Heather Stewart Press // EPK

“...their music is honest always, raw when it feels like it, dainty otherwise, and breathing all the time. These recordings are magnificent. And unruly. And alive.” - Michael Steinman, “Jazz Lives” https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2021/04/17/our-lucky-stars-leigh-barker-band-melbourne-and-paris/

“Heather Stewart is a remarkable vocalist…Barker has collected great bands on two continents and you should acquire both.” - The Syncopated Times October 2021 - https://syncopatedtimes.com/leigh-barker-melbourne-paris/

“Dancers will find nothing but gold on this album. Songs like Play The Blues And Go and The Pearls bear up to repeated listenings, and would make excellent songs for performances. The combination of ‘live’ and studio recordings across the two discs offers dancers that mix of exciting high energy and more thoughtful engagement that make for great dancing.” - Sam Carroll http://dogpossum.org/2022/09/leigh-barker-band-album/

Heather Stewart Biography

Heather M Stewart is an extraordinarily talented vocalist and violinist in the international jazz scene. Refusing to be boxed into one label or stye. An Australian based in Paris, Heather performs a range of repertoire centred around traditional and hot jazz, ragtime and jug bands, acoustic blues, country and folk music.
 
Heather studied classical violin and voice (B.Mus.hons), Honours in cognitive neuroscience, an MA in pedagogy and a Graduate Diploma of Jazz. Though starting her career in semi-professional orchestras and operas in Melbourne and London, Heather had always sung and pursued her love for jazz by night. At 23, she left her classical career for the winding, unpredictable pathways of jazz and original music. Heather dedicated years to workshops, masterclasses, lessons and got solid training with the best swing and traditional jazz musicians in Australia, John Scurry, Peter Baylor, Eamon McNelis, Tim Stevens to name but a few.

Rigorous classical training provides chances to moonlight in chamber ensembles and orchestra projects, and while being devoted artistically to 1900s-1940s jazz, acoustic blues, ragtime and country folk/fiddle music, Heather finds constant and historical links between these musical worlds. Heather's singing holds a depth and understated artistry that can only come with high level instrumental training making her a rare musician.
 
Dan Barratt: "I didn't like your singing. I loved it!  Thank you. What you do is so special. It is so good."
 
Recent concerts have included Paris's illustrious Le Bal Blomet and Caveau de la Huchette (La La Land) with sold-out capacity crowds for The Dirty Ragtimers Orchestra, Leigh Barker Band, Orchestre Delmar and Collectif Paris Swing. Heather has toured throughout Europe, UK, USA and Australia and brings her unique style, warmth and skill to the repertoire of great jazz and songwriting from the 1900s to 1940s. Heather has won multiple awards for albums collaborating with husband Leigh Barker, and her self-titled Heather Stewart Band album of original songs and fiddle tunes. Heather composes for theatre and dance projects and is currently writing songs for several groups.
 
In Paris, Heather Stewart has shared the stage with Branford and Jason Marsalis, Matt Munisteri, Collective Paris Swing, Giacomo Smith, Nicolas Montier, Christophe Davot, 3 for Swing, Orchestre Del Mar, Duved Dunayevsky, Leigh Barker Band, Jake Sanders, Lucas Montagnier, Mathieu Meyer, and many more. With a collection of quality music projects always on the go, a natural presence and joy on stage, Heather is steadily winning the hearts of audiences everywhere she performs.
 
Heather's quartet collaboration with Parisian fingerpicking guitarist Lucas Montagnier, pianist Mathieu Meyer and bassist Leigh Barker is called The Dirty Ragtimer Orchestra. Their first album "Fairytales of Montmartre" recorded at Hi Style Studios was a sold out performance exhilarated the crowd filling Paris' illustrious Le Bal Blomet. Their second album "String That Music" was recently released to a sold-out crowd at Bal Blomet and they are doing concerts and touring this album.
 
 
Influences: Annette Hanshaw, Mildred Bailey, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Duke Ellington, Lester Young, Bessie Smith, Jelly Roll Morton, Irving Berlin, Gene Aubrey,  Bix B, Scott Joplin, Big Bill Broonzy, G and I Gershwin, Hoagy Carmichael and so many more.
 
For a specific biography or interview - please email
 
“Heather Stewart is a remarkable vocalist. "Indian Summer," on the Paris set, rises above, a moving rendition worthy of the timeless lyric. Across the disc she enriches the presentation of "He ain't got rhythm," "The song has ended," "Lonely one in the town," "Chinatown, my Chinatown," and several other engaging titles.... Joe Bebco. The Syncopated Times: Exploring the world of hot jazz, ragtime, and swing.”

— The Syncopated Times: Exploring the world of hot jazz, ragtime, and swing.