Helena Debono & Charlie Bates
This is a delightful afternoon performance by two terrifically talented and accomplished young musicians, vocalist Helena Debono, pianist/arranger Charlie Bates and their quartet. Both Helena and Charlie were members of NYJO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra), the renowned programme & organisation which counts among its alumni Guy Barker, Mark Nightingale & even Amy Winehouse. Subsequently, Charlie was awarded the Dankworth Award, the Eddie Harvey Award and an Ivor Novello award for composition. He has performed live on BBC2 and music from his debut album has been broadcast on BBC TV and radio, as well as Jazz FM. An in-demand singer who has performed at Ronnie Scott’s, Cheltenham Jazz Festival, Manchester Jazz Festival, Buckingham Palace & Wembley Stadium among other prestige venues, Helena’s own debut record was launched in 2021 to a sold-out audience at Pizza Express and has now generated over 30K streams on Spotify. And she’s now the vocal coach at NYJO, which gives you an idea of just how good she is! In 2024, Charlie and Helena recorded “A Thousand Nights” featuring a 55-piece orchestra, which was chosen as Jazz FM’s “Record of the Week” and featured on BBC Radio 3 (“With these young performers, jazz is really in good hands and this release can be warmly recommended” Jazz Journal). The show today will include a selection of music from that album - a mix of original songs and re-imaginations of jazz classics.
"[Bates] Impressive and Inventive..." Guardian; “Bates’ pieces are rich in terms of colour, texture, contrast and dynamics” Jazz Mann; “Helena’s singing displays great musicality, relaxed beauty and tone, and of course that immaculate timing’ UK Jazz News
Photo by Robert Crowley