Stacey Kent is an American jazz singer who made her name in Europe. While studying at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama she met her future husband, tenor saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, whom she married in 1991. From 1996 to 2005, she released five albums, all winning critical acclaim. Her biggest break, however, arrived in the winter of 2007 when she released her most successful album to date, Breakfast on the Morning Tram, which achieved gold status in France and Germany and is a bestseller worldwide. Kent is currently on world tour with her band promoting the album. Her song Shall We Dance? is featured on the Women of Jazz album released by Putumayo and on sale now (just in time for Christmas).
Congratulations on the success of Breakfast. Why was the album so successful?
It’s very hard for me to say why it was such a success. From a musical point of view, it was my proudest moment because the album achieved a lot of things I had intended to. It’s a beautiful album in that it integrates the American songbook with my own emotional universe. My life has been moving in an organic direction and everything just flows naturally.
I hear a lot of folk influences in your music. For example, you did a remake of Stevie Nicks’ Landslide on Breakfast. What does the role of folk music play in your career?
I’m a big folk fan. I listened to Crosby, Stills and Nash and Joni Mitchell when I was a kid. For the same reason, I love classical music like Chopin and Ravel. I chose Landslide not because it was a folk song but because of its poetic content. It’s about the timeline of life, what decisions you’re going to make. It’s precisely why I picked the song So Many Stars written by Sergio Mendes. Poetry is the reason, not the genre.
Your collaboration with your husband and sax player Jim Tomlinson has proven to be one of the most important partnerships in contemporary jazz. How do you work with him?
Jim is the single most important person on the planet [to me], not just in my personal life, but musically, which are interrelated. He wrote four songs on Breakfast, including the title track. Breakfast is as much about him as it is about me. He’s the producer, so his ideas and his musical sensibility are prominent on the album. It’s really a joint effort! He understands me so well. For instance, he suggested that I sing What a Wonderful World. He told me, “This is your song.” I never thought I could carry this tune, and Jim was the one who brought the idea to me.
In addition to Jim, there was also a crucial collaboration with Booker Prize-winning novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro (who wrote Remains of the Day). How did that come about?
It turned out that Kazuo was a fan of mine, and he played my rendition of the Gershwin song You Can’t Take That Away from Me on his BBC radio show. When I knew about it, I was dumbfounded. I thought to myself, “I can’t believe a world-renowned writer who regularly brings in celebrities on his radio show would play one of my songs on the BBC!” The truth is I was also a huge fan of his. So the feeling was mutual. Later, Kazuo wrote the liner notes to my 2003 album In Love Again. Now, he has contributed lyrics to four of my songs on Breakfast, which is a turning point of my life. Kazuo understands me as musician, artist, and woman. I treasure our friendship in the deepest way.
Who’s your favourite audience?
After travelling so much, I started to realise that when it comes to music, there’s one common language – that is emotion, and the musical sensation that brings out the commonality of all people. In that regard, the Japanese and Oklahoma audiences are similar in many ways. Of course, some people respond to music differently. For instance, the British might be less physically demonstrative, but the Brazilians are more crazy and embracing. But there’s one thing for certain – you can feel the emotion in the room.
Will you come back to Hong Kong soon?
Yes, absolutely. The last time I was in Hong Kong was two or three years ago. But we’re going to try to come back in 2009.
Breakfast on the Morning Tram and Women of Jazz are on sale now.
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