Victoria Hart enters her third year as a professional entertainer with her most ambitious and challenging project to date.
Together with the Pavao string quartet, Victoria has recorded an exciting collection of rare George Gershwin songs, “The Lost Gershwin”. The album is the fruit of a year’s research into Gershwin’s early works following the discovery of old manuscripts and sheet music in an attic. Release date is set for October 27th 2008 on the Specific label.
Guesting on the new album is Russell Watson, who met Victoria when she was asked to be the special guest on his 2008 UK tour. This was yet another perfect opportunity for Hart, who had also wowed celebrities on-board the Quintessentially yacht party in Cannes 2008 hosted by Margherita Missoni just one year on from her success at the Ocean’s 13 party. The two performers formed an immediate bond.
The “Singing Waitress”, as Victoria has affectionately become known, because of her Cannes concert in front of George Clooney, graduated from singing school Vocal Tech in June 2006. She had been sponsored to study in London by her management/production team of Lynne Pearson and Geoff Gurd, who first heard the young singer perform in Provence at the age of 15.
Immediately following her graduation, Victoria recorded her debut album ‘Whatever Happened To Romance’, which was released by Decca in July 2007. She quickly followed this record up with a mini album, Mood Swings (released in March 2008) which features some of the favourite songs out her extensive live set - a mixture of Hart originals and standards adapted to suit her unique voice.
As well as working on her own recordings, Victoria has found time to contribute a track to the Christie Hennessey tribute album and has appeared at a raft of high profile live events including Glastonbury, the legendary Ronnie Scotts and various jazz festivals. This has been combined with increased stage and TV work, including an appearance on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ making meringues!
Her quirkiness, happy personality and distinctive sense of style attract frequent press coverage. Victoria freely admits she is not a double-zero size and actually loves her ‘Monroe-type figure’. She has been described as a ‘great ambassador for curves’!
The next solo project promises to be a progressive but natural development. As Victoria says “I was 16-years old when I started recording my debut album. I’m now an old woman of 19! - with new ideas, a stronger voice and an experimental nature. I’m having lots of fun pushing the boundaries of swing, jazz and blues – the music I’m known for – although I prefer not to be pigeonholed. I regard myself as a pop singer taking influences from every genre of music, in particular the swing era of the 40s and 50s”.
Russell Watson and Victoria Hart, though perhaps an odd choice for collaboration in some people’ eyes, actually have a lot in common.
“I love that Russell is called the ‘People’s Tenor’. I admire the fact that he is a crossover artist, singing not only classical but swing, jazz, blues and even country music. His distinctive style over the last 10 years has made operatic and classical music accessible to the masses. He has made unfashionable music popular!”
“I hope, even in a small way, that I can do the same with my music. Crossover means constant experimentation and working hard at developing my style. I enjoy working hard and I want to be around for the long haul, not here and gone in a flash.”
This free spirit is at her happiest performing live in front of a crowd. It doesn’t matter to her whether it is a roomful of people at an intimate jazz club or an audience of three thousand at the Royal Festival Hall. She gives it all she’s got and a Hart performance is never less than memorable.
To meet Victoria Hart in person is to discover what all the fuss is about. What you see is what you get: a loveable character, a unique artist and without any doubt a major star of the future.
