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Beatrice Betley

About Me

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because...I love the passion, skill and art of improvisation I was first exposed to jazz...through my parents. They especially loved Louis Armstrong I met... Gaynel Hodge - founding member of The Platters. We were both performing at a charity event in The Hague/ the Netherlands and ended up jamming together for a bit. A great artist and a very warm hearted person. The best show I ever attended was...The one I remember most was by Argentinean Folk singer Mercedes Sosa. I was lucky to see her on her last overseas tour. There she stood, small, in her 60ties, unpretentious with an amazing and powerful voice. On song three she pulled out a white handkerchief and just waved it a bit. The crowd went wild. If it takes such a little gesture to create such enthusiasm with the audience you are truly a great artist! The first jazz record I bought... was Twenty Something by Jamie Cullum My advice to new listeners is to open their minds. Jazz is constantly evolving. But the one thing that remains constant is the passion for music.

My House Concert Story

I have attended many house concert, but they were all singer-songwriters, a musician and his (her) guitar. Probably because you need a big house to host a Jazz band..