Top Ten Tips & Cures for a Lost Singing Voice (Updated November 2022)

So you've scored a really great gig and you''re getting more and more excited about it as D-day draws near.  Then it happens...  You wake up one morning and realise that your singing voice has gone AWOL!  It could be down to a cold or cough... or you spent too much time in a smoky atmosphere... or you've been out the night before shouting over loud music... or you were shouting at your favourite sports team during the match...  or you've been overworking and not getting enough sleep... or ... well, to be honest it doesn't matter what the cause was.  All you want to know is how to fix it.  Below are the top tips from various sources for the best ways to get rid of that "frog" fast.

In no particular order:

1  Steam

A steam treatment can break up nasal congestion.  You inhale the steam while holding your face over a bowl of hot water whilst covering your head with a towel.  Probably needs to be done every couple of hours if the problem is severe.  Most people seem to think plain steam is best but variations include adding herbs and essences such as eucalyptus, peppermint, sage, thyme, chamomile, rosemary, pine, oregano and juniper.


2  Nasal Saline Irrigation


Cleaning out the sinuses with salt water is an old remedy to alleviate congestion.  A saline solution (using distilled water) is poured or sprayed into the nostril and then flows through the sinuses, cleaning out bacteria and allergens.

Here are a couple that I've bought over the years:

Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Economy-Light-Weight-Neti-Pot-Friendly/dp/B072MLPNKS/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=neti+pot&qid=1669654879&sr=8-15

Amazon.uk https://www.amazon.com/Economy-Light-Weight-Neti-Pot-Friendly/dp/B072MLPNKS/ref=sr_1_15?keywords=neti+pot&qid=1669654879&sr=8-15

3  Pastilles and Potions


There are many types of throat pastilles and mixtures available over the counter at the pharmacy.

Pastilles:  Fisherman's Friend, Vocalzone and various other throat sweets/pastilles can be bought easily from most stores.

Liquids:  Glycerin linctus, pure glycerin and manuka honey all have their fans.


4  Medicines


Personally, I wouldn't recommend using any medicines unless prescribed by your doctor as the voice is such a delicate instrument.  However, some swear by using cough mixture in order to thin the mucous, as a temporary cure.  But make sure to use the gentler children's version!  Gargling with soluble aspirin has also been mentioned.


5  Drinks


My personal favourite for a voice that's playing hard to get is a hot drink made with boiled water, honey, lemon juice, fresh grated ginger and a tot of rum (optional). For me, it's the ginger that does it - the hotter the better - and it seems to chase away any colds that may be hovering about too.


Other suggestions are:  Gargling with hot water with honey and cider vinegar; gargling warm salt water; drinking fresh pineapple juice; drinking hot and cold drinks alternately every half hour (apparently this works like a hot/cold compress does on the body); drinking lots and lots of water!


6  Herbs and Spices


Recommended herbs for the voice are freshly-grated ginger, sage, turmeric.  These can all be used in solutions for gargling.


7  Vocal Exercises


Consider how you are warming up.  Make sure that the warm ups you do are not only exercising the larynx, but also warming up your voice when you bring chest resonance into play.  Your voice resonating and vibrating in your chest will work to dislodge some of the mucus before you start singing.  Lip trills are good.  Also short sharp notes sung using the diaphragm - sounds like laughing and is a lot of fun!


8  Rest


Sometimes though what the voice really needs is some good old R&R.  Try not to speak much and definitely don't shout or raise your voice.  Fresh air and exercise could also help to kick any lurking bugs and make sure to get plenty of sleep.


9  Voice Specialists


If all else fails, it might be time to call in the specialists.  I'm sure there are many qualified practitioners out there but it's always best with this sort of thing to get recommendations.

10 Miscellaneous

Not so sure about some of these but if you're desperate they might be worth a shot:

• Avoiding diary products - thought to create excess mucus
• Taking lots of Vitamin C
• Eating crisps (yes, someone seriously recommends this!)

And finally...


