Tina May at Jazz Hastings

The legendary Tina May, one of the UK’s most renowned and respected jazz vocalists, will be starring in Jazz Hastings January session at the East Hastings Sea Angling Association on the Stade on Tuesday 15 January. Julian Norridge rolls out the red carpet.

Tina May has been described by one critic as “a singer whose voice contains aspects of Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Cleo Laine, but the overall effect is pure Tina May…. her ability to change rhythm, tone and style many times during a number creates her own very special brand of modern jazz.”

Tina began her jazz career as a student in Cardiff and subsequently in Paris where, as well as singing in clubs, she developed a comedy review with a fellow student named Rory Bremner which they called You Are Eiffel But I Like You(!).  When they took it to the Edinburgh Fringe they renamed it, perhaps wisely, Midnight Excess.

Since then, Tina has appeared in concert halls and jazz clubs all over the world and has recorded countless brilliantly reviewed albums. Along the way she has worked with a battalion of great artists, among them Stan Tracey, Johnny Dankworth, Cleo Laine and Scott Hamilton.

But perhaps her closest collaboration has been with pianist Nikki Iles – they have been appearing and recording together since 1996. Their musical friendship has taken them all over the globe – to Los Angeles, Tokyo and almost every country in Europe.

They’ll be joined for this session by the ever-swinging, inventive double bass player Arnie Somogyi.

As well as performing and recording, Tina is a committed jazz educationalist. She has taught and continues to teach at many of the most prestigious UK  institutions, including the Royal Academy of Music, where she has been a visiting professor. She has also run Jazz Vocal Summer Schools in France and Italy.

Tina May Jazz Hastings, Tuesday 15 January, East Hastings Sea Angling Association (on the Stade behind the lifeboat station). Doors open 7.45pm for an 8.30 start, tickets £10 on the door.

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