Ingrid's Reviews


"As a Jazz Presenter you are always awaiting a CD that is "Different, Daring" and most importantly, "Enjoyable".

A few days ago, Mark Goring from Newmarket Music, sent me such a CD."CIRCUMFLEX". A VOCAL/PIANO DUET by two of Australia's finest musicians, Ingrid James and John Reeves. Ingrid had told me she and John were preparing, rehearsing and finally recording.

I had not heard any tracks previously so I was unprepared for what was to follow.

As I was playing the opening track "Slow, Hot, Wind" I knew this CD was different, daring and enjoyable.

Let Ingrid's voice MELT you with "Yesterdays", Lennon/McCartney's "And I Love Him" and then be amazed as Ingrid uses her voice as an extended instrument in Charlie Haden's "First Song for Ruth". and then. More Surprises? .Oh Yes An up tempo version for Porter's "Just One of Those Things and Mulligan's jazz standard "Line for Lyons". The versatility of Ingrid's voice is again verified with her bewitching versions of "Gentle Rain" and "Beautiful Love".

I have not forgotten John. Those rich left hand chords in contrast to the soft delicate chords and single right hand trebles - a perfect accompanist. Ingrid and John have been playing music together for a couple of years. They have developed understanding, respect and musical affection for each other's capabilities.

"CIRCUMFLEX" beautiful word with several meanings. This CD is aptly titled, Ingrid and John perform in the true meaning of the word.

"CIRCUMFLEX" a CD that is Different, Daring and Enjoyable. Thank you Ingrid and John for many hours of musical pleasure

BRIAN FANE Jazz Presenter - Noosa Community Radio FM101.3

It doesn't get much better than John Reeves, Andrew Shaw, Paul Hudson, Graeme Norris & Ingrid James. Despite having only flown in from LA yesterday, Ingrid was, as always, visually & performance wise - brilliant. Her expression, clarity & vocal control thrilled the audience of 185 & the variation in tempo made for a particularly interesting evening. One or two quieter, sensitive numbers brought a remarkable stillness in the audience, as we soaked up the beautiful lyrics & Ingrid's vocal interpretation. The backing in all numbers was perfect. well, the superlatives could just keep flowing.... Suffice it to say, the East Coast Ensemble is a 'must' for future bookings ....

Creme de la Creme Friday 23 January 2009 @ The Brisbane Jazz Club
Ingrid James & East Coast Ensemble

"From sweetly normal renditions to surprising creative artistry, brimming with colour, nuance and fine musicianship. This is a superb album. Warm, gorgeous vocals with deft rhythmical piano "a superb duet feel"

Sharny Russell, singer, pianist, composer, music teacher

"The fabulous Ingrid James has done it again. This time she has teamed up with John Reeves which shows Ingrid has impeccable taste when it comes to choosing a musical partner. Henri Mancini's Slow Hot Wind sets the pace for what is an exciting musical journey of thirteen tracks that aren't usually in a jazz singer's basket of goodies. I will leave others to praise the dynamics, the arrangements and such, and just say Ingrid and John make a great team and this is a "must have' disc."

Carole Hayes Shoalhaven Radio, Nowra.

I have to say that yesterday's jazz was, without a doubt, the best I've heard at the Club. I don't recall any other time when I've felt so emotionally involved with the music & vocals. It was truly magic.

Rita Laurie, Brisbane Jazz Club ('live' performance 17th August 2008)

This turns out to be a recital by a fully integrated quintet of improvisatory travelers, not adverse to eschewing main roads for cross country forays. Ms. James uses song materials for her own improvisatory ends, without surrendering the vital signs thereof. I'm penciling this one in as an early probable for my 2005 "best ten" list. It comes as a most challenging and welcome vocal surprise.

- Alan Bargebuhr, CD review, Cadence Magazine, New York
(Read more..)

CD REVIEW 3/6/05
[Ingrid James] is a fearless and gifted jazz singer for whom the songs are there to be teased, flirted with and milked for all their improvisational potential. [Her latest CD] is much more about life on the edge, about chances taken and pulled off with panache.