Prevention is better than cure


Drink lots of water, eat healthy to make sure you get all your vitamins and minerals, get plenty of sleep, wash your hands often to avoid bugs and viruses, avoid too much alcohol or caffeine. For dry air due to arid climates or indoor heating, use a hot steam vaporizer. Avoid stress and emotional upset before shows or recording. If you are taking an airplane,  wrap a scarf around your mouth to protect your voice from dry air. Also, try a sleep collar or scarf to keep your  throat warm.  But of course, all this is much easier said than done.  :-)  Good luck!




Special thanks to Tamsin Collison for many of the ideas in this article.

It's been a while... but Divas of Jazz is back!

 

Performing at London Symphony Orchestra showcase
(c) Kevin Leighton

I've been AWOL for a while. It's been difficult to get back into the swing of things. Momentum was lost and not all the gigs that were cancelled due to the pandemic were rescheduled. 

Also didn't really feel motivated to write or to try getting new bookings. It's been tough for everyone though so that's not a complaint. I know that things have been much worse for others.

Did have a few great gigs though - including a first time visit to Diss Jazz Club with the excellent Chris Ingham Trio. (I'll be working with them again in September at Hunter Club in Bury St Edmunds.) I also performed for the first time at the Cheltenham Jazz Festival with my family show which the audience seemed to really enjoy.

A very new and exciting experience for me was taking part in a classical project for the London Symphony Orchestra soundhub where I sang some very complicated and challenging music for the showcase of composer Marilyn Herman. It was such a novelty and an absolute pleasure to perform this beautiful music with classical musicians - and to work with a conductor for the first time ever! It went really well though and I would love to do something like that again. 

September also brings the return of Divas of Jazz at one of my favourite London venues - Crazy Coqs. It's always fun to perform there and they do the most amazing cocktails. :)

5 Sep @ 7pm - Crazy Coqs, Brasserie Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street, W1F 7ED

25 Sep @ 1pm - Hunter Club - 6 St Andrews Street South, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 3PJ

The good news is that I'm feeling inspired to start writing songs again so as I like to say... watch this space!

Juliet Kelly's Jazz Kids and Songs From Life

Showtime for Juliet Kelly's Jazz Kids

It's been a while!  In my last blog at the end of last year I spoke about a reboot.  Be careful what you wish for! This year has been a reboot for the whole world.   Along with everyone else, I've had to put all my plans on pause but I was fortunate enough to be asked to take part in two shows for this year's EFG London Jazz Festival.  Both of them will be streamed live on 14 November.

First of all there's the follow up to Jazz for Toddlers called Juliet Kelly's Jazz Kids that will be live at 1pm.  It's an update of last year's show modified for an online audience.  

I was also invited to take part in a project aimed primarily at African and Caribbean older people with health conditions that affect memory.  My band and I performed Songs From Life - classic and familiar songs that could not only be enjoyed but that would also evoke precious memories.  Songs From Life will be streamed at 2pm.

As for what the rest of the year will bring - who knows?  But I hope you are all keeping safe and well and that better times are on their way for us all.  

Here's a link to the song Smile originally performed by Nat King Cole - part of Songs From Life.  It's particularly apt during these difficult times.  

Time for a reboot...

Jazz for Toddlers - photo by Stephen Wright

I've not been very focussed this year.  I've been drifting along and going with the flow - maybe a bit too much.  It's time for a reboot!  I'll be starting some new projects and there may even be a new album in the works.  So watch this space!

Showtime!

It was amazing to perform at Ronnie Scott's again.  Two sold out shows at the legendary venue.  Hopefully it won't be too long before I perform there again.

And there were more sold out shows for the EFG London Jazz Festival.  Ten of them to be exact!  It was a lot of fun to write and perform my Jazz for Toddlers show with Tony Kofi.  There was so much positive feedback and it was wonderful to see the faces of those little ones light up at the sound of jazz.

Love that photo of the kids enjoying the music.  It's great to be a #jazzevangelist :)

Summer is finally here

Naadia Sheriff (piano), Juliet Kelly (vocals) and Amy Baldwin (bass)
with the songs of Nina Simone at Ipswich Jazz Club

Summer is finally here in the UK!  It took a while to appear but I'm really enjoying these warm, sunny days.

