2009 兩廳院夏日爵士派對：史黛西．肯特演唱會

Stacey Kent Concert

基本資料

爵士女伶史黛西‧肯特從發跡到躍上國際樂壇的過程，宛如一部好萊塢電影。來自美國的史黛西，原本預定前往歐洲攻讀法國、義大利及德國的比較文學碩士，然而命運之神卻將她引領至音樂的世界，成為風靡全球樂迷的爵士女歌手。

剛加盟Blue Note的史黛西，如令已坐擁七張暢銷專輯，包含榮獲金唱片殊榮的 《The Boy Next Door》 ( 2003 ) 。而史黛西充滿魅力與個人特色演唱方式，贏得多項爵士音樂獎項肯定，如 2001年英窗爵士樂大獎、2002年英國國家廣播公司最佳爵士歌手、2004年美國 Backstage 表演藝術雜誌 Bistro 獎， 2006年與夫婿薩克斯風手吉姆-湯林森合作專輯，也獲選「年度最佳專輯」。

2007年，史黛西在 Blue Note 發行的首張個人專輯《早安‧幸福》 ( Breakfast on The Morning Tram ) ，其中除了夫婿吉姆‧湯林森操刀作曲，也特別邀請她的頭號歌迷日裔英籍的小說家石黑一雄 ( Kazuo Ishiguro ) ，親自為她譜寫四首歌詞；整張專輯饒富法式香頌風情，將史黛西魅人的經柔噪音展露無疑。自當年九月發行以來，即登上法國爵士專輯銷售排行榜冠軍，同時擠進一般銷售排行榜前二十名。該張專輯全球發行，深獲各地樂迷的熱烈迴響。

當初命運之神除了讓史黛西走入音樂，也讓她在牛津遇見薩克斯風手吉姆 ‧湯林森。和史黛西一樣，吉姆原本也是計畫從事學術研究，但兩人的相遇所激盪出對音樂的熱忱與愛，讓他們決定攜手探索音樂世界的奧義。史黛西在市政廳音樂學校 ( Guildhall School of Music ) 就讀一年後，與吉姆組團在倫敦當地演出，磨練歌藝，後來兩人也共結連理。不久後，史黛西將自己的試唱帶同時寄給寶麗金、Candid 唱片公司與英國國家廣播公司主持人亨佛利‧利多頓 ( Humphrey Lyttelton ) 。透過亨佛利的推介與背書，讓她順利贏得伊恩麥克連 ( Ian McKellen ) 執導的電影《查理三世》的演出機會，隨後也獲得一紙唱片公司的錄音合約。

自1997年發行個人第一張專輯《閉上雙眼》 ( Close Your Eyes ) 後，史黛西令人驚豔的清新嗓音與迷人的情歌詮釋方式，大舉榜獲樂評人與大眾的目光。然而卻一直到1999年，經由美國CBS電視網的週日晨間節目播放的一段紀錄片，不僅讓美國地區的民眾進一步認識史黛西，也令她的歌聲獲得更多的囑目和肯定。此後，她擠身國際樂壇，經常受邀於各大音樂節與音樂廳演出，從台灣國家音樂廳、美國卡內基音樂廳，到巴黎著名的Olympia演奏廳，皆留下她的演唱足跡。

但鍾愛史黛西肯特迷人嗓音的忠實歌迷，可不僅止於購買專輯與聽現場演出而已。同樣也是史黛西迷的英國著名暢銷偵探小說家約翰‧哈維 ( John Harvey ) ，就會在《靜止如水》 ( Still Water ) 一書中，將史黛西的演唱寫入劇情。此外，她的第三張專輯《釋放自己》 ( Let Yourself Go ) ，也曾在英國國家廣播電台上，被小說家石黑一雄評選為「荒島唱片」之一，也因此機緣，開啟史黛西、石黑一雄和吉姆三人日後專輯合作關係。

好萊塢知名導演、老牌影星克林‧伊斯威特，曾邀請史黛西在七十大壽生日派對為他演唱 ；英國電視名嘴麥可‧派特森 ( Michael Parkinson ) 也會邀約史黛西到他的談話節目演唱；大衛‧佛斯特爵士的 ( Sir David Frost ) 會邀請她在節目「與佛斯特共餐」 ( Breakfast with Frost ) 中演唱；史密斯飛船主唱史蒂芬‧泰勒更將史黛西與威利‧尼爾森 ( WillieNelson ) 同列為他最喜愛的歌手。

然而，這些都比不上歌曲創作者對史黛西歌唱詮釋功力的肯定與讚揚。三屆奧斯卡金像獎最佳歌曲創作得主李文斯頓 ( Jay Livingston ) ，就會盛讚她「史黛西‧肯特無疑是爵士樂界的新發現！她美妙動人的歌聲，在今日樂壇無人能出其右。她的成就足以媲美比莉‧哈樂黛、艾拉‧費茲潔羅這些傳奇的爵士巨星。而如納京‧高這樣清晰明確的咬字方式，就像在與人對話一樣自然。沒有比她更棒的歌手了！」 史黛西的歌曲，有著一貫浪漫的情調。她是個百分百的浪漫主義者，而她所演唱的情歌，就像百聽不厭的故事，深受老少歌迷喜愛。在令日流行音樂產業中無法獲得滿足的人們，都在她的歌聲中找到對理想情歌的渴望。寫信給史黛西的歌迷來自四面八方，遍及各年齡層，而這在音樂年齡層清楚分化的當代，更是少見，尤其在她的音樂會現場，經常可見一家三代同堂的樂迷穿梭其間。

