Norma Winstone 'a Time Remembered: The Music Of Bill Evans' at The Yard

British jazz singer and lyricist Norma Winstone was born in London and first attracted attention in the late sixties, when she shared the bill at Ronnie Scott’s club with Roland Kirk. Although she was known initially for evolving her own wordless approach to improvisation, her extraordinary versatility means she is equally at home with the standards repertoire, performing with small groups, orchestras and big bands.

She joined Mike Westbrook, Michael Garrick and sang with John Surman, Kenny Wheeler, Mike Gibbs and John Taylor, and worked extensively with many of the major European names and visiting Americans. In 1971 she was voted top singer in the Melody Maker Jazz Poll and subsequently recorded her own album, Edge of Time, for Decca, which although long deleted has now been re-released on the Dusk Fire label....

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British jazz singer and lyricist Norma Winstone was born in London and first attracted attention in the late sixties, when she shared the bill at Ronnie Scott’s club with Roland Kirk. Although she was known initially for evolving her own wordless approach to improvisation, her extraordinary versatility means she is equally at home with the standards repertoire, performing with small groups, orchestras and big bands.

She joined Mike Westbrook, Michael Garrick and sang with John Surman, Kenny Wheeler, Mike Gibbs and John Taylor, and worked extensively with many of the major European names and visiting Americans. In 1971 she was voted top singer in the Melody Maker Jazz Poll and subsequently recorded her own album, Edge of Time, for Decca, which although long deleted has now been re-released on the Dusk Fire label.

In the late seventies she joined pianist John Taylor and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler to form the group Azimuth, which was described by Richard Williams of The Times as “one of the most imaginatively conceived and delicately balanced of all contemporary chamber jazz groups”.

Her own legendary album, Somewhere Called Home, on the ECM label is widely considered to be a classic. In recent years she has become known as a very fine lyricist, writing words to compositions by Ralph Towner, and Brazilian composers Egberto Gismonti and Ivan Lins (who has recorded her English lyrics to his song Vieste). She has a special affinity with the music of Steve Swallow, and has written lyrics to many of his compositions, most notably Ladies in Mercedes, which has become a standard.

An MBE, Honorary Fellow at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Honorary Member of the Royal Academy of Music, and Jazz FM vocalist of the year — Winstone is one of the most decorated figures in jazz music. She, Nikki Iles and Stan Sulzmann each have a wealth of knowledge, which will make the masterclass a fascinating and informative one.

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