Since my last post, we had a great gig at Ipswich Jazz Club with the songs of Nina Simone, and I also did a short rural tour for Live & Local with my Bond to Bowie show. 

At the end of this month I'm really looking forward to performing again at Ronnie Scott's.  I think it's been seven years since I did my first and only performance there with the late Frank Holder.  This time I'll be performing the early set (6.15-7pm) before Courtney Pine and his House of Legends!  It's been fifteen years since I first performed with Courtney at the Barbican for the BBC4 TV show Jazz Britannia.  Looking forward to sharing the stage with him once again.  I'll be singing the songs of Nina Simone before his first set so you'll need to book the 17:30 show (first house).  Hope to see some of you there!

Tues 30 & Weds 31 Jul,  5.30pm - Ronnie Scott's Club, London

Happy Spring!

The Austerity Playbook at Hoxton Hall

Spring is finally here!  I tend to go into hibernation mode during the winter and am so glad that we've officially crossed the threshold and summer isn't too far away.  :)

So, things have been pretty quiet.  Being part of the satirical jazz musical, The Austerity Playbook, with was a blast!  It was an absolute whirlwind of learning, rehearsals and finally the performance but I had so much fun working with the other singers and it all came together in the end.   There were no diva dresses or fascinators for me this time.  Felt strange to be on stage in drab clothes but it was part of my persona as a librarian.  Note the glasses for added authenticity!

Last month I made a return to Ipswich Jazz Club with my Nina Simone show.  It was almost exactly 3 years since my previous visit.  How time flies!  The audience loved the show and it was fun to perform those beautiful songs again.

This week I'm back on the rural road with Bond to Bowie in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. 

Fri 5 April - Toynton Village Hall, Spilsby
Sat 6 April - North Thoresby Village Hall, Grimsby
Sun 7 April - Winthorpe Community Centre, Newark

And I've started writing again!  It's been a while but hoping to have some new songs ready very soon. 

Happy New You!

Jazz Carols at Methodist Central Hall Westminster

I've never been a huge fan of New Year's resolutions and I'm not going to start now.  I believe in New Day's resolutions.  :D  Every morning we can set the reset button and plan to make the changes we want in our lives.  As well as planning the changes, we also need to actually carry them out (that's normally where I get stuck!) but I'm working on it...

I had my first ever experience of working with a choir for the Hull Jazz Festival in November.  The Hull Junior Choir sang beautifully and it was wonderful to hear them sing backing vocals to my original song Little Things from Spellbound Stories.  A really highlight of the year!

Hull Jazz Festival 2018 poster 

Albemarle Music Centre - venue for the concert with Hull Junior Choir

And then I had another chance to share the stage with some great gospel singers for the Jazz Carols concert at Westminster Central Hall with the Dan Forshaw Quartet.  I love singing in a group and our harmonies we sang for Silent Night (arranged by German saxophonist Birgitta Flick) really was magical - sent chills up my spine!  And I also got to meet Songs of Praise and ex-Blue Peter Presenter Diane Louise Jordan who presented the concert.  A lovely woman!

Jazz Carols poster

After the concert with the lovely Diane Louise Jordan

And it's not stopping there because I'll be singing with 3 other wonderful singers for the new jazz recital performance of The Austerity Playbook making its London debut on 18 January at Hoxton Hall.  Some great music written by Andrea Vicari to lyrics about the austerity measures in the UK through the decades.  Maybe I'll see some of you there.

Happy New Year, Happy New You!

It's great (not grim) up north!

Performing at Gala Theatre, Durham (photo by Malcolm Sinclair)

Love performing up north!  The audiences are always so warm and friendly.  And they definitely lived up to my expectations in Durham and Gosforth.  Even better, our gig at Gala Theatre in Durham was completely sold out and we had to turn people away at the door.  Although our audience at Gosforth Civic Centre was smaller, they definitely made up for it with their energy and enthusiasm!

