The Janet Seidel Trio in Sydney

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Posted 2012-09-21 by Amy B ⇒ follow

Sun 21 Oct 2012

I'll never forget when I first heard Janet Seidel singing. I was in the health food store Dr. Earth Newtown and her seductive voice drew me in playing across the loudspeakers. I rushed to the cashier to ask who was singing, I had never heard such a beautiful smooth jazz voice before. He smiled and replied that it was Janet Seidel, Australia's First Lady of Jazz. Ever since that day I've been hooked, anxiously awaiting the day I could hear her perform live.

Janet is an incredibly accomplished jazz vocalist with over 20 years experience, with 17 CDs released in Australia and available in other countries. She's originally from South Australia and she resides in Sydney. Among her many accomplishments, in 2006 she was the winner of the Bell Award Jazz Vocal CD of 2006 at the National Jazz Awards in Melbourne. She tours nationally and internationally extensively and she's hailed in Japan as one of the top ten jazz vocalists by jazz polls. She tours as a trio, her brother Dave Seidel on double bass and Chuck Morgan on guitar.

I've been following Janet on Facebook, really wanting to see her sing live, but alas she has been in Europe for the last year. Excitedly I saw recently she had returned home to Australia and would be performing in Glebe on the opening night of her trio's "I love a piano tour." Janet has stated she will play at any venue that has lovingly kept their piano as she's noticed in Australia and in Europe many venues are no longer maintaining their pianos.

I spoke with Janet about this decline and she said that people mistakenly feel that it is too expensive to maintain pianos, which she finds a poor excuse. Many musicians have moved on to digital keyboards which she said throws everything off. Janet says, "The grand piano resonates the natural feel of music." I asked Janet if she was the champion of the grand piano and she smiled and said, "Yes, I am the champion of the grand piano."

What a lovely introduction to the intimate gathering at Café Church in Glebe where the Janet Seidel trio played. The Café Church, of course, has a beautiful grand piano that Janet played very well. The trio came out and Janet opened with a medley of 3 Johnny Mercer songs, including "Tangerine." I shut my eyes and her liquid vocals took me back to a bygone era in the past, "Her heart belongs to Tangerine."

A highlight was Janet's upbeat version of, "Love is a necessary evil," (M.Fisher-J. Segall) where she did some excellent scat singing. She also sang fun tunes from musicals, such as Oklahoma! "Chicks and Ducks and Geese better scurry."

An outstanding song was her rendition of Smile, Jai ton sourir(C. Chaplin) sung in both English and French. I have never heard a more intoxicating French accent, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Glee, the hit American TV show, was looking for a version of "A Man and a Woman," for a scene, and they chose Janet's track from her popular CD Comme Ci Comme Ca. Janet said having her song chosen for Glee was a big thrill.

Speaking of French music The Janet Seidel Trio's will be performing "An Afternoon in Paris," on October 21st in Cremorne. Go to this website to book the show and to see the rest of her "I love a piano," tour dates.

Janet Seidel is a living national Australian treasure and the opportunity to see her should not be missed. I promise you will be hooked on her pure clear vocals just like I am.