Friday 6 December 2024
Singer songwriter and pianist Estelle Kokot with Kate Shortt and Michele Drees: join us on our journey as we take you through the poppy fields of Afghanistan, visiting a Komodo Dragon making Jam. Round Midnight is The Perfect Way!
South African singer, songwriter and pianist Estelle Kokot moved to London in the mid 1990’s and soon established herself on the live scene performing at Pizza Express and The Vortex Jazz Clubs, Cambridge Modern Jazz Cub and Band on the Wall in Manchester. She has also performed at the Cork, London, and Soho Jazz festivals, the Dusseldorf Jazz Rally and clubs and theatres in and around Switzerland and Germany.
She has released 5 studio albums ‘Alternative Therapy’ (1999). Demo’s 2000 in 2000, ‘Information’ (2006), and ‘The Sound of You’ with Chicago based saxophonist Chico Freeman.
Towards the end of 2018, sound designer and educator Jonathan Eato recorded Estelle singing and playing her new material at York University. This solo album is available to stream on Bandcamp and is called MOFO (Meal Online for One). Estelle is currently composing music for choirs based on South African percussionist, composer and workshop leader Skeef’s poetry.
"Standards and originals perfectly compatible side by side, Kokot is an excellent arranger of her own and other peoples’ material" - John Fordham, The Guardian
“If you want to hear a genuine innovator with a creative twist on jazz vocals include Estelle Kokot” - London Jazz Festival
‘She understands the power of dramatic expression and crashes through the barriers of convention, then delivers the unbelievable. Do yourself a favour; find out where she’s performing next and catch a plane - Going Places - Gisele Turner
Line up:
Estelle Kokot – voice, piano
Kate Shortt – cello, voice
Michele Drees – drums, percussion
Kate Shortt is a classical/jazz/improv cellist. She has collaborated/performed with Take That, Gary Kemp, Simon Le Bon and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. In the contemporary theatre world, she has worked with film/theatre composer Jocelyn Pook. Her work in the jazz field includes playing with Grand Union band, and she has been a long-term member of the Christine Tobin band. She has played extensively with pianist Liam Noble, guitarist Phil Robson and composer vibraphone player Orphy Robinson and percussionist Beibei Wang.
She is a free improviser playing in London and internationally with poet Penny Rimbaud of former punk band Crass. Kate performs her one-woman cabaret show ‘Shortt and Sweett’ with cello/vocals/piano and comedy in London clubs and National festivals. For many years, she has collaborated and performed with London based South African singer songwriter composer Estelle Kokot.
London based Michele Drees is an established drummer, Latin percussionist, vocalist, guitarist and composer and has been active on the Music scene for over 30 years.
Michele has played with top artists across a wide variety of genres including Marc Almond, Kirsty MacColl, Seal, Badmarsh and Shri, Ive Mendes, KD Lang, Susanne Vega, Candy Dulfer, Ian Shaw, Claire Martin, and Jean Toussaint to name but a few. She has performed at the Royal Albert Hall, The Barbican, Ronnie Scott’s and numerous Jazz Festivals throughout the world including Montreux.
Michele’s love for tap dance began as a little girl, mesmerised watching Fred Astaire and the Nicholas Brothers, it was this influence that sparked her deep love and appreciation for rhythm and the main reason she chose to play the drum kit.
Since 2009 Michele Drees' trio has been the rhythmic bedrock of the London Tap Jam at Ronnie Scott's. The Michele Drees Jazz Tap Project has supported major Artists including Jon Hendricks and Bobbi Humphrey and was invited to perform at the Chorando-sem-Parar Festival in Brazil.
Video 1 (“See You on Sunday”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-XJAyNeoyw
Video 2 (“The Perfect Way”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzD6NVi80dY
Video 3 (“Where is the Rainbow”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgXmB81NgDc
Video 4 (“Love Dance”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vd07CR6SCo