I travelled up by train from London, did two gigs (Durham and Gosforth) and then took the train back that same evening.  Phew!  It was definitely worth it though. :)  Here's a link to a lovely review:

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/culture/16892421.juliet-kelly-divas-of-jazz-gosforth-civic-theatre/

Then the following week I performed as part of an all-star line up for E15 Jazz Sessions at Stratford Circus.  Another well attended gig that was a huge success.  It's so great to see people turning out for live music.  Long may it continue!

Next week I'm back on the rural road through Live & Local with my Bond to Bowie show.  So looking forward to singing those lovely songs again and talking about the movies, television and shows I love.  Later in the month I'll performing Divas of Jazz for my debut appearance at Chichester Jazz Club with special guest Tommaso Starace on sax.  Can't wait!

Thu 4 Oct, 7.30pm -Rolleston Village Hall, Staythorpe Road, Rolleston NG23 5SG
Fri 5 Oct, 7.30pm - Thorpe Astley Community Centre, Lakin Drive, Leicester LE3 3RU
Sat 6 Oct, 7.30pm - Ashton under Hill Village Hall, Elmley Road, Ashton under Hill, Evesham, WR11 7SW
Fri 19 Oct, 7.45pm - Chichester Jazz Club, Pallant Suite, 7 S Pallant, Chichester PO19 1SY

Divas of Jazz is back!

Although I suppose I'm known for writing and performing my own songs, I LOVE the classic standards.   So am very pleased to announce that Divas of Jazz is back this Autumn!

We'll be celebrating the great jazz vocalists and performing the songs of Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and more.

Fri 27 Jul, 7-8.30pm - Crazy Coqs, 20 Sherwood Street, London W1F 7ED
Fri 14 Sep, 1-2pm - Gala Theatre, 1 Millennium Place, Town Centre, Durham  DH1 1WA
Fri 14 Sep, 5-6pm - Gosforth Civic Theatre, Regent Farm Road, Gosforth  NE3 3HD
Tue 18 Sep, 2-3pm - Forest Arts Centre, Hawbush Road, Walsall  WS3 1AG 
Fri 19 Oct, 7.45pm - Chichester Jazz Club, Pallant Suite, 7 South Pallant, Chichester, PO19 1SY

There are also some possible dates on the horizon in Kiev and Odessa (Ukraine).  Looking forward to singing those beautiful songs and telling those wonderful stories once more.  :)

Planes, trains and automobiles

Uzhhorod Castle

Ukraine was a whirlwind. One train journey, two tube rides, two long car journeys and five flights! The concerts went very well and also got a chance to do some sightseeing in the beautiful city of Uzhhorod. It was also nice to revisit Odessa. Not so nice, was the snow! :( Unfortunately I didn’t bring my snow boots so wasn’t able to get around much but at least I have the memories of looking around the city in my first visit there at the end of 2016.

Map showing Uzhhorod's history

The city of Uzhhorod has an extremely complicated and storied history.  It's belonged to several different countries since its birth (including Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union) and although currently part of Ukraine it is only 20km away from the border with Hungary.  There is no longer a working airport so I flew into Hungary and drove across the border (an experience in itself!) and was surprised to learn that many people living there speak Hungarian rather than Ukranian.  Perhaps because of this history, the people are very warm and welcoming and there is a definite cosmopolitan air about the place.

Poster advertising concert outside Ilko Gallery

When I visited Ilko Gallery during the day I saw some interesting art by Pavlo Kerestey 

  

And then it was transformed that night into a concert venue!

It was a pleasure to perform with Ukranian musicians - Alexey Petuhov Trio

Although the concert was already sold out, more people turned up on the night and they put out extra chairs for an audience that numbered well over the usual 250 capacity.  And I felt especially honoured to received a standing ovation at the end of the night. :)

The trip to Odessa was pretty gruelling - including a 2 hour wait at the border and 2 flights - so we will gloss over that.  Perron No7 jazz club was a wonderful, quirky space with a dedicated jazz audience.  It was lovely to play for such a knowledgeable and discerning audience and I was bowled over by the fact that the owners had created a special cocktail menu for the evening based on the names of my songs!!!   Of course it would have been rude not to, so I sampled a couple of them.  I tried "One More Dance" (inspired by my song from Spellbound Stories) and Delicious (from Delicious Chemistry).  As a lover of cocktails,  it took all my willpower not to try all six of them!

