An American language student (from New Jersey) visits Europe to study French, Italian and German for a Masters degree in comparative literature. Her life takes an unexpected twist that sees Stacey Kent become one of the world's foremost jazz singers.
Stacey, a recent addition to the Blue Note roster of recording artists, now boasts seven best-selling albums including Breakfast on the Morning Tram (2007) and The Boy Next Door (2003) both of which achieved Gold status, a string of awards, including the 2001 British Jazz Award and 2002 BBC Jazz Award for 'Best Vocalist,' the 2004 Backstage Bistro Award for best live performance and the 2006 "Album of the Year" for Jim Tomlinson's album, 'The Lyric' on which she was the featured vocalist, as well as a fan base that enables her to sell out concert halls around the world.
Her new Blue Note release, 'Breakfast On The Morning Tram' (Blue Note 2007) features four original songs, including the title track, written especially for Stacey by Jim Tomlinson and acclaimed novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro, as well as a selection of French chansons and choice standards. Since its release in September 2007, it has remained at the top of the French jazz chart as well as holding its own in the top 20 of the general album charts. Its release around the world is sure to mirror this success.
The twist of fate that took her life in this new direction was a chance meeting in Oxford with saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson. Like Stacey, Jim was embarked on an academic path, but their meeting sparked in each other the desire to pursue their love of music together. After a year's study at the Guildhall School of Music, Stacey set about honing her skills on the London scene in the company of, now husband, Jim Tomlinson.
A demo tape, sent simultaneously to Polygram, Candid Records and broadcaster, Humphrey Lyttelton, secured her a recording contract and national airplay and endorsement from Britain's most respected jazz broadcaster. Since the release of Stacey's first album, Close Your Eyes (1997), she has achieved, without compromise, both critical and popular success, with her fresh and heart-felt interpretations of the finest love songs of the twentieth century. But it was a feature on CBS Sunday Morning in 1999 that gave Stacey national exposure in the USA and brought her to wider recognition.
Since then, her career has become truly international and she has performed at major festivals and concert halls from Taipei’s Chiang Kai-shek Concert Hall to Carnegie Hall to Paris' famed Olympia.
Stacey's admirers are not limited to the loyal fans that buy her albums and pack out her concerts. Best-selling crime writer, John Harvey, has Stacey sing, if only fictionally, in his latest novel, Still Water. A track from her third album, Let Yourself Go, was selected by novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro, on his appearance on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio. It was this event that led Kent, Ishiguro and Tomlinson towards the song-writing collaboration that features this new album.
Clint Eastwood invited Stacey to sing at his 70th birthday party, (British talk-show host) Michael Parkinson invited Stacey to sing on his television show, as did Sir David Frost, who asked her to join him one Sunday morning, to sing a song and review the morning papers with him on "Breakast with Frost" and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler , in a recent interview, listed Stacey, alongside Willie Nelson, as being among his favorite singers.
Three-time Oscar-winning songwriter, Jay Livingston, wrote of her, "Stacey Kent is a revelation. There is nobody singing today who can compare with her. She has the style of the greats, like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. And she sings the words like Nat Cole - clean, clear and almost conversational with perfect phrasing. And that's as good as it gets." (edited from website bio)
READ A PREVIOUS ARTICLE ABOUT MEETING STACEY IN LONDON AND NEW JERSEY.
Here is Stacey Kent singing the Gershwin's "I've Got A Crush On You;"
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