January 2012

Happy New Year!

Hope you had lots of fun and food-filled festive frolics over Christmas. I had a really lovely time in Athens. I stayed in a beautiful 5* hotel by the sea and went for lovely long walks. It was very inspiring and I ended up doing lots and lots of songwriting. More (including photos) on my blog.

2011 was a great year. Highlights included:

• Celebrating the Divas of Jazz UK Tour in February - a great success with several sold-out dates
• Performing at a charity event attended by Prince Charles
• Giving a speech (sharing the stage with MPs and the actress Maggie Steed!) for the Lost Arts initiative
• Four sell-out dates in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Two licensing deals for music from my album Licorice Kiss - the first for Spain/Portugal and the second for Singapore/China
• Four festival appearances for a Greek Islands tour with Dimitri Vassilakis Qt in July and August
• Five wonderful gigs with Kate Williams at village halls in the rural north of the UK at the end of September
• My debut performance at an historic venue in Moscow in October
• Two gigs at the London Jazz Festival with a new European Journey project with Jonny Phillips
• My debut performance in Hong Kong and a return to Moscow in November
• Two gigs in Athens over Christmas where I also managed to finish 8 new songs!

Phew! I think that after all that I deserve a quiet, relaxed January... and that's exactly what I have planned.

Wishing you lots of love, luck, laughter and lolly in 2012!

Best wishes

Juliet xx

December 2011

I can't believe it's already December again. This year has absolutely flown by! November was exceptionally busy for me. I performed in Hong Kong (photo below) for the first time, was invited back to Moscow last weekend and then have just returned this weekend from another trip to Athens. I'll be uploading more pics to my blog from my various trips very soon.

I had a lovely time at the London Jazz Festival in November performing two shows with Jonny Phillips on guitar. It was lovely to see so many of you - especially at the Southbank Centre. I'm hoping we'll be doing more of our "European Journey" shows in 2012 so watch this space!

This month I'm going back to Athens for more gigs including one on Christmas Eve but before that will be my last London performance of the year at the brand new Blue Train Jazz Club in Southwark. Hope to see some of you there!

Happy Holidays!

November 2011

Moscow was amazing! Such an interesting city full of history, culture and contradictions. I performed at a jazz club called Society of Composers and it was only about 5 mins walk from the Kremlin itself and so I got the chance to walk around Red Square before Friday's gig. Absolutely stunning! The local Russian band were great and we had a full house with a great audience. Hope it won't be too long before I return. More pics on my blog.

And there was another full house for my first visit to Wakefield Jazz Club with my fabulous band where we performed "Celebrating the Divas of Jazz". A really knowledgeable audience that knew more about the singers and songs than I did - probably because some of them had seen the greats first hand in the fifties! A fun and informative night for me.

Looking forward to the London Jazz Festival and my two performances with Jonny Phillips on the 11th and 13th of this month. Hope to see some of you there!

October 2011

I had such a wonderful time on my rural tour with Kate Williams! We had full houses for every performance and several encores. And apart from the wonderful audiences and a really rewarding musical experience, we also got the chance to take some amazing walks and see some of the most stunning views in England. And... we had the most beautiful weather too. :-)

Couldn't have asked for more really! More photos are on my blog.

This week I'm back up north to Wakefield Jazz Club -my first time there. I've heard such lovely things about the club and can't wait. Then at the end of the month I'm performing in Moscow for the first time. A lot of firsts this month!

Also really looking forward to the London Jazz Festival in November where I'll be performing two shows with Jonny Phillips on guitar. Our new project includes an eclectic mix of songs with European references and I'm planning to sing in French, Italian and maybe even Russian!

August 2011

What a lovely month it's been! I've spent lots of time with great musicians; hanging out, watching gigs and collaborating on musical projects. Got some exciting new musical collaborations happening in the next few months so watch this space...

I've also been invited back to Russia - yay! Moscow this time. And although I've been there before as a stopping off point on the way to the Urals or Siberia, I've never performed there before so really looking forward to doing 2 gigs there at the end of October.

