Joey Elkins was born in Adelaide, Australia, into a world of music. She delighted her jazz musician parents and their friends at the age of seven with vocal expertise beyond her years. Time and again astounding them with her high register, a range close to six octaves and commanding style. Her talent was obvious.

It was no surprise then to find that by age fourteen, Joey was constantly being invited to sit in with many of the top jazz players in her hometown, at their regular gigs.

The making of her first jazz recording, at this time, attracted some of the finest jazz musicians from as far away as Sydney.

Her craft - tempered and honed with the knowledge of a formal musical education and the experiences of live performance with the cream of local seasoned musicians- has been polished and extended as she has developed.

Before leaving for London, Joey Elkins was a respected and well - known performer at Adelaide's top jazz venue's. Her repertoire extends from the classic Gershwin standards to contemporary writers such as Chick Corea and beyond to her own original compositions. The jazz idiom provided her with the freedom to explore the interplay of voice and instruments and push the boundaries of harmony and phrasing. Being a natural improviser and composer enables Joey to own a variety of styles including funk, soul, jazz and contemporary.

Today, Joey resides in London. Having performed to appreciative audiences at "The Lightship", "The Aquarium" and “The Slug And Lettuce” , she is concentrating her efforts into recording and composing original music.

"I don't feel imprisoned by my background in jazz," says Joey. "Rather it has enabled me to cross genres and be able to pull from a greater understanding of how music works. I love to experiment with so many aspects of music and feel influenced by all the sounds and musical styles that exist".

Joey delivers a performance that is truly stunning. On these occasions, audiences and musicians alike recognize that they are witnessing something very special; an outstanding and original musical mind, a young talent with a great future.

 

Written by Bob Cother of Ozzy jazz www.ozzyjazz.com