There were, as usual, a good few vocalists, mainly female and the best jazz singing I heard all weekend, came from Laura Zakian. Laura is a straight ahead jazz vocalist who sings with a clear, attractive voice, phrases with great skill and accuracy and blends in ideally with her accompanying trio, in this case Mike Gorman, piano, Jeremy Brown, bass and Mark Fletcher, drums. She sings mainly quality standards but varies her programme with obscure, but attractive songs from 1920 and 30s and even contemporary songs occasionally, but it always comes out sounding like good, modern jazz and I cannot understand why she is not better-known and appreciated. The jazz content in her voice is high and the clarity of her words and expressive phrasing guarantee an enjoyable set each time she sings. If anyone deserves to be famous on merit and achievement to date, she does.

For the second year running, the surprise of the evening and easily the best jazz heard anywhere, came from singer Laura Zakian and the superb trio of Steve Melling, piano, Simon Thorpe, bass and drummer Russell Morgan. Ms Zakian's sophisticated delivery, flawless articulation and ability to put any type of song over and still make is come out as pure swinging jazz has be be heard to be fully appreciated. She can caress any lyric without excess volume or unnecessary emphasis and always tells a story. And it is not just jazz standards like Benny Golson's 'Whisper Not' that get the full treatment, although that one was probably her best single performance. The trio supported her magnificently.

Star billing on this evening however must go to Laura Zakian whose clear, vibrant and wide-ranging voice was put to excellent use demonstrating how effective real jazz singing can be.  She knows the language of jazz inside out and has the vocal dexterity to express it.  What I want to know is, why haven't I heard this lady before?