Cocktail menu at Perron No7 jazz club with drinks based on my songs including one called Delicious - and it was!

Here I am in Uzhhorod.

Goodbye UK, Hello Ukraine!

Uzhhorod Cathedral

Just for a few days I'll be visiting the picturesque city of Uzhhorod in Western Ukraine and then I'll be making my way through the beautiful, mountainous scenery to revisit historic Odessa.  So looking forward to being back there.  Spent a wonderful New Year's Eve there at an amazing hotel back in 2016.  I'm a little worried about the cold and so will have to make sure to pack my thermals.

The two performances are taking place at ILKO Gallery and then at jazz club Perron No7.  Both gigs are totally sold out and am told they have a jazz hungry audience there so very much looking forward to performing for them with a great local trio led by Alexey Petuhov.

Back in the UK I have gigs coming up in the spring at Royal Albert Hall (as part of their Women and the Hall series), Birmingham Jazz and The Stables in Milton Keynes. 

I'm also working hard on setting up a UK tour for the Autumn with my new project.  I have a feeling it's going to be a very good year. :)

Merry Everything and a Happy Always

We rounded the year off with a second outing for "Sweet Nancy" (songs from the classic Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley album) at Royal Albert Hall (Verdi Room) and then a fun afternoon performing with Family Jazz All Stars for a very lively and energetic audience at a school in Camden.  

I also took part on a panel “Working as a Live Jazz Musician” for the Musicians’ Union at the London Jazz Festival.  It’s been a challenging year for many, both economically and politically, but it was good to share tips and suggestions for surviving as a jazz musician in these difficult times.

I’ve really enjoyed working on different projects with a mix of different musicians this year - and there was lots of new material too.  There’s more to come!  I’m working on a new project and tour for 2018.  I hope to be revisiting some venues as well as exploring new ones.  So watch this space!

Until then, wishing you Happy Holidays and all the best for 2018!

Spellbound Stories Revisited and Sweet Nancy

Bonington Theatre - with Kate Williams (piano), Oli Hayhurst (bass), Cosimo Keita (drums)

It was wonderful to revisit "Spellbound Stories" after focusing on other projects for a while.  It was my first time performing in Nottingham too.  We had such a warm and enthusiastic audience - it was a real pleasure to share my stories with them.

Earlier in the month there was another debut - the first outing for my new project "Sweet Nancy".  It's a show centred on the songs from the classic Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley album released in 1961.  Tommaso Starace (sax), David Preston (guitar) and I performed it for the very first time at the excellent new monthly "E15 jazz sessions" at Stratford Circus.  A wonderful space that's definitely worth checking out if you're close by.

We'll be performing the show once more at Verdi (Royal Albert Hall) on 17 November.  We're on at 12 noon and it's free.  See you there!

Moons, Masons and M&S

I love taking photos of bridges over water. 
This was my first view of beautiful Norwich on the way to the hotel.

There was a chaise longue in my hotel room!  A chaise longue is
definitely one of my favourite things.

Kate Williams and I were booked to perform under this art installation of the moon during the full moon.  Unfortunately the windy conditions meant the artwork was moved inside and we perofrmed outsidebut it was absolutely stunning.

Soundcheck - done!  Just a few minutues until the seats were filled
with jazz fans fo all ages. We had fun!

Really enjoyed working with these guys.  Kate Williams, Cosimo Keita, Tony Kofi & Oli Hayhurst.
We also got a great review here

David Preston and I on our way to Bath for the Bath Festival to perform the new
collaboration project with performance poet Zena Edwards!
(I'm definitely #teamnero #properitaliancoffee)

Another beautiful bridge - this time spotted on the way to the hotel in Bath.

We spent the day before the show rehearsing in a small theatre above a church. 
David and Zena working on one of her songs.

And this was our venue - Masonic Hall which is part of the Old Theatre Royal.
A really stunning room.