But before that, I'm off to the Greek Islands again. And then I'll be donning my wellies for a rural tour in Cumbria and Northumberland. Hmm... I could get used to this! :-)

July 2011

I've just returned from a wonderful week in Greece where we had 3 amazing concerts in 3 gorgeous locations. (Photo below of me with Dimitri Vassilakis and his band on stage at Syros Festival.) I was blown away by the beauty of the Greek Islands and the warm hospitality of the Greek people. The good news is that I'm back again next month for the Tinos Jazz Festival. Yay!

But the UK also has it's beauty spots and I'm looking forward to visiting some of them during a rural tour to village halls in Durham, Cumbria and Northumberland in September and October. Can't wait!

Visit my blog for more news and updates...

June 2011

May was a fairly quiet but productive month. I'm hoping June will be even more productive as I'm continuing to take some time out for songwriting. I've got 3 songs so far in varying states of completion but I plan to have a whole album's worth by the end of the summer.

I had a great time at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards in mid-May. Here's a photo of me in extremely good company - Christine Tobin, Norma Winstone and Dame Cleo Laine!

Ane two more bookings came in for the Greek Islands in July. I'll be hitting that beach even sooner than I thought so no more chocolate champagne truffles for me...

This month I'm back at the Hideaway club in Streatham - winner of this year's Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best Venue. If you haven't been before, I recommend you check it out and even better if you come along on 15th June when I'm there. :-)

March was one of the busiest months I've had for a long time! I had gigs in London, Oxford, the West Country (St Austell, Bristol and Bath) and Ipswich. There's a lovely review of the final gig here.

Then there were three radio shows for BBC Cornwall, Devon and Ipswich. Finally, I jetted off to sunny Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for 2 weekends of gigs in the fabulous Alexis where I had 4 very succesful nights and did my best to work my way through many of their famous puddings!

Updates on the final gigs of the tour are on my blog here. I'll also be updating shortly with photos from Malaysia. But a relatively low key April coming up. Apart from the final dates at Alexis, there's just one other performance on 24 April at Baltic restaurant in Southwark, London.

I'm really looking forward to taking some time out to recharge and write some new songs. Although it's a beautifully balmy 32 degrees here in KL, I've heard that spring has finally arrived in the UK. Hope you're enjoying the sun!

March 2011

What a great month February was! We had 3 sell-out shows and lots of fun in Northumberland. Updates and photos on my blog.

We're half way through and have 6 more gigs in March and then I'll be jetting off to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for some gigs and most importantly some sun!

This month I'll be featured on two radio shows too. The first is BBC Radio Cornwall - I'll be doing a live interview on Friday 11th to publicise the perormance in St Austell on the 17th. Then the next day we'll be doing a live session for BBC Devon on our way to our shows in Bristol and Bath. So another busy month. But I'm not complaining - I love it!

Hope you're well and perhaps I'll see you at one of the gigs this month. In any case, I hope March is a fabulous month for you.

February 2011

The Chapel at Stratford-upon-Avon was a great start to the tour! A lovely venue and a great audience. Visit my blog for photos and to read more about the gig.

And I found out last week that 2 of the gigs (Royal Albert Hall on the 14th and Hexham on the 17th) have already sold out! Yay! Sadly, the gig in Derby on the 18th has been postponed but early booking is advised if you're thinking of coming along to any of the other dates on the tour. Looking forward to visiting Northumberland at the end of the month (there are still tickets available for the Maltings on the 18th) and to a return to the Hawth in Crawley. And can't wait to play the Camberwell Crypt in London. There's always such a great vibe there!

And to tie in with the tour, I'm playing tracks from the singers that have influenced me on my radio show on UK Jazz Radio.

January 2011

Happy New Year!

