Canadian-born, U.S.-based pianist and vocalist Brenda Earle Stokes has been making a name for herself in the New York jazz scene, but she has fallen in love with Australia – and the feeling is mutual. Her crisp, Oscar-Peterson-influenced piano playing and her unique vocal style have been winning the audience’s hearts – and now she’s coming back for a tour, to broaden her fanbase even further.
You have been in Australia before; what is your fondest memory of your previous visits?
This will be my fourth trip to Australia, but my first doing a tour. I love Australia and dream of living here for a year or two. The musicians are amazing and the audiences I’ve encountered have been really great. My fondest memories have been interacting will the wonderful singers I have worked with at USQ in Toowoomba. I have taught there three times in the past five years and have made some lasting friendships.
What are you going to present in this tour?
I will be doing a selection of repertoire off my last two records, Songs for A New Day and Right About Now, plus the bulk of material that I’ll be recording in March. The repertoire I choose is really diverse and I often choose material that people have never heard or have never given a jazz treatment to. I also do a lot of original material, and love keeping thematerial open to let the band shine.
How would you describe your music to someone not familiar with it?
Straight ahead jazz, inspired by Oscar Peterson and Bud Powell, that has traveled through Brazil and connected with singer/songwriters like Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson. There’s a lot of diversity from song to song.