Cancelled! STACEY KENT (USA), JIM TOMLINSON (UK) & ESTONIAN DREAM BIG BAND

Christmas Jazz headliner Stacey Kent concert on December 2 has been cancelled due to the unfortunate passing of the singer’s mother. Instead of Stacey Kent, the Nordea Concert Hall stage on December 2 will feature American singer Shayna Steele together with Estonian Dream Big Band, conductor Siim Aimla.

More information here.

American jazz singer Stacey Kent is highly successful and deeply loved on jazz stages all around the world. The star’s beautiful and rich voice captivates the audience from the very first moments and her concerts on the world’s most prestigious jazzstages are often sold out. She speaks fluent English, Portugese and French and her albums, that have sold over 2 million copies, have been recorded in different languages. The Grammy nominated artist takes the Christmas Jazz stage together with her saxophonist husband Jim Tomlinson and the jazzorchestra of our dreams Estonian Dream Big Band. After many successful performances with Bordeaux Symphony Orchestra, Kent is about to release an ambitious album project and the release will be celebrated with an extensive tour in different countries around the world.

Numerous albums of Stacey Kent have received platinum and gold record status and she has also been awarded with the England and BBC best jazzartist title. For the gold record album, “Ranconte-Moi”, which features songs in French, she was granted the orden of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Born in America, Stacey Kent studied journalism, but her singing career started in London where she went to the reputed Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Whilst still being a student, she started to perform in the legendary Ronnie Scott’s jazz club and popular Café Boheme. As a teenager, she discovered the timeless jazz and hints of bossanova from Stan Getz, Astrud and Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim. These became the key elements of her repertoire and characteristics of what we still hear today.

Kent’s debut album “Close Your Eyes” (1997) was the start of the singer’s wider eminence. Her earlier albums include the pearls of the jazz classics; she has even dedicated full albums for George Gershwin and Richard Rodger’s music. Grammy nomination in the best vocal jazz album category was awarded for the album “Breakfast on the Morning Tram” (2007). After a highly successful concert tour in Brazil, Stacey Kent discovered, in addition to aforementioned Jobim, the music of singer-songwriter Marcos Valle, who has also performed at Jazzkaar, and the bossanova master Roberto Menescali.

All the album arrangements of Stacey Keny have been made by her husband Jim Tomlinson, who plays tenor and soprano saxophone, flute and other instruments if needed in her band. The music they have created together is tasteful and full of nuances, where lyrics meet enjoyable humor which highly impresses the audience. The second important collaboration partner is a British novelist born in Japan Kazuo Ishiguro who has written numerous texts to Kent’s music.

For the first time the Estonian audience has the uniqe opportunity to enjoy the grandiose collaboration of one of the world’s most genuine jazz classics artist Stacey Kent and the best orchestra of Estonia, the Estonian Dream Big Band.