Artistic Director Speaks: Norma Winstone

Artistic Director Speaks: Norma Winstone 
with Glauco Venier and Klaus Gesing - Dance Without Answer

Saturday, June 21st at Performance Works - 7:30pm

By Ken Pickering - June 4, 2014

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“Right now, she is at the peak of her form…

there is no jazz singer in the country to touch her.” – Alyn Shipton, The Times, London

Simply put, Norma Winstone is special. Often called a singer’s singer, Ms. Winstone is highly regarded by listeners with a penchant for a great voice. Lesser known on this side of the Atlantic she nonetheless has developed a dedicated following world-wide for her vocal artistry through a career that began in the late 60’s, attracting attention at Ronnie Scott’s when she was included on a bill with Rahsaan Roland Kirk. (Rahsaan was also one of my first introductions to live jazz at Ronnie’s Riverqueen on Davie in the late 60’s).

Her career began with singing standards and early on she incorporated wordless vocals into her presentations, occasionally branching out into freer territory through the influence of John Stevens and her friend Maggie Nicols  – although she never really embraced the avant-garde. Her superlative pitch and articulation have been hallmarks of her vocal approach, whether singing wordless or in her poetic treatment of lyrics. Her choice of material is always exquisite and ranges from Nick Drake, Fred Neil, Ivan Lins and Dori Caymi to jazz standards and her own self penned material.

Listen to Slow Fox here from Dance No Answer.

She worked with most of the greats on the British jazz scene including the Joe Harriott, Michael Garrick, John Surman, Mike Westbrook and John Taylor. Norma’s voice was also an important component of Kenny Wheeler’s Big Band – the ECM double CD is worth searching out - Music for Large and Small Ensembles (Hugh Fraser’s on it) and even more recently she’s featured on an ambitious Wheeler album Mirrors with the London Vocal Project (Edition). Have a listen to Humpty Dumpty from Mirrors. She also went on to record with such wonderful pianists as Jimmy Rowles, Fred Hersch and Stan Tracey. 

The lovely chamber jazz trio Azimuth (with Kenny Wheeler – trumpet and John Taylor – piano) recorded three impactful albums for ECM in the late 70’s described by Richard Williams (The Times) as “one of the most imaginatively conceived and delicately balanced of all contemporary chamber jazz groups.” They continued recording sporadically for ECM and were active until around 1995.

The same might be said of her current project, a gorgeous trio that features Italian pianist Glauco Venier and saxophonist / German bass clarinetist Klaus Gesing. Their third disc for ECM recently became available and it’s magic - Dance Without Answer. If you were lucky enough to be at Performance Works during Winterruption (February 2009) then you know of what I speak. She's one of the most enthralling singers I know of.

This quote by the estimable English critic John Fordham describes her music perfectly.

“Her spare, subtle and intelligent approach to

improvisation, jazz standards, impressionistic tone

poetry like a vocal Jan Garbarek and the uncovering

of overlooked songs that deserve to be classics,

put her in the forefront of European singers.”

- John Fordham

Please have a listen to the story of this wonderful chamber jazz trio coming together in this video – pure serendipity – here. Norma talks with Jamie Cullum here. And there's a nice chat with Norma at a record shop in London here.

Norma Winstone is a truly glorious singer of jazz – her shows are magic. Don’t miss her at Performance Works  - June 21st, 2014.