Not just another voice in the crowd, British-Australian jazz vocalist Hetty Kate is a masterful show-man and entertainer. Along with her ‘natural musicality’, effortless, clarion tone, and impeccable timing, itʼs Hetty’s cheeky wit that truly sets her apart, blending poise and humor with undeniable talent.
Born in England, raised in Australia and now based in Paris, Hetty fast made her mark on both the Australian and international jazz scenes, described as “the real deal” and “one of the world’s leading swing vocalists” (Will Friedwald, author and jazz critic, 2017) and has been touring internationally for almost two decades, gracing stages from New Zealand to New York.
Early in her career Hettyʼs approach to the music caught the attention of Australian jazz luminary James Morrison. Recognising her potential in 2012, he took her under his wing, extending an invitation to join his touring band, a tenure that lasted five years. Further showcasing her prowess, Hetty became the featured vocalist for Morrison’s award-winning symphonic concert, ʻThe A to Z of Jazzʼ. This toured across Asia, Europe, and Australasia with renowned orchestras, and yielded a live recording which won a coveted Australian Jazz Bell Award for ʻBest Traditional Albumʼ.
Hetty tours frequently around Europe, the UK, Asia and USA, and when in Australia performs at Australia’s premier jazz festivals and clubs, as well as major venues such as Melbourne Recital Centre and the Sydney Opera House. Festival credits include Australia’s Melbourne and Perth International Jazz Festivals, Stonnington, Castlemaine and Wangaratta Jazz Festivals, Darwin Festival, and recently overseas the New York Winter JazzFest, New York Hot Jazz Festival, Sapporo Jazz Festival (Japan), Ascona Jazz Festival (Switzerland), the Prague Proms, New Zealand, Queenstown & Waiheke Jazz Festivals (NZ). In Australia, recent engagements have included the Art Gallery of NSW and UKARIA Cultural Centre with James Morrison, in concert with pianist Simon Tedeschi, for Brisbane Festival’s Spiegeltent, Ipswich Civic Theatre, the Arts Centre Melbourne’s High Tea series, Darwin Entertainment Centre, and MONA (Hobart).
In 2024, Hetty continued touring France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Iceland, and to the UK, Prague, and Malta. She returned to Asia, performing in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai, followed by an extensive coast-to-coast tour in Australia, including for Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre, Jazz At The Lounge at the Concourse (Sydney), as well as featuring as guest vocalist with James Morrison in his Duke Ellington Tribute at Perth Concert Hall, to standing ovations. In 2025, alongside a packed touring schedule across Europe, the UK and Asia in both leading jazz venues and festivals, Hetty will release the first album in her new ‘Jazz in Four Seasons’ project, returning to tour Australia in late spring.
Passionate and inspired, Hetty has ten acclaimed and diverse releases to her name. Her discography spans witty, toe-tapping swing to refined modern jazz, underscoring a talent that defies easy categorization. In person, Hettyʼs concerts have a warm touch, are infused with joy and overflow with a deep love for the audience, entertainment, the music itself and all of jazz history.
Links / Hetty Kate projects:
- hettykate.com
- Facebook (@hettykatemusic)
- New Wave: Reimagined
- BASS2 (Quintet with 2 guitars, 2 basses)
