NORMA WINSTONE

It´s the singer and the song:
The great “instrumental“ vocal artist of the European jazz singers

29.9. 2007 - 8 pm - Tafelhalle - Tickets for this concert here
28.9. 2007 - Workshop Musikhochschule Nürnberg

"Right now, she is at the peak of her form...
there is no jazz singer in the country to touch her."
The Times, London

"...A superb example of state-of-the-art,
imaginative, virtually beyond-definition singing."
Los Angeles Times

Norma Winstone is, without any doubts, the most important European jazz singer. Born in London, she was first noticed in the late 60ies in the well-known Ronnie Scott’s Club where she played with the famous and legendary sax player Roland Kirk. Together with piano player John Taylor and trumpet player Kenny Wheeler she founded the group AZIMUTH in the late 70ies. The London TIMES called the trio the most imaginative and interesting chamber jazz band of the world. Their record "Somewhere called home" (ECM) is a classic.

Her voice is an essential part of Kenny Wheeler´s Big Band, as you can hear on the double-CD "Music for Large and Small Ensembles" with John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Peter Erskine and John Taylor as co-musicians.

In 2001 she was elected "Best Vocalist" in the BBC Jazz Award.

At STIMMENFANG Norma Winstone will present expressive and soulful triologues in a ballad-heavy chamber jazz manner; neither drums nor bass will be heard in her trio consisting of the Italian pianist Glauco Venier and the German sax player Klaus Gesing. Norma simply standy by her credo: “I prefer the collective. Even when I sing standards every once in awhile, I always try to be an integral part of the group sound and not the person that is being accompanied“.

Glauco Venier says about their common project: 'What we have in common is our european background, it provides the basis upon which we extend our improvisations, we share similar ideas about the importance of dynamics, that is why we play without drums and bass, it helps us to have more space, to move quicker”.

Together it is easier to achieve musical intensity—together with soulful expression. Her programm at Stimmenfang is based on a collection of iridescent compositions of her own called “Chamber Music“ (Universal, November 2003). This CD also presents highly artistic poetry set to music by James Joyce and selected “New Standards“ by e.g. Vince Mendoza and Tom Waits (“San Diego Serenade“). This last song allows Klaus Gesing to continue with his bass clarinet where Waits stops in the original; Glauco Venier places accents via soft piano taps—and Norma Winstone evokes the poetic moods and the intimacy of the verses with high artistry and passion.

Norma Winstone will conduct a workshop at Hochschule für Musik on Sept. 28. on Sept 29. she and her trio (Glauco Venier; Klaus Gesing) will play live at Tafelhalle.

Weblinks zu Norma Winstone:
www.normawinstone.com/
www.klausgesing.com/projekte/chamber/chamber_txt_af_de.htm
www.jazzfm.com/interview_otm.asp
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norma_Winstone
www.jazzpodium.de/leseproben/Norma%20Winstone%20Jazzpodium%2006%202006.pdf
www.bashomusic.co.uk/norma.htm