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Norma Winstone

Winstone has a lissome voice, agile and expressive, and she's a fine improviser, besides. That's not to say she's a vocal athlete, however; although she's known for her wordless improvisations, Winstone is a fine interpreter of lyrics and composed melody—a plain- speaking, rhythmically direct singer who gets to the heart of the matter quickly and effectively.

Winstone played piano and organ in her youth. She began singing semi-professionally by the age of 17, influenced by conventional jazz vocalists. During the '60s she became attracted to the jazz avant garde. She played in groups led by pianists Michael Garrick and Mike Westbrook; she also sang with such forward-thinking musicians as saxophonist John Surman, flugelhornist Kenny Wheeler, composer Michael Gibbs, and pianist John Taylor (whom she married in 1972). A late '60s gig at Ronnie Scott's club in London (also on the bill was the legendary tenor saxophonist Roland Kirk) garnered critical notice. In 1971 she was named best jazz singer in a poll by the British publication Melody Maker. That year she recorded her first album as leader, Edge of Time, for the Decca label. With Wheeler and Taylor, Winstone formed Azimuth, a critically-acclaimed contemporary chamber jazz group that recorded several times for the ECM label from the mid '70s. Winstone is also an accomplished lyricist, having written words to music composed by guitarists Egberto Gismonti and Ralph Towner, bassist Steve Swallow, and vocalist Ivan Lins, among others.

John Donaldson: We Were Together, I Forget the Rest

Read "We Were Together, I Forget the Rest" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
August 26, 2026

Pianist John Donaldson reunites an exceptional cast of long-time collaborators for We Were Together, I Forget the Rest, a deeply personal album written in memory of his late wife, Agatha Coffey. The musicians featured on the recording represent relationships forged across Donaldson's five-decade career. Vocalists Norma Winstone and Rebecka Edlund are joined by drummer Jeff Ballard, saxophonist Iain Ballamy, guitarist Rob Luft, trumpeter Graeme Flowers and bassist Tom Mason. Many of these professional partnerships have evolved into enduring friendships ...

Album Review

Norma Winstone: A Timeless Place

Read "A Timeless Place" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
July 3, 2026

This 1990 recording unites the outstanding vocal talents of Norma Winstone MBE with the NDR Radio Orchestra. Now known as NDR RADIOPHILHARMONIE, the distinguished German radio symphony orchestra, invited Winstone to participate in a broadcast session. In turn, she enlisted pianist and arranger Steve Gray, with whom she had previously collaborated on BBC projects. Across a career spanning more than five decades, Winstone has earned international acclaim as both a singer and lyricist. Equally celebrated for her wordless ...

Album Review

Dave Holland / Norma Winstone / London Vocal Project directed by Pete Churchill: Vital Spark

Read "Vital Spark" reviewed by Neil Duggan

by Neil Duggan
February 13, 2026

Dave Holland, Norma Winstone and the London Vocal Project, directed by Pete Churchill, combine to present Vital Spark, an album featuring a collection of Kenny Wheeler compositions for choir and jazz ensemble, written in the last period of his life.Seven of the nine pieces on the album were mailed to Churchill over the course of a few years. He managed to resolve and arrange these part-formed fragments. Winstone added her lyrics, alongside Wheeler's settings of poems by Stevie Smith, Lewis ...

Radio & Podcasts

Knats, Gregory Porter, Julian Lage, Cleo Laine, And More

by Colin Muirhead
January 10, 2026

Featuring music by Knats, Gregory Porter, Julian Lage, Joe Webb, Xhosa Cole, Cleo Laine, and more. Playlist Knats “ One for Josh" from Knats (Gearbox Records) 00:00 Strictly Smokin' Big Band “Time After Time" from Time After Time (Jazz Sound Records) 5:20 Gregory Porter “Liquid Spirit" from Liquid Spirit (Blue Note) 11:26 Julian Lage “Talking Drum" from Scenes from Above (Blue Note) 15:53 Dave Holland, Norma Winstone, London Vocal Project “Will You Walk A Little Faster" from Vital Spark (Music ...