I had a great time working with Zena on our project and we got lots of wonderful
feedback from the audience.

The next day David and I did an impromptu performance for the shoppers in M&S.  Some bewildered looks as we set up next to the lingerie!  Lots of nice comments from the surprised shoppers.  And another bonus is that I found these gorgeous sparkly shoes.

Next on the agenda are some London performances and a return to Oxford.  Hope to see you there!

08 June:  Bond to Bowie @ Bar Zedel, London
25 June:  Special Guest with house band at Summertown Wine Cafe, Oxford
28 June:  Divas of Jazz @ Bar Zedel, London
29 July:  Nina & Other Divas @ Boisdale of Canary Wharf, London

Top Ten Tips for Finding Creative Inspiration

Like many artists, I often go through periods where I feel totally uncreative - as if I'll never ever be able to write anything again!  It can become a crippling self-fulfilling prophecy and each time it happens (although I tell myself that it's happened before and I've managed to work through it) I truly believe that "this time" there'll be no way out of it.

I've just come through another one of those phases and thought that it might be a good idea to write down a checklist of the things that really help me.  Hopefully it means that I won't panic the next time I'm hit by a "creative block". :-)  Perhaps there's something here that can help you too...


1.  Dream about it

My debut album, Aphrodite's Child, included several tracks that were almost entirely written after waking from a dream and immediately writing down the music and/or lyrics floating around in my head.  I dream every single night.  I don't often dream music but for when I do, I have my phone nearby and can quickly use the voice recorder to capture my ideas.  Perhaps you're more of a pen and paper person and could keep a notebook by your bed.  And if you don't dream, I still think that "sleeping on it" can sometimes help you solve a problem, so it's worth a shot!

2. Take a walk

Many songs have come to me while I've been out walking.  I might be strolling through a lovely park enjoying the sights and sounds of nature or I could be walking along a busy London road being hypnotised by the rattle and hum of traffic.   Again I will have my trusty voice recorder to record anything that comes to mind.  Sometimes, just getting out of your usual environment can cause a shift in your thoughts and allow ideas to break through.

3. Watch a film

I love watching films and there's so much great television available online these days from services like Netflix and Amazon.  One of my current favourites is Black Mirror.  Highly recommended!  Watching films and TV, whether fiction or documentaries, can expose you to ideas that wouldn't come up in your normal life.  For me, it's a great way to relax and give my creative thoughts time to marinate and develop, in the same way that sleeping/dreaming can.

4. Visit a gallery

This is not something I do much but I think visiting an art gallery or museum is a great way to stimulate the senses.  One of my favourite exhibitions is the annual "Sensational Butterflies" at the Natural History Museum.  Just magical!

5. See the sea

Whenever I really need to unblock my creativity, a visit to the sea is top of my list.  There's something about listening to the sound of waves whilst looking out on an endless horizon that really calms me.  After a recording gap of around 4 years, I started writing my most recent album whilst walking by the sea at a tiny resort on the coast near Athens, Greece.  I remember that the song "Forbidden Fruit" came to me in its entirety in about 20 mins.  It was such a beautiful experience.

6.  Write it out

Brainstorming or stream of consciousness writing is another way I sometimes work to get the ideas out.  The trick is to make sure you do absolutely no censoring of yourself.  Just let the words flow.  There could well be a gem or two in there...

7.  Meditate on it

I'm not going to lie - I find it extremely difficult to meditate.  My mind is always going at 1,000mph.  What I've found really helpful is using the guided meditation tracks that you can find on YouTube.  Even 10 minutes is hard for me but it's something I'm working on.  A great way to clear the mind to allow those creative ideas through.  

8.  Take a break

Just stop.  Forbid yourself to write music, or whatever it is that you're struggling with, for a short period of time.  Sometimes just knowing that you can't do something makes you want to do it all the more!  It also takes the pressure off and allows you to forget about your block for a while without the guilt of feeling unproductive.  When the time period is up, just go with the flow and see if anything comes to you.  

