
23/05/2013 | Shepperton Jazz Club, London |
07/06/2013 | The Lido, Ascot |
12/06/2013 | Limes Jazz (Shelter Bar), Valley |
14/06/2013 | The Lido, Ascot |
21/06/2013 | The Lido, Ascot |
22/06/2013 | Brisbane Jazz Club Concert |
View all of Ingrid's Gigs | |



Ingrid's Reviews
Lost My Heart Reviews
"The combination of the note perfect, brilliant singer, Ingrid James and the tight West Coast outfit 'San Gabriel 7' is a winning one. Their CD 'Lost my heart' has some familiar 70's pop classics teamed with originals and a great re-working of Albinoni. My favourite track which captures the delicacy and vulnerability of Ingrid's tone is 'I Fall in Love Too Easily'. It's great to hear just her and Bill Watrous with minimal accompaniment on this track. Ingrid has a 'horn-like' tone on the unison scat sessions and she sings with confident ease passages which would test most singers. An amazing album!"
Janet Seidel
Australian award-winning jazz singer/pianist
"It's an unbeatable combination - a singer who can sound like a perfectly played instrument, and a horn player who comes astonishing close to matching the human voice. Put the two together, give them material that ranges from '70's funk to boss nova to ballads and the result is quite possibly the best Australian vocal album of 2012.
The vocalist is already well known in Queensland and is rapidly making a name for herself on the national and world stage, too. She's Brisbane singer, teacher and mum Ingrid James, whose note-perfect delivery and depth of lyrical expression has elevated her into the elite of Australia's musical talents.
The horn player is quite simply the best trombonist in the known universe, Los Angeles-based legend Bill Watrous. His gift is to make it all sound so easy, the mark of genius. The material comes from myriad sources, Joni Mitchell to Albinoni, '70's pop boogaloo to a classic '30s ballad, accented with a healthy dollop of Brazil. Lyric interpretation aside, Ingrid's chief gift is the purity of her wordless vocals, no easy task. Watrous' horn, meanwhile evokes the sweet expressiveness of masters from Tommy Dorsey to Urbie Green. No less a trombone titan than James Morrison himself stands in awe of Bill's tone, technique and outpouring of rich musical ideas.
Highlights abound, the sensuality of Ingrid's Portuguese words on Jobim's "O Grande Amor", her haunting lyric and Louise Denson's sumptuous melody on title track, the happy bebop of "Conception", and the classic '70's fusion of "Jogral", so reminiscent of Bill's much-loved band of that decade, Manhattan Wildlife Refuge. My own top choice, though, is "I Fall in Love Too Easily", with utterly perfect lovelorn ballad statements from Ingrid and Bill, and fine support from their LA band the San Gabriel 7. It's the most vulnerable, heart-rending treatment of this tune since Chet Baker made it his own in 1955.
Good news if you want to catch Ingrid and Bill in person. The two are playing at festivals at the end of this month in Noosa, Brisbane and Magnetic Island. But if you can't head north, appreciate them on this delightfully varied release.
Steve Robertson, Portland Observer, Victoria (August 2012)
"If this were the 50's Jazz era, Ingrid James would be performing alongside other greats such as Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. She is by far one of the best jazz vocalists I have every worked with. It's time for America to know and welcome this remarkable award winning Australian jazz vocalist."
BILL WATROUS, USA (7 time winner, Best Trombonist of the Year, Downbeat Magazine)
"The San Gabriel 7's fourth CD is particularly special. Lost My Heart teams the group with the talented Australian vocalist Ingrid James, a singer who deserves to be much better known in the U.S. Not only does she have a beautiful voice and very impressive technique but she is a creative jazz singer, an impressive scatter. and a warm interpreter of lyrics. In addition, Lost My Heart features a couple of notable solos from guest trombonist Bill Watrous. The music is wide-ranging, including the danceable "Zigaboogaloo," Joni Mitchell's "The Hissing Of Summer Leaves," a touching version of "I Fall In Love Too Easily," a spirited rendition of the bossa nova "O Grande Amor" and some hot bop on "Conception." With its inventive Dave Cushman arrangements, concise and colorful solos, and appealing ensemble work, the San Gabriel 7 is heard throughout at its best. The group's matchup with Ingrid James is very easy to enjoy".