I've got a feeling about 2011. A feeling that it's going to be filled with lots of really good things. One of these good things is my UK tour that starts next month. I'm really looking forward to singing gorgeous songs made famous by some fabulous singers (Ella, Sarah, Nina, Bille etc..) with my wonderful musicians in some beautiful venues. Keep in touch with what I'm up to during the tour on my blog. I've also bought a camera so I'm planning to take lots of photos!

And in March I'm off to perform at a club in Kuala Lumpur. Sunshine - yay! Also hoping to go back to Athens sometime in the spring.

Ooh - I'm getting excited now just thinking about all the lovely things in store!

Hope it's a spectacular year for you too.

December 2010

Unfortunately my gigs in Athens over Christmas have been postponed. So I'm forced to suffer the cold and frosty UK weather - boo! I'm just going to have to console myself with lots of Christmas pudding with brandy butter and copious amounts of mulled wine - there's always an upside! :-)

Really looking forward to my tour next year. Hope to see many of you there. And I'm also hoping that the snow stays away from the UK in February and March!

Happy Holidays and wishing you lots and lots of good things in 2011...

November 2010

I'm loving being a presenter on my new radio show! And it's great to help in some small way to give current jazz singers more exposure. The first show is still up on "Listen Again" if you missed it. And I'll be putting up details and tracklists for all the shows on my blog.

This month I also did a gig at one of the best new jazz venues in London. It's called Hideaway and it really is absolutely fabulous. Everyone who visits is blown away by this amazing club hidden in the depths of Streatham. Definitey worth a special visit to South London but if you're local - lucky you! They do all kinds of music and comedy nights too.

Next month I'm at South Hill Park for the UK Jazz Radio @ SHP launch. Looking forward to that. Also looking forward to going back to Athens to perform with Dimitri Vassilakis at Christmas! I just hope I get to escape to warmer climes before any horrible snow...

October 2010

Great news! I'm one of 9 new presenters for UK Jazz Radio along with Tina May and Jacqui Dankworth! I'm really excited to be joining the station and getting back in to the world of broadcasting after my stint at BBC Radio Kent a couple of years ago. The show is called "Juliet Kelly's Vocal Zone" and will be focussing on the contribution of established and rising vocalists to the vibrant current jazz scene both in the UK and abroad. I'm also hoping to introduce listeners to under-rated and up-and-coming singers yet to hit the radar. First show to be recorded soon, so watch this space for details!

I've also started a blog! I'll be documenting the highs and lows of organising and carrying out next year's tour (kindly supported by Jazz Services and the Arts Council). Thirteen dates have been confirmed so far and we'll be in Stratford-upon-Avon, London, Hexham, Derby, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Crawley, Oxford, St Austell, Bristol, Bath and Ipswich. So lots of travelling... Looking forward to it though. Dates and venues will be on the Live page shortly.

September 2010

Really looking forward to my first ever gig at Ronnie Scott's on the 19th! It's part of the new Sunday Lunch series and I'll be performing with veteran ex-Johnny Dankworth vocalist and congo player, Frank Holder! He's an amazing performer - not to be missed!

I'm also previewing my new project Inspired: Celebrating the Divas of Jazz (details below) at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho on Monday 18th October. Can't wait!

July 2010

Well... I didn't do too well with choosing my second team for the World Cup! But it was lots of fun anyway. Spain were worthy winners. And South Africa were excellent hosts.

Now that all the distractions are out of the way I've been concentrating on organising dates for my tour in February/March next year. I hope to have bookings confirmed for Wakefield, Stratford upon Avon, Hexham, Berwick-upon-Tweed, St Austell, Bristol, Crawley, Ipswich, Oxford and London very soon.

My next project will be quite a departure for me because although up until now I've focussed on writing, performing and recording my own songs, for my next tour I'll be showcasing some beautiful jazz standards in a celebration of the jazz singers past and present that have inspired and influenced me. There will be songs from Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Cassandra Wilson, Norma Winstone and Astrud Gilberto amongst others and my band and I will be performing some popular favourites as well as introducing some lesser-known gems.

