Singer jazzed up classic works
TINA May was one of Britain’s greatest jazz singers with a unique warmth in her voice which may have come from her ambition to “inhabit” the songs she sang.
Born in Gloucester into a musical family – her parents were excellent pianists – she studied the classical bel canto vocal technique at Cheltenham Ladies’ College before taking a degree in French at the University ofWales in Cardiff.
While studying in Paris she enjoyed going to jazz clubs and met a fellow student, impressionist Rory Bremner. For fun, they wrote a revue which they took to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
She kept up the jazz while becoming a founder member of the Back Door theatre company in Cardiff.
In 1992 the first of several albums, Never Let Me Go, was released and she built up a wide fanbase, including regulars at Ronnie Scott’s famous jazz club in London, who appreciated the she gave her all to her songs. May worked closely with pianist Ray Bryant and was delighted with their 2006 Ray Bryant Songbook album. Inspired by his brilliant playing, she found the lyrics to produce stylish and witty songs.
She showed the same talents in collaborations with pianist Nikki Iles.
In 2000 she made the album Tina May Live In Paris, followed by Tina May Sings Piaf in 2011.
French audiences showed their appreciation of her talent when she toured the country with bilingual musical Lady In The Dark in 2009.
A gifted teacher, she was widely respected at the Royal Academy of Music, Birmingham Conservatoire and the RoyalWelsh College of Music.
In 1989 she married drummer Clark Tracey, and they had a son, Ben, and a daughter, Gemma.
May died of a brain tumour. She is survived by her partner, saxophonist Simon Spillett.