Jazz singer’s tribute to the divas of song

THE Sands hosts a night on which you can enjoy the hits of our best-loved female vocalists from across the decades on Friday 9th July.

Jazz singer Nicola Farnon will perform her tribute to The Divas of Song - and also play the double bass. Fresh from her show-stopping appearances at Glastonbury and with her full live band of internationally acclaimed players, Nicola will take her audience on a musical jaunt through a wide variety of hits from the Divas.

She will include materialrom Bessie Smith to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald to Etta James, Dusty Springfield to Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland to Aretha Franklyn.

You can journey through the early years of pop – from the 1930s up until the 1950s - when the number one hits were the real sensational and swinging classics - just like the ladies who sang them.

And then from the 1950s as far as the 1970s – when the hypnotic rhythms and catchy melodies of the era ensured that these sophisticated ladies and their beautifully crafted songs remained firmly at the top of the charts.

The performance includes real show-stoppers and intriguing anecdotes about the singers, the songs and the people who composed them.

In the words of the late, great, Humphrey Lyttleton: “Nicola’s a remarkable performer on stage, a fine singer and an outstandingly swinging and propulsive bass player with an outgoing personality to match...I declare that she is a class act who should be on every jazz festival in the lan. A sure fire hit!”

Nicola started out on cello at the age of seven and later studied music in London and became increasingly influenced by jazz, before moving North and rapidly establishing her various sparkling bands at numerous venues. In recent years Nicola has been a featured artist where she has wowed audiences at numnerous national and international jazz festivals alongside such jazz luminaries as Digby Fairweather, Jim Mullen, Bruce Adams and Alan Barnes and has supported class jazz acts as diverse as Courtney Pine, Georgie Fame, Sir John Dankworth and Dame Cleo Laine, Humphrey Lyttleton and Acker Bilke.

Nicola’s highly experienced band is made up of Lee Halan, Benny Lee, Dean Masser, Phil Johnson and Andy Chorleton who have all performed with internationally acclaimed singers and players.

The show is at 9pm and tickets cost £12.50 available through www.the-sands.co.uk or on 01427 811 118.

* Other highlights coming up at The Sands include tribute acts The Kommitments on Saturday 10th July (tickets £15 or £30 with a three-course meal) and ‘Fleetwood Mac’ on Friday 16th July (tickets £12.50).

Then in August a Guns n’ Roses Tribute will play at the club on Friday 13th (tickets £10) and a Spandau Ballet tribute on Saturday 14th (tickets £10). All tickets available through www.the-sands.co.uk or on 01427 811 118.