Interview with…. Juliet Kelly

What inspired you to engage in jazz music in the first place?

Although I didn't realise it, I think I was attracted to jazz from an early age but just didn't realise it was jazz. One of the first records I bought was Nina Simone's "My Baby Just Cares for Me"... and I listened to it non-stop for weeks. I then went to a music workshop in the holidays when I was studying at college and the teacher there told me I had a natural jazz singing voice and encouraged me to take singing lessons. It wasn't long before I started to take it seriously and auditioned to study at the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. I was surprised to be accepted as I didn't have much experience compared to others but since then I never looked back...

Why do you think a music genre that dates back in the beginning of the 20th century and is so specific in its origins still appeals to audiences?

Well, what appeals to me about jazz - and to audiences too I think - is that you never see the same performance twice! It's that element of surprise and being in the moment. And it's also constantly evolving. Although it started over a hundred years ago it's gone through many transformations and today's jazz scene incorporates influences from every other type of genre there is.

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You featured at the London Jazz Festival along with the Greek Gang. So, can Greeks really “jazz”?

Of course! I've recently returned from Athens where I performed for 3 nights at the President Hotel with the Dimitri Vassilakis band. Perhaps jazz isn't the most popular type of music in Greece but there are certainly some amazing musicians that I've had the honour to perform with there. It's just a shame that jazz doesn't have a higher profile.

What comprises a typical gig-day for you?

If I've got a gig in the evening then I try to have as relaxed a day as possible. I'll warm up my voice in the afternoon by singing some scales and songs and then choose the music for the evening. Then I'll spend some time choosing my outfit. I love to dress up and I have a passion for hats and elbow-length gloves at the moment... oh and lots of lip-gloss! When I've arrived at the venue, we'll do a sound-check and then it's the performance. During the performance I love to meet the audience so I try to get around and talk to people as much as I can during the interval. Also during the interval and at the end of the performance, I sign CDs that people have bought and again have a chat with the people who've turned up. Finally, we pack up and go home. Depending on what I'm doing the next day, sometimes I hang out with the band for a few drinks or sometimes I try to get an early night. But when I'm hyped up after a great performance, it can be difficult to go straight to sleep.

I’ll never forget that moment when I was singing and then... Back when I was studying at the Guildhall and was having a chat and a joke with some of the other students we were singing high notes and each trying to outdo the other... We were all amazed when I sang a note and shattered a glass. It must have been just a one-in-a-million chance that I hit the right frequency but everyone was very impressed.

If I could, I’d like to sing on stage with… Herbie Hancock. I love the way he's always changing and evolving. His music is amazing - from the classic album "Head Hunters", to the amazing track "Rockit", right the way to "River: The Jon Letters". An absolute genius!