- John Shand, Sydney Morning Herald
(Read more..)

At a time when so many singers rely on clichéd embellishment, it comes almost as a shock to hear lyrics delivered with directness and clarity. Ingrid James brings the listener to the inner essence. It's deja vu in reverse. Thoughtful, inventive and, above all, swinging, Ingrid squeezes every line for nuance and meaning. The impeccable phrasing and accurate intonation come almost as a bonus.

- David Bentley, Journalist
(Read more..)

Ingrid James is a jazz singer with great musical quality and possesses a voice of rare purity.

Jazz Club Venture, Marseille, 2006

Ingrid James' passionate vocals cut like musical light-sabres with each note - yet injected warmth and depth of meaning and pathos that only deep compassion can bring.

- Matthew Hutchinson, Special Music Consultant to the Noosa Jazz Festival - 'live" performance review
(Read more..)

A very true singer who has a special affinity for the Brazilian music. She sings Chega de Saudade with an unmistakably personal approach, with a sound that does not belong to anyone else. A swinging bossa nova singer, but she is also well equipped to bring out the full beauty of the lyrics.

- Joao da Penha, Brazilian journalist, author & music critic

(Read more..)

Australian singer, Ingrid James has a voice that reminds me of eating chocolate: rich, dark and smooth. This is a really different vocal album, recorded livein the studio with a lot of energy and spontaneity.

Trudy Kerr, jazz singer, London. INGRID JAMES - ESSENCE

Ingrid is a class act. The Mackay Festival of Arts was privileged to secure such a performer for the Festival. Her performance on the opening night still has people talking. Her presence on and off stage makes Ingrid the sensation she is.

Louise Bezzina, Festival Coordinator, Mackay Festival of Arts (July 2004)

Ingrid James is one of those exception singers who takes her audience on a journey of joy and delight. Every set of hers filled the room. Her voice, her style and her stage presence charmed the Honda Jazz Festival audiences over and over again. Can I say that she's a winner!.

Ray Bolwell, Chairman, Gold Coast Arts Centre & Gold Coast Jazz Festival Director, 26/27 February 2005.

Ingrid is a singer who can draw you inside the most touching standard and make you smile with an up-tempo tune and a scat chorus. [Her] infectious humour and her delightful interpretations of jazz classics made her a popular choice for best performer and ensured an invitation for the 2004 Festival.

- Peter O'Neill, Strategic Director of Kiama Jazz Festival
(Read more..)

Ingrid James floats and swings effortlessly through the changes with a tone of honey. As well as great technique, there's an engaging warmth to her delivery like a close friend smiling at you.

- Tony Backhouse, Sydney

The Gold Coast Jazz & Blues Club were very previleged to secure the talents of Ingrid James to appear in the inaugaural Gold Coast Jazz Festival held at the Gold Coast Arts Centre the weekend of March 26, 27 & 28th...Ingrid gave a stunning performance and was one of the stars of the whole event. Queensland is fortunate to have her as one of our leading jazz singers.

Mary Oxenford, Festival Coordinator 2004.

The thing about Ingrid James is that not only is she an extraordinary vocal stylist, but always manages to appear with a backing group of exciting ability.

Brisbane Jazz Club, March 2004

Ingrid's professionalism in the lead up to the event was equalled by her talents as a performer.Ingrid's vocal talent kept the audience spellbound and her friendly manner to all of our patrons was very much appreciated. A truly amazing singer of world class standard.

Management & Patrons 100 Years of Wine & Song , Grand View Hotel, 15 March, 2003

It was wonderful to see the Cascade Court so animated and [Ingrid's] work so obviously well received...it was a fabulous session.

QPAC's Sunday Soirees Series 2003

Renditions of songs are common; however when a vocalist such as Ingrid can make the song sound completely new you sometimes forget what the original even sounded like.

- Aparna Datta, Music Journalist based in Los Angeles
(Read more..)

With so many singers putting out CD's before they are genuinely ready to immortalise their work, it's refreshing to listen to Ingrid James and her sense of swing, her accuracy, her fresh approach, her maturity.

