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Tina May

Tina started exploring and developing her jazz sensibilities at University College, Cardiff. She attended vocal studies with Eilleen Price in the music dept. and almost immediately teamed up with other musicians to form small bands.She joined the Welsh Jazz Soc. run by Jed Williams and was soon a regular listening to Sweets Edison, Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Al Cohn and many, many more at The Lions Den' in the Great Western Hotel in Cardiff. As a student of French ,Tina knew she would have the opportunity of living in France for a year as part of her degree course. She chose to study in Paris and began her apprenticeship in Jazz when ,by chance, she met up with some aspiring young music students, who invited her to 'faire un boeuf' - have a jam with them.These musicians were Pascal Gaubert and Patrick Villanueva - who recorded with Tina on the 'live in Paris' album nearly twenty years later! Very soon Tina was performing at Le Slow Club with the Roger Guerin Big Band with special guest Kenny Clarke - such a great drummer and sweet man. Le Caveau de la Huchette became another regular gig for Tina and the band. Tina formed a quartet with Patrick Villanueva, Renaud Garcia-Fons, Alain Richard and they performed allover Paris . At that time Tina was also involved in theatre and especially comedy review- something she felt a great affinity with. She met up with another talented thespian Rory Bremner who was already writing sketches and performing his hilarious monologues and skits on politics. Together Tina and Rory performed 'You are Eiffel but I like You (!)' - a review show which they took from Paris to the Edinburgh Fringe re-naming it 'Midnight Excess'. Tina was singing some amusing jazz songs like 'I'm hip' and doing some bi-lingual and 'franglais' originals as well as acting alongside Rory. Happy times !

early days with Rory in ParisLet's skip a few years - theatre companies, tours. Tina loved to collaborate with her first real musical soulmate, Dylan Fowler, great guitarist and composer from south Wales. Together they played in quartet, quintet and then nonet - which became Frevo - the band led by Dylan with brazilian rhythma but original compositions - and lyrics by Tina. This band performed at Bath Festival ( where Tina was invited to sing by Egberto Gismonti's trio), Edinburgh Fest. and Cork as well as touring the uk .

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184
Album Review

Tina May: A Wing and a Prayer

Read "A Wing and a Prayer" reviewed by Bev Stapleton


Even though she has over ten discs to her name, Tina May is still little known in the wider jazz world. A regular performer in clubs and arts centres in Britain and Europe, she has never had the major label backing that seems to be required to catapult a jazz singer into the public eye.

For those who have heard her, this is something of a blessing. Recording mainly on the small 33 Records label has allowed her to develop ...

140
Album Review

Tina May: Live in Paris

Read "Live in Paris" reviewed by Dave Nathan


Tina May's 9th album for Britain's 33Jazz label is a live performance from one of Paris' most coveted jazz venues, the Jazz Club Lionel Hampton. It's also deja vu for May. She used to perform there with two of her playing partners, Patrick Villanueva and Pascal Gaubert , while a student in the City of Light in the 1980's. It was during those days that May began working as a chanteuse as she laid the foundations for what has become ...

207
Album Review

Tina May and Tony Coe: N'oublie jamais (Jazz Piquant)

Read "N'oublie jamais (Jazz Piquant)" reviewed by Dave Nathan


Tina May continues her exploration of out of the ordinary, but tasteful, selections from the world's songbook in her latest album for the British 33Jazz label. This time around she has corralled preeminent reedman Tony Coe as well as other outstanding musicians, to share the spotlight. May's albums are always full of heavenly surprises, and this album continues that pleasant practice.In previous outings, she usually sang a tune or two in French. Here, with a single exception, the ...

158
Album Review

Tina May Trio: One Fine Day

Read "One Fine Day" reviewed by Dave Nathan


On the jazz scene for more than 15 years, Tina May is one of UK's premiere jazz vocal virtuosos. In a country which can boast of important contributors to the art of jazz vocalizing, this is not faint praise. Along with Carol Kidd, Claire Martin, Annie Ross and British diva, Norma Winstone, among others, May has become a major mainstay of contemporary jazz singing. Having the reputation of “doing it her way," May looks to a wide variety of sources ...

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