9.  Sweat it out

Exercise is another thing that I know I should do much more.  It always takes me so much effort to start but then it feels so good once I've finished that I wonder why I resisted!  Physical exercise releases endorphins that makes you feel good.  Apparently this triggers a similar feeling to taking morphine - who knew?!  

10.  Read a book

My latest album "Spellbound Stories" is a set of songs inspired by my favourite novels.  I don't read as much as I used to but there's something about the written word that allows your free reign to your imagination like nothing else.  The video above is a song I wrote after reading Paulo Coelho's "Veronika Decides to Die".


I'd love to hear your thoughts.  If you have any suggestions about ways to break through those pesky blocks or any other feedback, comments are very welcome!

Bowie, Bath and Beyond

Masonic Hall

It's been a quiet couple of months as far as performances go but things are going to be picking up in the spring.

Lots of exciting gigs planned.  I'm back with more Bond to Bowie in a return visit to Saffron Hall where we had lots of fun last year with Family Jazz All Stars.  And speaking of Family Jazz, I'll be featured once again with this project for two shows at Norwich Playhouse for the Norwich & Norfolk Festival in May.  Looking forward to playing with my fabulous all star band again.  Here's an interview that I did about the show before last year's performance.

28 April - Bond to Bowie (with Jennifer Carr), Saffron Hall
13 May - Family Jazz All-Stars, Norwich Playhouse, Norfolk & Norwich Festival

And at the end of May I'll be working on a new project with the excellent performance poet/spoken word artist Zena Edwards for the Bath Festival.   We'll be performing songs around the themes of our past, present, future and what it means to be a thinking and feeling person in an increasingly self-centred, "post-truth" world.  The show will take place in the beautiful Masonic Hall at the Old Theatre Royal, a setting that will make this debut performance even more special.

22 May - New Meetings: Juliet Kelly & Zena Edwards, Masonic Hall, Bath Festival

In the summer, gigs will be happening in Oxford, London and possibly Italy!  I will keep you posted.

2016 has been an interesting year...

With Brexit in the UK followed by Donald Trump in the US, it's certainly been an "interesting" year...

There have been ups and downs -  a couple of the ups being my trip to Crete in July to perform at their jazz festival with the amazing Dimitri Vassilakis and getting back on the rural road with my new Bond to Bowie show in the autumn.  The tour included return visits to a couple of village halls that I had performed at as part of my first ever rural tour with my Divas of Jazz show.  Once again, we had a great time visiting these gorgeous parts of the country.  And we also got a great review for the show in Cotherstone.  Read it here.

Performing in Crete with Dimitri Vassilakis Quartet

Middleton & Todridge Village Hall

Whittingham Memorial Institute

Lund Village Hall

Kirton in Lindsey Town Hall

Beverley Minster - We stayed in beautiful Beverley for the last leg of the tour

Swanland Village Hall - looking Christmassy

A lovely note received after the show in Swanland from a 12-year-old audience member!

I also got the chance to try my hand at being a presenter/host for some of the London Jazz Festival shows.  Really enjoyed it and hope to be doing more of this, alongside any radio presenting opportunities that my come up.

Next year I'm looking forward to appearing at more festivals and possibly some performances in Germany too.  Watch this space!

Until then, here's a video of my song "Little Things".  Happy Holidays!

Back on the Rural Road

Middleton Village Hall

The debut performance for Bond to Bowie took place in the same village hall in Dufton as the debut performance of Celebrating the Divas of Jazz.  Once again it was a great success!  We had so much fun playing some of my favourite songs - songs which turned out to be favourites of many in the audience too,  And it was wonderful to work with Jennifer Carr again who until recently I hadn't performed with for over 10 years!  We also had some great audiences in Frosterly, Middleton and Whittingham.

There are still 6 more shows to come and I can't wait to sing those songs again and visit more tucked away, beautiful rural parts of the UK.