STEVE ROBERTSON - Presenter "Jazz on Saturday" Melbourne (Extracts from a feature story - "Essence" CD)
(Read more..)

While jazz buffs will be familiar with standards from Cole Porter (Love for Sale), the Gershwins (But Not for Me) and Hart and Rogers (My Funny Valentine), they won't have heard them given such inventive treatments for some time.

Noel Mengel - Journalist - "Courier-Mail" Brisbane, Australia. SINGER FIND JAZZ ESSENCE 23/4/05
(Read more..)

Look out Noosa, here comes an artist who can move gracefully between traditional jazz and soulful blues with a powerful, yet sultry vocal resonance.

Noosa Jazz Festival 2002

This music is a beautiful experience - savour it well and enjoy the 'Essence' of a real alchemy.

John Morrison - January 2005
(Read more..)



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Joao da Penha, Brazilian journalist, author & music critic

If a great musician (and a great singer is a great musician) is 'a person who can keep time' (Flip Phillips, sax), Ingrid James is a great musician. Do you need proof, then please listen to her marvellous new album 'Essence'.

Ms. James is a jazz singer, a superb jazz singer, I say. But she has a special affinity for Brazilian music. Pay close attention to Jobim & Vinicius de Moraes' 'Chega de Saudade' (No More Blues). She sings this wonderful song with an unmistakably personal approach, with a sound that does not belong to anyone else. A swinging bossa nova singer, but she is also well-equipped to bring out the full beauty of the lyrics. In other words: a vocalist who can improvise on the melody while giving the emotion of a lyric.

Her interpretation is sensual (listen to 'Love for Sale'). Her voice is velvet-smooth (listen to 'My Funny Valentine'). In short: Ingrid James is one of the best voices Australia has ever produced. 'Essence' is a reunion of a superb female singer with a contingent of gifted musicians. Artists to the delight of audiences all over the world.

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Aparna Datta - Music Journalist & Music Promotions Specialist

Lay back, put up your feet, close your eyes, and enter a classic jazz club from the mid 50's as you listen to Ingrid James new CD "Essence."

Ingrid James of Brisbane, Australia brings her eloquent vocals to this familiar ten-song set. She is able to move seamlessly between songs by songwriters who are diverse, and by adding her own heart felt vocals the songs are completely reformed. The sounds of these songs will have listeners wondering if they are really hearing old classics or completely new songs. Renditions of songs are common; however when a vocalist such as Ingrid can make the song sound completely new you sometimes forget what the original even sounded like.

Ingrid's treatment of "You don't know what love is" is sultry and filled with passionate vocals. Sounds of harmonized conversations with the instrumentalists takes place as Ingrid's passionate long notes are kept streaming from instrument to instrument.

The rendition of "Love for Sale" is one to keep your ears open for. All the instruments are combined together as her vocals stand out with a deep intensity.

While listening to this CD you would think that the band had been together for many years; however the truth is this album required no rehearsals. The melodic sounds of Adrian Cunningham's tenor saxophone, flute, and clarinet add a spicy flavor to each song as no other saxophonist or clarinetist can. His unique sound is one that can be recognized instantly. Matt Baker adds his amazing pianist talents to this album, sounding more subtle, and played with more finesse than any piano session you have heard before. A beautiful rendition of "My Funny Valentine" highlights the talent that flows from his fingers. Owen Newcomb on acoustic bass is smooth. He keeps the bands rhythm jumping in "I'm old Fashioned," and going smoothly throughout the other songs. John Parker on drums and percussion wraps around this amazing group of talent, keeping it together as he sits in the background throughout each song.

For something classic and familiar, yet at the same time modern and new the CD "Essence" is a must have.
To purchase this CD or to read more about Ingrid James visit: www.ingridjames.com

Aparna Datta is a published Music Journalist & Music Promotions Specialist


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STEVE ROBERTSON - Presenter "Jazz on Saturday" Melbourne

(Extracts from a feature story - "Essence" CD)

"With so many singers putting out CD's before they are genuinely ready to immortalise their work, it's refreshing to listen to Ingrid James and her sense of swing, her accuracy, her fresh approach, her maturity."

