Nicky Steel with her show Ladies First is one versatile Jazz singer that no noe should miss. Originally spotted by a teacher whilst she performed on Channel 9 her training in opera sooon gave her the grass roots in Jazz. As Nicky says I was originally classically trained in New Zealand and came to be singing Jazz after my school teacher, Mick Morgan, saw me performing on a talent show at Channel 9. He was in the show’s band and was running a Jazz Ensemble at Brisbane State High School. He subsequently approached me at school as he needed a vocalist. It was a slow journey from classical singing to jazz and I initially found it quite difficult to realise that, unlike opera, you could basically pull time and melody around as you liked, so long as you started and finished together! That was way back in 1983 and I have been performing ever since in a variety of areas: I was in a seven-piece vocal group called SCAT! and worked as a session singer for many years. I also performed in the Allan Brown Big Band for over 20 years and am now working locally and overseas. Singinging everything from Dianna Krall to Ella Fitzgerald Niki is one not to be missed.
