Norma Winston
Norma Winstone
first attracted attention in the late sixties when she shared the bill at Ronnie Scott's club with Roland Kirk. Although she began her career singing jazz standards, she became involved in the avant-garde movement, exploring the use of the voice in an experimental way and evolving her own wordless approach to improvisation. She has worked extensively with many of the major European names and visiting Americans.
In 1971 she was voted top singer in the Melody Maker Jazz Poll and subsequently recorded her own album Edge of Time for Decca.
In the late seventies she joined pianist John Taylor and trumpeter Kenny Wheeler to form the group AZIMUTH, which was described by Richard Williams of The Times as ... "one of the most imaginatively conceived and delicately balanced of all contemporary chamber jazz groups". AZIMUTH has recorded several albums on the ECM label (the first three of which have been re-issued as a CD boxed set). Their CD How It Was Then... Never Again was released in May 1995, and received four stars in Down Beat magazine. Her voice has also become an important part of the sound of Kenny Wheeler's big band, and can be heard in this context on the ECM double CD "Music for Large and Small Ensembles"
Her own legendary album "Somewhere Called Home" on the ECM label is widely considered to be a classic. In recent years she has become known as a very fine lyricist, writing words to compositions by Ralph Towner, and Brazilian composers Egberto Gismonti and Ivan Lins (who has recorded her English lyrics to his song 'Vieste'). She has a special affinity with the music of Steve Swallow, and has written lyrics to many of his compositions, most notably 'Ladies in Mercedes', which has become a standard.
Her CD "Well Kept Secret", recorded with the legendary American pianist Jimmy Rowles, and featuring George Mraz (bass), Joe La Barbera (drums), was given a four star rating in Down Beat magazine. Here Norma sings a selection of rare jazz standards, including Jimmy's famous tune 'The Peacocks' for which she wrote lyrics, and re-titled 'A Timeless Place'. She has recorded a number of other CDs under her own name.
In 2001, she won the title of Best Vocalist in the BBC Jazz Awards.
She recently toured England with the group '4 In Perspective' featuring pianist Fred Hersch, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and percussionist Paul Clarvis which led to a duo recording with Fred, "Songs and Lullabyes" (Sunnyside Label), Norma has also just recorded "Poems and Miniatures", with Italian pianist Glauco Venier and German saxophonist Klaus Gesing.
Norma appeared at the London Jazz Festival in 2006 and toured with the NDR Big Band with Colin Town’s new Zappa tribute “Hot Licks and Funny Smells”.
