Biography

‘World-class British jazz singers are a rare breed at the moment, but Lee Gibson is certainly one of them. She continues to go from strength to strength, both on record and in person. While Cassandra Wilson leads the female vocal field in America, Lee Gibson has comparable status in Britain.’ (Manchester Evening News)

Lee Gibson is a jazz vocal sensation’ (The Independent). A nationally and internationally acclaimed singer who has delighted critics and fans alike with her wonderful voice, innate sense of swing and dynamic stage presence. ‘She is that rarity, a swinging singer who has also reached the highest standards of musicianship.’ (Time Out).

‘Subtle...sensuous...joyful...musical’ (The Stage). A superb, charismatic performer with a reputation for excellence that pulls in the crowds, her live appearances regularly set venue attendance records. Soaring, meticulous vocals....the perfect jazz voice, truly playing it like an instrument (Blackpool Evening Gazette).

She has featured in over 1,000 broadcasts on BBC Radio including ‘live’ broadcasts with the BBC Big Band (with whom she has also appeared in concert on many occasions) and the BBC Concert Orchestra on ‘Friday Night is Music Night’.

Lee has appeared at The Barbican, The Purcell Room, The Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Fairfields Hall, Ronnie Scotts, seven seasons at Pizza on the Park, the 606 Club, The Spice of Life and at all the major jazz venues throughout the UK and Europe.

Festival appearances in the UK and Ireland include Appleby, Ealing, London, Birmingham, Wigan, Marlborough, Edinburgh, Dundee, Newbury, Bude, Derry, Cork, Preston, Swanage, the Isle of Man, Dartmouth and Swansea. In 2016, Lee appeared at festivals in Llandeilo and Abergavenny.

In addition to being one of the UK’s premier jazz performers, her talent continues to be recognised internationally. Lee has performed at festivals in France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Holland, Sydney, South Africa and represented the UK at the Latvian Jazz Festival in Riga.

As well as working with her own trio and quartet, Lee is a highly respected and accomplished big band singer. In Europe she has recorded and starred with The Netherlands Metropole Orchestra in Holland (‘Night Songs’ released by Koch Jazz), The UMO Jazz Orchestra in Finland, The WDR Band and The Francy Boland Band in Germany and the marvellous Danish Radio Band (conducted by the late great Thad Jones) in Denmark.

Lee accompanied the multi award winning Midlands Youth Jazz Orchestra at the opening night concert of the IAJE conference in Toronto and also appeared at festivals at Topeka and Palm Springs and at The Orleans Casino in Las Vegas with the Ken Peplowski Big Band.

Lee has a long association with leading UK jazz independent record label Spotlite Records which has seen the release of three solo albums
‘Songs of Time and Place’, ‘Linger Awhile’ and "Here’s to Love’. All have received universal critical acclaim. She will be looking to return to the studio in 2018 to record a new CD.

Her many film and television credits include ‘Victor Victoria’, ‘Privates on Parade’, ‘The Great Muppet Movie’, ‘An American Tail’, ‘Willow’, ‘Yentl’, ‘The Two Ronnies’, ‘The Morecambe and Wise Show’, ‘Only Fools and Horses’, ‘Barrymore’, ‘The Benny Hill Show’ and 7 Royal Variety Shows.