"What happened was that Ingrid went from being a technically accomplished singer with a 3 octave range, to becoming a musician. Now it was not enough to hit the notes right on pitch and breathe at the right moments. Now she was crossing bar lines, going up where others would go down, exploring new and daring harmonic possibilities. Now she could safely avoid parroting precisely the notes which the composer gave us - she was interpreting and give of herself. It's called being an artist.

Ingrid's journey has seen more than just the predictable stops along the way. There's her years as a TV director with the ABC, and valuable experience singing in groups (ideal for learning how to intelligently interact with the instrumentalists you share the stage with, a skill Ingrid has mastered). She's also enjoyed those intangibles that help develop artistic expression, life experiences like raising children and watching an intimate relationship grow. Now she's a full-time singer, a jazz identity complete with a recording, interstate tours, maybe foreign jazz festivals before too long."

On Ingrid's new release Essence (Newmarket CD), it's clear that she is a listener as well as a performer. She interacts superbly with her sax and flute player Adrian Cunningham, who sometimes sounds even more inspired and disciplined on Ingrid's recording than on the recent Newmarket CD under his own name. Bassist Owen Newcomb and drummer John Parker are clearly relaxed and confident working with Ingrid, hence the faultless rhythm throughout.

Special praised, though, should be reserved for pianist Matt Baker, who, like Ingrid, is a chance-taker, the high wire walker who sways a bit as he crosses the chasm but always comes out fine at the other end. This album and his live work provide indisputable evidence that Baker is rapidly moving towards membership of that elite of Australia pianists which already includes Tony Gould, Joe Chindamo, Mark Isaacs and Mark Fitzgibbon....

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Noel Mengel - Journalist -"Courier-Mail" Brisbane, Australia
23/4/05 SINGER FIND JAZZ ESSENCE

While jazz buffs will be familiar with standards from Cole Porter (Love for Sale), the Gershwins (But Not for Me) and Hart and Rogers (My Funny Valentine), they won't have heard them given such inventive treatments for some time... It's an album which stretches the ballad form thanks to James's sensual voice and the interplay of four of the finest players in Australian jazz...Look no further than a sizzling 10-minute interpretation of "I thought about You" on which James's impeccable phrasing fits hand-in-glove with [Matt] Baker's extrapolations....(extracts from reviewer, Noel Mengel)

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John Shand - SYDNEY MORNING HERALD - CD REVIEW 3/6/05

The songlist suggests yet another safe set of standards. The reality is much more about life on the edge, about chances taken and pulled off with panache. Brisbane's Ingrid James is a fearless and gifted jazz singer for whom the songs are there to be teased, flirted with and then milked for all their improvisational poential. Sydney's brilliant Adrian Cunningham (reeds) and Matt Baker (piano) join James's fellow Queenslanders Owen Newcomb and John Parker in taking the likes of "You don't know what love is" and "Love for Sale" on a return to the wild side.

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Dave Bentley (jazz icon and journalist)

At a time when so many singers rely on cliched embellishment, it comes almost as a shock to hear lyrics delivered with directness and clarity. Ingrid James brings the listener to the inner essence. It's deju vu in reverse.

You've probably heard these songs before - but never like this. Thoughtful, inventive and, above all, swinging, Ingrid squeezes every line for nuance and meaning. The impeccable phrasing and accurate intonation come almost as a bonus.

On this CD. She is backed by four of Australia's stellar instrumental talents - pianist Matt Baker, bassist Owen newcomb, reedman Adrian Cunningham and drummer John Parker. The combination owes its genesis to 2004's Noosa Jazz Party where Ingrid's impromptu set with Sydney-based Matt and Adrian went so well that she asked them to record with her. Brisbane players Owen and John completed the studio lineup - and here is the result: familiar, much-loved standards bursting with fresh energy and spontaneity.

To hear Ingrid's subtle yet authoritative reading of My Funny Valentine is to realise how shabbily this venerable old jazz standard has been treated by lesser singers. Elsewhere on the album, Ingrid revisits the near-forgotten verse to But Not for Me, and also revives Georgie Fame's vocalese chorus from a solo by the late trumpeter Chet Baker.

