Harriet Coleman

COCKTAIL JAZZ VOCALIST/BAND LEADER

Harriet Coleman started her singing career in New York with bands all over the state from the clubs in Greenwich Village to the Catskill resorts. Since coming to the UK she has sung with the London Philharmonic Choir at the Albert Hall under the direction of Daniel Barenboim , and featured numerous times at the famous Pizza on the Park in London. She has sung with many of the jazz greats including Dick Morrissey,  Bill Le Sage, Jimmy Hastings, Vic Ash, John Pearce, John Horler, John Critchinson, Ronnie Ross, Ralph Dollimore, Derek Nash, Dave Green, Pete Morgan, Ron Drake, Campbell Burnap, Terry Jenkins to name but a few, and has appeared  at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival with Vagn Brandrup’s jazz band with a guest performer from the Copenhagen Radio Big Band which was recorded for Copenhagen Radio station. Harriet has been invited back for the 3rd time to perform at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in July ’05.

Harriet has run her own world famous jazz club called Harri’s Jazz (previously Shepperton Jazz Club) for 32 years. She held a residency for 13 years at Hamilton’s in St. Margarets where she performed for regulars such as Greg Dyke (ex-head of BBC television), our top sportsmen Sebastian Coe, Steve Davis, Brian Moore, and performed for the production party of “A Fish Called Wanda” for John Cleese & Jamie Lee Curtis etc.

Harriet has appeared at several jazz clubs, and hotels in the UK. She has performed for the past 20 years at the Ann Boleyn Hotel, Staines , and can be seen the last Sunday of each month for an Indian Jazz Buffet, from 2-4:30 pm. She also performs for dinner jazz at the Stanwell Hotel  2nd Friday monthly and at the Lord Bute Hotel in Christchurch 3rd Wednesday during the summer months with a variety of top Jazz Stars to the delight of her audiences and musicians who unfailingly say “What a lovely way to spend an afternoon or evening.” There is no entertainment charge for any of these jazz dinners. Harri has also performed and has been asked back to perform at a variety of Golf Clubs including St. George’s and Millford.

Harri’s first recording “Passing By” was with Derek Nash (lead saxophonist for  the Jools Holland Band and leader of “Sax Appeal” & “Protect the Beat”), Nils Solberg (Clare Teal’s guitarist), John Critchinson (Ronnie Scott’s pianist for many years), Ian Scott, Taylor and Cyril Bevan. (SOLD OUT)

Harri’s  album entitled Meet Me Midnight” features Derek Nash, John Pearce, Dave Green and Steve Brown (arrangements by John Pearce , (pianist for the James Last Orchestra for 17 years )  (SOLD OUT)

Harri’s latest albums “Lucky To Be Me” and “I Wish you Love” feature Derek Nash on Tenor Sax,Steve Waterman on Trumpet/Flugel, John Pearce, Andrew Cleyndert  on Double-bass and Steve Brown on Drums.

Available for purchase on her web site.   Click Here to Hear Samples

Harri  has also sung with John Horler,( Cleo Laine & Johnny Dankworth’s accompanist), Max Britain, (Cleo Laine’s guitarist), Alan Barnes (winner of the jazz awards for best saxophonist and clarinetist for the past 3 years),  Roy Babbington, (bassist for the BBC Radio Big Band),  Phil Phillips (TV accompanist for Michael Barrymore), American West Coast Tenor Sax Star Gary Scott (who was the big band sax soloist for Frank Sinatra in Las Vegas for 13 years) and with Jamie Cullum.  Harriet  performed concerts with Terry Jenkins’ Swing Era Band fronted by Jazz FM’s Campbell Burnap and Ron Drake who was the clarinet/saxophonist for the Alex Welch Big Band.

Harri loves singing Gershwin, Ellington, Porter, Rogers & Hart etc., has a very extensive repertoire and always brings a fresh programme to her audience from her repertoire of 600 songs! She is available to perform at clubs, private parties including weddings and both private and corporate functions. She has a flexible approach to her programmes according to what is required for the particular function from cocktail jazz to swing for receptions and dinner. Harri does commercial and private functions with some of the best jazz musicians from stage, screen, tv, radio,the top London jazz clubs and International festivals.

Click Here to Hear Samples of Harri’s Latest CD’s. “Lucky To Be Me” and “I Wish You Love” . Her 1st two CD’s “Passing By” and “Meet Me Midnight” are sold out!

Harri can be contacted on 01784-435396 for bookings or via her e-mail atharri@harrisjazz.com

Harriet – a life in music Apart from singing, Harriet studied classical piano, classical guitar and tap dance.  She successfully auditioned for the London Philharmonic Choir and subsequently performed with the choir at the Royal Albert Hall, conducted by Daniel Barenboim. She has sung with many of the UK’s top jazz players, including Derek Nash, Bill Le Sage, John Pearce, Dave Newton, John Horler, Dave Green, Paul Morgan,  the late Dick Morrissey and Ronnie Ross, and great Americans such as Spike Robinson & Gary Scott and a host of who’s who in the jazz world. She has performed at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival and several times at Pizza on the Park in London.  She sang at the wedding of former England rugby player Brain Moore and at a party for the cast of the file of A Fish Called Wanda (including John Cleese and Jamie Lee Curtis) Stars who have performed at her club include one of the UK’s best ever tenor sax players Dick Morrissey, the late US jazz pianist Gene Harris, the tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, Jamie Cullum, Clare Teal and many others. Harriet says she has no favourite song – “I have a repertoire of hundreds, there’s so many that I love.”  Her favourite singers are Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Mel Torme and Tony Bennett. Harri’s  2nd CD “Meet Me Midnight” features Derek Nash Saxophonist from the Jools Holland Band who also recorded the album at the Clowns Pocket Studio, John Pearce who accompanies Harri on the Piano and did all her arrangements (John was pianist for the James Last Orchestra for 23 years), Dave Green on Double-bass, and Steve Brown on Drums. (John Dave and Steve are Scott Hamilton’s Trio on his latest recordings and they are the most requested by visiting international jazz artists for their rhythm section. Harri has just brought out two new CDs called “Lucy To Be Me” and “I Wish You Love” with Derek Nash (Lead Sax with the Jools Holland Rhythm & Blues Orch.), Steve Waterman, John Pearce, Andrew Cleyndert and Steve Brown. Listen to samples of all Harri’s CD’s on the website.