Stacey Kent’s rise to the top of the heap of jazz vocalists was anything but a straight trajectory. Visiting Europe to study French, Italian and German for a Masters degree in comparative literature, the Sarah Lawrence graduate happened to meet young saxophonist and student, Jim Tomlinson, at Oxford. Soon academic pursuits took a backseat to music, and Kent enrolled at the Guildhall School of Music. Now married to Tomlinson, Kent found herself a part of the London jazz scene. After receiving a demo tape, jazz broadcaster Humphrey Lyttelton helped Kent gain a role in Ian McKellen's film version of Richard III, a recording contract, and national airplay. Lyttelton noted that her “choice of songs, the musical interplay, the glorious voice -- leaves one searching for a more superlative word than 'greatest!'”

Stacey Kent has released a spate of best-selling albums and has won a number of awards, including the 2001 British Jazz Award, 2002 BBC Jazz Award for “Best Vocalist,” and the 2004 Backstage Bistro Award. Jim Tomlinson’s 2006 release, The Lyric Featuring Stacey Kent, was named Best Album of the Year by the BBC Jazz Awards, while her 2003 release, The Boy Next Door, recently earned a Gold Disc in France. Her fan base has grown rapidly and she now sells out concert venues around the world, is a familiar voice on BBC Radio 3, and presenter of Jazz Line Up. Wrote three-time Oscar-winning songwriter, Jay Livingston, "Stacey Kent is a revelation. There is nobody singing today who can compare with her. She has the style of the greats, like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. And she sings the words like Nat Cole -- clean, clear, and almost conversational with perfect phrasing. And that's as good as it gets."

After a four year hiatus from the studio, Stacey’s new Breakfast on the Morning Train has been hailed as a major breakthrough, as she sets aside her Great American Songbook repertoire for an eclectic playlist of French songs, a tune from Stevie Nicks, and Tomlinson’s original compositions buoyed by lyrics from novelist Kazuo Ishiguro. And despite the change in repertoire, BBC notes that “Stacey continues to deliver intimate ballads with perfect timing and control.”

Sounds like a perfect reason to stop by Birdland this week!

Stacey Kent performs at Birdland in midtown Manhattan November 27-December 2, two shows per night. Visit www.birdlandjazz.com. Keep up with her schedule at www.staceykent.com