Live Review

Norma Winstone e Kit Downes al Carambolage di Bolzano

by Giuseppe Segala
December 9, 2025

Norma Winstone, Kit Downes Piccolo Teatro Carambolage Bolzano 24 novembre 2025 Spesso alla base di un duo c'è una ragione di profonda affinità artistica, caratteriale, umana. È senz'altro il caso del connubio tra Norma Winstone e Kit Downes, protagonisti del recente concerto al Piccolo Teatro Carambolage di Bolzano. Nella sua lunga e fertile carriera, la vocalist britannica ha praticato ampiamente la formula del duo con pianisti differenti, giungendo a toccare sommità esemplari nella durevole collaborazione ...

Radio & Podcasts

Norma Winstone, Xhosa Cole, Louis Stewart And More

by Colin Muirhead
May 27, 2025

This show features music by acts performing in Northern England soon and showcasing new releases, with tracks by Sara Oschlag, Norma Winstone, Catriona Bourne, Xhosa Cole, Phil Bancroft, Louis Stewart and more. Playlist Sara Oschlag “Mingus Fingers" from Yeah! (Self Released) 00:00 Norma Winstone & Will Bartlett “The Trees" from The Soundless Dark (Jellymould Jazz) 07:17 Catriona Bourne “Sligachan Bridge" from Triquetra (Self Released) 11:54 Dean Stockdale “Falling in Love with Love" from Celebrating Oscar (Self Released) 18:25 ...

Album Review

Kenny Wheeler Legacy: Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores

Read "Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores" reviewed by Francesco Varriale

by Francesco Varriale
January 27, 2025

A distanza di pochi mesi dal decennale della scomparsa di Kenny Wheeler (avvenuta il 18 settembre 2014) e in prossimità di quello che sarebbe stato il suo novantacinquesimo compleanno, la Greenleaf Music pubblica un omaggio al musicista canadese, le cui composizioni vengono proposte secondo arrangiamenti dell'autore che mai erano stati eseguiti in questa forma. Si tratta di un ambito--quello della musica per ensemble allargati--che Wheeler ha più volte curato nella sua vasta produzione artistica, a cominciare da Windmill ...

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Performance / Tour

Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler among stars at London's Art Of Song Festival

Source: Chris May
April 14, 2011

The Art Of Song Festival continues at London's Leicester Square Theatre. Upcoming concerts include: April 15 Norma Winstone, Tina May, David McAlmont, Kenny Wheeler; April 16 Cleo Laine and, in a second concert, Yots K's The Songs Of John Barry; April 18 Stacey Kent; April 19 Fran Landesman. Details on 0844 873 3433. NORMA WINSTONE, TINA MAY, DAVID MCALMONT & KENNY WHEELER perform THE SONGS OF DUNCAN LAMONT 15th April at 7.30pm, tickets from £20 To ...
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Recording

Norma Winstone - Stories yet to Tell (2010)

Source: Something Else!
September 22, 2010

By Mark Saleski A variant of the “I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this" thing is the phenomenon of incomplete Déjà Vu. This occurs when you hear a piece of music and it seems totally familiar...except...hmmm...what was it? The music of vocalist Norma Winstone reminds me of my Aunt Rose's figurine collection. More specifically, it was a couple of details about her bedroom. When I was a little kid, I loved to visit her and marvel ...
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202

Performance / Tour

Norma Winstone, Tessa Souter, Tim Garland, Tony Kofi in Final Made in the UK Shows at Sweet Rhythm NY

Source: All About Jazz
June 21, 2009

The Made in the UK concert series comes to an end this weekend with two double bills at Sweet Rhythm (88 7th Ave South) featuring four out of nine of the bands who have proved such a success at the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival this week. Norma Winstone with Gareth Williams / Tessa Souter Quartet Saturday 20th June / 8pm and 10pm / $20 Tim Garland's Lighthouse Trio / Tony Kofi Quartet Sunday 21st June ...
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179

Performance / Tour

Norma Winstone US Tour: Rochester Jazz Festival and Sweet Rhythm

Source: ECM Records
June 11, 2009

136

Recording

Norma Winstone Britain's Poetic Jazz Singer

Source: All About Jazz
July 12, 2008

Veteran jazz vocalist Norma Winstone's new CD, Distances, features lyrics of her own, plus those by Peter Gabriel, Cole Porter and Pier Paolo Pasolini.

IN A CAREER SPANNING FIVE DECADES, British jazz vocalist Norma Winstone has pioneered, experimented and collaborated to push her music to the cutting edge. She's developed “wordless" vocals, written her own lyrics and covered the classics, always ending up with something new. The dark atmosphere in Winstone's cover of Cole Porter's “Every Time We Say Goodbye" ...
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