You might not have heard of Charlotte Mclean, but chances are you soon will. The Brisbane-based jazz singer is emerging as one of Australia’s most captivating and original young vocalists.
Having completed her Bachelor of Jazz Music in Voice at Brisbane’s renowned Jazz Music Institute, (affiliated with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra), Mclean is out to put a fresh spin on the classic jazz repertoire. Alongside well-known standards, she pens and performs original tunes.
A regular performer at jazz clubs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, Charlotte has already has a debut album, Knocking Bird, under her belt. It was released in July 2014 and featured acclaimed jazz composer and guitarist Toby Wren.
Charlotte has been singing professionally for ten years. She was the winner of the June Bronhill scholarship for vocal excellence when she was seventeen. She’s performed with many of Australia’s elite jazz musicians such as James Sherlock, Bruce Woodward, James Sandon, Paul Hudson, David Sanders, Steve Russell, Brendan Clarke, John Hoffman and Toby Wren to name a few.
This week, Charlotte and her quartet are kicking off a series of dates in Brisbane. Catch her if you can.
Dates and venues are:
Thursday 17 May at 7.30 p.m. at the Doo-Bop Jazz Bar
Thursday 14 June at 7.30 p.m. at the Brisbane Jazz Club
Thursday 9 August 2018 at 8 p.m. JMI Live (Charlotte Mclean Quartet featuring Andrew Garton)
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David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television