Love for Sale takes the listener into exotic territory. A bazaar in Morocco, perhaps.with Cunningham as snake charmer and Baker plucking sounds directly from his piano strings.

This is jazz for a new millenium - but don't just read about it. Put it on your CD deck and listen. You'll be glad you did.

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John Morrison - January 2005

The nature of good jazz demands good chemistry between its performers and this recording is a fine example of how musicians, many of whom had only enjoyed chance meetings to this point, can come together and create something truly wonderful.

This music transcends the need to debate styles or influences and comes across as a purity of thought drawing in the listener. It has a raw energy only known to music created spontaneously yet refined well beyond what one would expect from a recording that was performed live in the studio.

My first response after listening to this recording was to play it again.

Not only does it sound completely fresh on subsequent playings, but you will then discover many new and subtle nuances that entice you further each time.

This music is a beautiful experience - savour it well and enjoy the "Essence" of a real alchemy.

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INGRID JAMES with MATT BAKER at the NOOSA JAZZ FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 2003

Review by Matthew Hutchinson - Sept. 2003 Former broadcaster on Noosa Community Radio fm 101.3 and special musical consultant to the jazz festival.

There are moments that transport you - they are particular, special segments in Time, in one's life, that allow one the opportunity to realise consciously what the journey is about; and permit a slow-motion type of cognisance to take place, wherein life-actions can be simultaneously viewed, participated in, and completely realised as integrated understanding, all at once.

Sitting at Fusion Cafe on the Noosa River on Sunday evening on the tail end of the Noosa Jazz 2003 Festival one such magical illumination took place.

Ingrid James' passionate vocals cut like musical light-sabres with each note - yet injected warmth and depth of meaning and pathos that only deep compassion can bring. Her work on "What a Difference a Day Made" was both incandescent yet heart opening. Just as riveting, yet in a totally credible, street-tough punchiness was the Oscar Brown Jr. blues "As long as you're living". The focus must shine equally on the dramatic piano work of Matt Baker. The evening's solos were the highpoint to this listener of decades of listening to great jazz - yet the particular extended solo played in "I've got just about everything" was the absolute zenith of the integration of pyrotechnical physical alibility, musical nous and sense of fitness, spiritual compassion and innate sense of beauty and elegance. Patrons and musicians alike were shaking their heads in disbelief at the music being generated.

The vortex of joy and upliftment created in that room by the four players was such that a transporting past the time/space continuum was produced. A healing on the hearts of humanity was taking place in that special moment. All present were involved - whether their intellect was cognisant or not. The interlocked simpatico of the two brothers, Pat and Joe Marchisella comprising the rhythm section set up the foundation and scaffolding for the two soloists (Ingrid and Matt) to build upon.

An environment wherein music became the vehicle to dismantle fear was in motion. Pure elation and interconnectedness to the hearts of all of humanity happened in that room - the players, through their years of dedication to their craft accessed the higher levels of Love and let it flow through them to repair all of those fortunate enough to put themselves in that place.

Bless them for their gifts. The immediacy of great jazz puts it right where it is - Truth resonates.

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2003 Kiama Jazz Festival - Peter O'Neill

NEW LOOK JAZZ A HIT
Peter O'Neill doesn't mind blowing his own trumpet,particularly when it comes to the new format for the 2003 Kiama Jazz Festival ! "This year's format was an outstanding success," said Peter O'Neill, Strategic Director of the Festival. "The new look festival had jazz fans, performers and restaurant owners singing its praises."

One of the highlights of the festival was Ingrid James Quartet, with Matt Baker . The quartet played at several venues across the weekend including a booked-out Harbourside Brighton on Saturday night and a packed performance at Natural Necessity Cafe on Sunday. The combination of the experienced musicians coupled with the smooth sound of Ingrid James was a hit wherever they played. Ingrid is a singer who can draw you inside the most touching standard and make you smile with an up-tempo tune and a scat chorus.Ingrid's infectious humour and her delightful interpretations of jazz classics made her a popular choice for best performer and ensured an invitation for the 2004 festival!