- Scott Yanow, author of ten books including The Jazz Singers, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917
Pangaea Reviews
"This collection of covers of material from the 1970s and 80s by Ingrid James and The Global Collective is no nostalgic, sound-alike trip down memory lane. Nor is it an attempt to cash in on the musical flavour-of-the-month with squeaky adolescent vocals or rapping. It is a set of musically intelligent arrangements by trumpeter Paul Armstrong and multi-instrumentalist Todd Harrison performed by artists from quite literally around the world. The music draws together influences from South and Central America, jazz, bluegrass, folk and popular music. Such a project is only made possible (with a budget in the hundreds of thousands) through the advent of 21st century digital technology, and we are the luckier for it....Ingrid James' extraordinary range is showcased as her voice is variously warm and engaged, cool or contemplative, clear, or soft and hushed. Her diction is flawless... "The outstanding musicians in the Global Collective have asked themselves what these classic songs are really about and approached their material with fresh ears. The result is a refreshing new perspective on our musical past which points us towards a healthy musical future."
Louise Denson, Head of Jazz Studies, Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
Pangaea "is the title of this unique album whose members have bridged time and distance to create music that is challenging, beguiling, powerful and thoughtful. The players hail from widely separate locations as Australia, the United States, Nicaragua, France and Russia... Core members - Australian vocalists Ingrid James along with Texas-based musicians Paul Armstrong (Austin) and Todd Harrison (Houston) limned out repertoire and conception via email and skype..." All the songs "were hits during the 70s and 80s - nuggets from a rich lode of material...yet this is in no way a tribute album of the sort where lesser performers slavishly emulate their heroes. Rather, this a lovingly crafted revitalisation of repertoire from a richly musical era...Vocally speaking this is Ingrid James' album. Renowned for her clarity of diction and flawless pitch, she's funky to the max on Fame, beguilingly convincing on Kerry Livgren's Dust in the Wind and Latinsavvy on Suzanne Vega's slow tango, Caramel. The word "pangaea"- derives from the ancient Greek words "pan" meaning "entire" and "gaia" meaning "earth". No other word expresses the spirit of Ingrid James & The Global Collective. This is music that bridges cultures and makes virtue of diversity. It has a freshness, vigour and soul..."
David Bentley - Australian pianist/singer/songwriter/journalist.
"Paul and Todd have taken various tunes that might be somewhat unexpected and slightly obscure in this present day, and re-arranged them into unbelievable versions of same, and adding the superb vocals of Ingrid James to top everything off... Highly recommended!!!"
Bobby Shew, US Jazz trumpet
"Pangaea is not the fast-food version of today's albums. In fact, in order to fully enjoy this recording, you will have to get over yourself and your pre-conceived notions of what your ears are telling you is coming next. There are surprises around every corner, and it feels like James and the Global Collective set out to do just that... This music in not saccharine. Ingrid James vocals are like the perfect glass of wine with your meal, and the musical arrangements from Armstrong and Harrison form a bedrock of flavour from which a plethora of ingredients spring forth. Guitars, strings, saxophones, and a ton of percussion await you, and again, challenge you and your musical ears."
Andrew Layton, Freelance Saxophonist, Washington D.C.
"The musicianship is first class. The production is of international quality. The arrangements are wonderful and Ingrid's vocals are superb. She is a singer's singer - never tries to overdo it - just does it right. It's not easy taking a well known song and arrangement - change it dramatically from the original and have it accepted. We tend to fall in love with the original and can't see beyond that, but if they are done with passion, care and consideration, they can work beautifully and that is apparent with this album."
Peter Cupples, Australian singer/songwriter/producer
"Ingrid doesn't just sing, she has a way of taking you 'into a song' and with Ingrid, that's a nice place."
John Diegan, Australian Radio Presenter - BayFM/4MBS
Essence Reviews
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..)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..)