere new. Her Kenton gig will mix these new numbers with favourite classics like Cheek to Cheek, Spooky - made famous by late Henley resident, Dusty Springfield, and Sarah Vaughan's Over the Rainbow - the song that fuelled Weis' drive to record her first album, Legacy.
Recent highlights in Weis' career include collaborations and appearances with Jamie Cullum at the Jazz Cafe, with Bobby McFerrin at the Royal Albert Hall, with Ian Shaw and Lianne Carroll at the Royal Opera House and singing opposite Curtis Stigers at Ronnie Scott's.
Joining Weis on 28th February is a quartet drawn from the cream of the UK scene. At the core is pianist Tom Cawley - with whom Weis co-wrote most of the tracks on her new album and highly respected for his work with Curios and the influential Acoustic Ladyland. Alongside Cawley is the brilliantly vibrant guitarist Al Cherry, described by The Times as, "A genius at creating the right setting;" bassist Arnie Somogyi - one of the busiest players around with appearances on over 30 albums; and drummer Seb de Krom, Jamie Cullum's main rhythm man for several years.
Weis' style is delicate and intimate yet self-assured and sultry - a beautiful mix for a Sunday afternoon of smooth jazz. She takes to the stage at 3pm on Sunday 28th February. Tickets are £12.
But to sample Weis' dulcet tones before then, listen to her online at: http://www.myspace.com/tammyweisjazz
Tammy Weis is the second concert in the Sunday afternoon Kenton Jazz season. Future gigs include guitarist extraordinaire John Etheridge playing with Sweet Chorus on 25th April (replacing Tom Cawley's Curios as changes in Tom's pre-existing commitment to Peter Gabriel's tour means he now needs to be on a plane that day!) and fab saxophonist Mark Lockheart's In Deep on 23rd May.