Juliet Kelly - Aphrodite's Child (2003)

Juliet's story isn't one of the girl who started singing as soon as she could talk or of a background of school plays or stage-school. Her journey to becoming a singer was an unexpected and sometimes difficult one...

"I never expected to become a jazz singer! In fact, when I was 5 years old I imagined that I would become a pro tennis player (interestingly, I've never even played a tennis match!) or a laywer (I loved arguing the pros and cons of having to tidy my toys away...) I grew up in a strict, religious household where all music apart from the religious variety was completely banned. I flouted these rules every Sunday by listening in secret to the chart show on my tiny, ladybird shaped radio. At school I was shy and reserved and any involvement in school productions was strictly in a non-speaking part or preferably behind the scenes!

After following the expected path by studying for a degree in economics, everything changed when I enrolled on a jazz a cappella vocal class at a local music workshop where the teacher, Anita Wardell, told me I had a natural talent for jazz. Up until then I'd known nothing about jazz and had never sung in public but after doing my first gig and getting paid for doing something I loved so much, I realised there would be no turning back...

Juliet Kelly (vocals); Mike Gorman (piano); Tom Barlow (acoustic bass); Seb Rochford (drums).