Sat 15-Oct-16 Amble Parish Hall, Northumberland NE65 0DX
Sun 16-Oct-16 Cotherstone Village Hall, County Durham DL12 9PG
Fri 28-Oct 7.30 Lund Village Hall, Yorkshire YO25 9TF
Sat 29 Oct - Broughton Hall, Brigg, North Lincolnshire DN20 0JG
Thu 01-Dec-16 Kirton in Lindsey Town Hall, North Lincolnshire DN21 4LZ
Fri 02-Dec-16 8.00 Winteringham Village Hall, North Lincolnshire DN15 9NN
Sat 03-Dec-16 7.30 Swanland Village Hall, Yorkshire HU14 3QR
Sun 04-Dec-16 8.00 Bishop Burton Village Hall, Yorkshire HU17 8QJ

New Show - Bond to Bowie: Songs of Stage & Screen

So excited about my new show!  After focusing on novels for my last album, I got to thinking about my favourite songs from cinema, stage and television.  I'll be touring this new show around the village halls of Northumberland, Yorkshire and Cumbria in September and October.  There'll also be a London show at the Elgar Room at Royal Albert Hall on 6 October. 


Bond to Bowie: Songs of Stage & Screen

Juliet Kelly is one of UK jazz’s hidden treasures.  Gifted with a beautiful, expressive voice, she is also a talented, highly original songwriter, who draws on a diverse set of influences and has performed with the likes of Courtney Pine, Seb Rochford and Talvin Singh.  She has appeared at clubs and festivals throughout the UK and Europe and opened for legendary artists such as Georgie Fame and Take 6. 

After several successful tours of her show "Celebrating the Divas of Jazz", the acclaimed singer and songwriter now shines a spotlight on her favourite songs from stage and screen. Bringing her warm personality and a jazzy flavour to the songs from classic movies, musicals and tv shows, Juliet will take you on a whistle-stop tour through the ages of musical entertainment.

"One of those rare singers that tells a genuine story with her music, through her passionate performance and naturally warm voice, it's a beguiling combination that's hard to resist. One of the UK's finest singers in any genre" TIME OUT

"The nuanced warmth of Kelly's rich, full voice is streets ahead of most of her contemporaries."  BBC MUSIC

www.julietkelly.com

Birmingham, Birthdays and Baileys

Photo by Brian Homer taken at Birmingham Jazz in Sep 2015

Birmingham

I am so looking forward to performing in Birmingham again!  I was there last Autumn with my Spellbound Stories project and I'm back again this Sunday with Celebrating the Divas of Jazz. We'll be appearing as part of Birmingham Jazz's Legends of Jazz Festival.  In anticipation of this I did an interview with Peter Bacon's excellent Jazz Breakfast blog.  He asked some really tough questions and really made me think.  My favourite part of was when he asked me what I thought about standards given that I mostly write and record my own material.  I replied:

"I think classic songs are loved by many and will always be relevant. The wonderful thing about jazz is that the standards are like a beautiful piece of fabric that each musician gets to make into a unique garment. Some keep it simple, some come up with high fashion concepts that everyone admires but no-one will ever wear. Fashions change but beautiful music and clothes can always be appreciated."

Read the full interview here.

I'm also very excited to be taking part in the first ever Festival of Voice in Cardiff in June.  I'll be supporting Hugh Masekela at the New Theatre on 7 June.  Tickets here.

Birthdays

It was my birthday earlier this month.  I usually celebrate my birthweek (one day is much too short!)  I got some lovely gifts and one of the highlights was going to see Rambert at Sadler's Wells.  They performed three separate dance pieces with the themes, "murder, mystery and a party"!  Anyone who's been to see Spellbound Stories will know how much the themes of murder and mystery influenced my project and of course I love a party!  My favourite section was the "party" piece Itzik Galili’s A Linha Curva - "a spectacular, sexy, percussion-fuelled explosion of samba-flavoured dance".  I don't often go to see dance performances so it was a rare and enjoyable treat.

Baileys

My birthday gifts included a bottle of the Limited Edition Baileys Chocolat Luxe. Mmmmmmmm!  I LOVE Baileys and am quite a fan of chocolate too so can you imagine my delight at discovering the nectar that is the two of these delicious ingredients combined?  Their marketing department describes it as the "ultimate decadent drinking experience".  I concur.  And I'll just say again... mmmmmmm!  Cheers!