Duncan Lamont Night With Esther Bennett And Special Guest Tina May

Saxophonist and composer Duncan Lamont is one of Britain’s most respected musicians, having performed with Henry Mancini, Benny Goodman, Gil Evans, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Count Basie. In addition to his achievements as a performer he is also one of the UK’s most important contemporary jazz songwriters – he has received a Grammy nomination for soundtrack composition, published numerous song books and his songs have been recorded by the cream of singers (Cleo Laine, Mark Murphy, Norma Winstone, Richard Rodney Bennett, Natalie Cole...). In addition to all of that, he has been commissioned to write or arrange countless orchestral pieces, his saxophone compositions are used by the Associated Board of Music and, most importantly of all…he wrote the theme tunes to children’s TV series Mr Benn and Spot! Tonight we will be featuring Duncan’s songs in the company of two very fine singers. Tina May is an award-winning vocalist who has established a well-deserved reputation in the UK as a jazz singer of great sophistication. From collaborations with musicians such as Stan Tracey, Dave Newton and Colin Towns through to work with the likes of Ray Bryant and Tony Coe, her pure toned voice and faultless delivery have earned her the respect and admiration of both audiences and musicians alike. With more than a dozen CD’s to her name she is widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading vocalists, producing some remarkable gigs and albums. Vocalist Esther Bennett has been performing at prestigious venues in and around London for a good few years now. Singing a mixture of jazz standards and more modern material, she combines an innate sense of musicality with a studied knowledge of the jazz idiom and her CD "Just in Time" (the title track of which has been played on Smooth FM and Radio 2) was produced by jazz vocalist of the year Ian Shaw. Not surprisingly the accompanying trio consists of some of the finest musicians in the UK, expect a lively atmosphere, plenty of fun, some great music and some very Special Guests!

“Tina May...one of the best jazz vocalists anywhere today” The Observer; “Esther Bennett’s many virtues include a seductive vibrato…a smokily appealing lower register…and a winning sense of humour” Jazz