Ruth Lambert is a talented and versatile jazz singer based in the north east of England who has established herself in recent years as one of the UK’s most classy and distinctive jazz vocalists. Balancing a voice of warmth and maturity with spark and charisma, Ruth is in her element whether fronting a big band or working with one or two other musicians to create a more intimate vibe.
A professional singer since the age of 18, Ruth began her love affair with jazz while at the University of Strathclyde where she studied music, receiving a First Class Honours degree and winning the prestigious Alexander Stone Scholarship for Excellence in Solo Performance.
She was the vocalist with the University’s award winning BAAM Big Band, whose alumni include some of the UK’s biggest jazz names, and was awarded a Special Commendation at the 2000 Boosey and Hawkes Big Band Competition, an honour usually reserved for instrumental soloists.
Ruth then returned to the north east and began carving out a niche for herself as one of the regions most sought after and accomplished jazz singers. She has performed at prestigious venues including The Sage Gateshead, South Shields Customs House, Durham’s Gala Millenium Theatre, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and a number of international jazz festivals across the UK, including Glasgow, Gateshead and the Isle of Bute.
Although she is able to extend her enviable range and versatility to an ever-expanding repertoire of close to 200 jazz standards, Ruth prides herself on her improvisational ability,
approaching every song as if for the first time. Her main influences are Julie London, Anita O’Day, Carmen McRae and Chet Baker.
Ruth is the vocalist with the South Shields Customs House Big Band, with whom she also records, and also works with a diverse range of musicians, including Scotland’s Nigel Clarke and Brian Kellock, many of whom have christened her ‘the musician’s singer’ for her musical acumen and creativity. Ruth is also in demand as a vocal tutor and is the voice coach on the Bachelor of Music degree course at Newcastle College.
In 2006 Ruth’s first solo album, So Many Stars, was released to great acclaim on the Jazzaction label. Her highly-anticipated second album Easy Street, featuring arrangements by John Warren, has recently been released on the same label.