Nette Robinson is a British jazz singer, who began her musical journey from the age of 7 in numerous choirs and through classical piano lessons. In her teens she discovered jazz and brought herself up on a huge array of jazz recordings, from Fats Waller to Weather Report…and especially Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus and Lester Young. After studying Fine Art with Music at Chichester University, she studied for a Jazz Diploma on saxophone, voice and piano, passed with the highest Distinction and was awarded the College prize for outstanding achievement.

Nette had the privilege of working with the incomparable composer, band leader and pianist Michael Garrick MBE. Together they performed Garrick’s songs, often as the “Lyric Trio” with her husband saxophonist Tony Woods, or as the “Lyric Ensemble” when Michael expanded the lineup. Since Michael Garrick’s untimely passing, Tony Woods has taken on the mantle of writing songs, by setting poetry to music, as Michael had done before. Nette and he have been performing his and Michael Garrick’s songs ever since.

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Nette is a creative arranger. She has written for big band and has performed her charts with big bands including the National Youth Jazz Orchestra. She also writes for small ensembles. One such musical project was the “Little Big Band” a quintet which celebrates and pays tribute to big-band legends by presenting her re-imaginings of Basie and Ellington big-band classics, slimmed-down to voice, saxophone, trombone, bass and drums.

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As a Russian speaker, Nette has many Russian songs in her repertoire and has been pleased to introduce to audiences the beauty of songs from another culture with her own musical slant. She continues to perform Russian songs in concerts, as she believes that art, whilst it can be used as a way of commenting on and expressing feelings and opinions about social and global issues, is beyond war and politics.

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