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