Concert of jazz and blues coming up at Danny House, Hurstpierpoint

She will be joined by Michael Hinton and Claire Lacey

“I’m sure our jazz and blues concert for the NSPCC at Danny House, the Elizabethan mansion in Hurstpierpoint will be a lovely occasion,” she said.

“Over the seven years Michael Hinton and I have been working together we have developed a large repertoire of some of the most inspired and enduring songs ever written.

"Most of them were written in the 30s to the 50s by such brilliant writers as Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, the Gershwins and Hoagy Carmichael. Occasionally we might do a Dylan song or songs by other living musicians.

“We love the songs and the music we do and it’s been an exciting and rewarding privilege for me to work with Michael and to have his superb arrangements and piano playing to accompany me.

“We have been developing fresh material all the time.

"For this concert we have been very lucky to be joined by talented professional cellist Claire Lacey so Michael has written new arrangements to include the cello for some of the songs.

"Claire adds a lovely richness to the sound.

“We have certainly developed a following over the years and most of our recent concerts have been sold out

“When the Covid outbreak started we had to cancel concerts. It was a depressing and terrible time to find live music had suddenly gone out of our lives.

"Then, when lockdowns were eased for a while, we planned new concerts.

"One was to raise money for the British Heart Foundation, but Covid struck again and we had to cancel. Then two more concerts we planned for BHF fell the same way.

"On the fourth attempt, on April 10 this year, with some serious difficulties, we finally succeeded.”

Now comes the Danny House concert. Tickets £15 to include a glass of wine. Available from Mishon MacKay 106 High Street, Hurstpierpoint or online: see link on Julie’s website www.julierobertssingeruk.com

Julie sang with a rock band Sunn and the Steve Ellinger Jazz Quartet when she was a student in Brighton, then turned her back on the singing career that beckoned – only to emerge in the last 15 years or so singing with her own guitar and piano accompaniment supported by bass player Gary Holder.

She also sang with Swingbandit, a jazz quintet, and made a number of guest appearances in big bands.

Julie has performed around the south-east of England in theatres, music clubs, pubs, restaurants, churches, an art gallery, in the open air, many festivals and private events.

Julie has worked with pianist Michael Hinton since January 2016.

Michael is a pianist, composer, song writer and musical arranger who studied music at Oxford and the Royal College of Music, Stockholm.