Like most jazz vocalists, I started out singing standards and I'm really looking forward to interpreting these beautiful and timeless songs.

June 2010

I am absolutely loving the World Cup. But when I've not been watching football and cheering on England (and my second team, Italy) I've been working on my exciting new project. Will post news soon but until then...

COME ON ENGLAND!

April 2010

Hope you all had a lovely Easter. I banned all chocolate, sweets, cakes etc for the 6 weeks or so during Lent. Don't worry - I then made up for it on Easter Sunday by eating 6-week's worth of chocolate! :-)

Just before Easter I made a trip to wonderful Siberia. I visited an amazing place called Ulan-Ude where I performed as a guest with a local band. I LOVE Russia! Hope to go back very soon.

I'm also hoping to get some UK dates in the diary very soon so watch this space!

January 2010

Had a lovely time in Athens over Xmas with Dimitri Vassilakis and his great band. I was lucky enough to swap the London snow for beautifully warm sunny days. Can't wait to go back!

And before that, my band and I performed to a sell-out audience at the Pizza Express Jazz Club for the 2009 London Jazz Festival. Another fabulous evening at one of my favourite jazz clubs. I also saw some amazing gigs throughout the event. Already looking forward to this year's festival...

2009 wasn't a great year for many people I know so I'm hoping this one is going to be a lot better.

Happy New Year! Wishing you lots of fabulousness in 2010!

November 2009

So, after all the build up and preparation, the last gig of the tour is over! I had such a great time. Fabulous venues, lovely audiences and lots of fun. Check out photos from the London date taken by Helena Dornellas here and Richard Kaby here.

And next.... it's that time again for the London Jazz Festival! I'm performing at 3 venues this year. A short free taster duo set at Rays Jazz @ Foyles on Thursday 19 November is followed by a late night show at 10pm with my full band at one of my favourite places to perform - the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street - on Saturday 21 November.

I'll also be appearing as a special guest of Dimitrios Vassilakis and The Greek Gang on Sunday 15 Nov at The Spice of Life.

Hope to see you at one of the dates.

September 2009

My tour starts this month! And it's supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

For the first date of the tour, I'll be making my debut in Brighton. If you're nearby, it would be lovely to see you there - but hopefully one of the dates will be within travelling distance for you.

20 Sep - Komedia, Brighton
27 Sep - Kitchen Garden Cafe, Birmingham
01 Oct - The Spin, Oxford
06 Oct - Sandbar, Manchester
07 Oct - The Lescar, Sheffield
15 Oct - Troubadour, London
28 Oct - Charlie Wright's International Bar, London
03 Nov - Alimentum, Cambridge

I'll be strutting my stuff in my gladrags, high heels and lipgloss - come join me!

June 2009

Licorice Kiss is now available on Amazon and iTunes!

And I'll be doing a short tour to promote the album starting in September. More details here.

Hope to see you soon!

May 2009

Thanks so much to all those who came down to the launch of my new album, Licorice Kiss, at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho and made it such a special night. I had a fabulous time! Apologies to those of you who were unable to get a copy of the CD after it quickly sold out but you can still get a copy here. I'll even sign it with a personal message if you send me a note letting me know who it's for. :-)

March 2009

My new album "Licorice Kiss" has finally been sent to be pressed! Actual copies should arrive very soon so please watch this space to find out when you can pre-order your copy...

The official launch party will be at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, London on 17th May. Hope you can make it!

January 2009

Happy New Year!

I went back to Athens last month, to perform with the wonderful sax player Dimitri Vassilakis and his band. It was a little worrying with all the riots going on at the time but I've been reliably informed that this was in no way related to my presence in the city!

In December I also attended an event hosted by the Musicians Union at the House of Commons to highlight the deplorable use of music to torture prisoners during interrogations by the United States. Like many, I was completely unaware that this kind of thing even existed. I really hope they put a stop to this barbaric practice soon.

And I've joined Twitter! So if you'd like to "follow" me and find out what I'm up to daily, now's your chance!