在上一張專輯《The Lyric…featuring Stacy kent》， 極致的浪漫氛圍，同時也是史黛西與吉姆歷年來最完美的合作。相較於過去的錄音，在這張專輯中，無論是吉姆的薩克斯風演奏，抑或是史黛西的演唱，都到達一個引人入勝的完美境界。紐約時報樂評人史蒂芬‧霍登 ( StephenHolden ) 曾撰文讚揚：「有時是音樂的火花，有時又是愛情的火花，兩者的完美搭配，將演出帶往一個絕妙的境界。聆聽爵士女伶史黛西‧肯特與她的夫婿次中音薩克斯風手吉姆‧湯林森的表演時，猶如置身於流行爵士樂天堂的華麗套房之上，偷聽一對沉醉在愛戀中戀人的親密枕邊絮語般。」和史黛西過去的專輯相比，她最新的專輯《早安‧幸福》，不僅完整性、成熟度更勝以往，音樂中更慘入史黛西的個人色彩，讓歌迷聽見真實的她。

要解釋史黛西瞬間在爵士樂界引發的迴響與成就，實在不是件容易的事，加上她的個性也十分低調。但可以確信的是，史黛西擁有一副擄獲廣大樂迷的好嗓音，而且是那種令人想靠近傾聽的聲音，而非只將注意力停留在聲音而已。在新專輯中為她量身訂做歌詞的小說家石黑一雄，就會在史黛西2002年的專輯《In Love Again》介紹文中讚揚：「聽史黛西的歌，往往不會一開始將注意力放在她精湛的詮釋上，而是先被歌，與歌曲之間真摯動人的氛圍所吸引。」透過史黛西自然不做作的演繹，總能將歌曲創作者的用意，完整傳達給聆聽者。她的歌聲與演唱方式獨樹一格，無與倫比的個人魅力，深深打動每個音樂族群的心。(2009年3月史黛西‧肯特獲法國文化部頒發法國國家文化與藝術騎士勳章，表揚她的藝術貢獻與傑出成就。)

 

The story of Stacey Kent's rise to international fame reads like a Hollywood script. An American language student visits Europe to study French, Italian and German for a Masters degree in comparative literature. Her life takes an unexpected twist that sees Stacey Kent become one of the world's foremost jazz singers. Stacey, a recent addition to the Blue Note roster of recording artists, now boasts seven best-selling albums including THE BOY NEXT DOOR (2003) which achieved Gold status, a string of awards, including the 2001 British Jazz Award and 2002 BBC Jazz Award for 'Best Vocalist,' the 2004 Backstage Bistro Award for best live performance and the 2006 ""Album of the Year"" for Jim Tomlinson's album, THE LYRIC on which she was the featured vocalist, as well as a fan base that enables her to sell out concert halls around the world. Her new Blue Note release, BREAKFAST ON THE MORNING TRAM (Blue Note 2007) features four original songs, including the title track, written especially for Stacey by Jim Tomlinson and acclaimed novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro, as well as a selection of French chansons and choice standards. Since its release in September 2007, it has remained at the top of the French jazz chart as well as holding its own in the top 20 of the general lbum charts. Its release around the world is sure to mirror this success. The twist of fate that took her life in this new direction was a chance meeting in Oxford with saxophonist, Jim Tomlinson. Like Stacey, Jim was embarked on an acadernic path, but their meeting sparked in each other the esire to pursue their love of music together. After a year's study at the Guildhall School of Music, Stacey set about honing her skills on the London scene in the company of, now husband, Jim Tomlinson. Ademo tape, sent simultaneously to Polygram, Candid Records and broadcaster, Humphrey Littleton, secured her a role in Ian McKellen's film version of RichardIII, a recording contract and national airplay and endorsement from Britain's most respected jazz broadcaster. Since the release of Stacey's first album, CLOSE YOUR EYES (1997), she has achieved , without compromise, both critical and popular success, with her fresh and heart-felt interpretations of the finest love songs of the twentieth century. But it was a feature on CBS Sunday Morning in 1999 that gave Stacey national exposure in the USA and brought her to wider recognition Since then, her career has become truly international and she has performed at major festivals and concert halls from Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek Concert Hall to Carnegie Hall to Paris' famed Olympia. Stacey's admirers are not limited to the loyal fans that buy her albums and pack out her concerts. Best selling crime writer, John Harvey, has Stacey sing, if only fictionally, in his latest novel, Still Water. A track from her third album, LET YOURSELF GO, was selected by novelist, Kazuo Ishiguro, on his appearance on Desert Island Discs on BBC Radio. It was this event that led Kent, Ishiguro and Tomlinson towards the song-writing collaboration that features this new album. Clint Eastwood invited Stacey to sing at his 70th birthday party, Michael Parkinson invited Stacey to sing on his television show, as did Sir David Frost, who asked her to join him one Sunday morning, to sing a song and review the morning papers with him on Breakfast with Frost and Aerosrnith's Steven Tyler, in a recent interview, listed Stacey, alongside Willie Nelson, as being among his favorite singers. Most tellingly perhaps, Stacey is appreciated by the writers of the songs she sings. Three-time Oscar-winning songwriter, Jay Livingston, wrote of her, “Stacey Kent is a revelation. There is nobody singing today who can compare with her. She has the style of the greats, like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. And she sings the words like Nat Cole -clean, clear and almost conversational with perfect phrasing. And that's as good as it gets.” If there is one theme that runs through Stacey's music, it is that of romance. Stacey is herself an avowed romantic, and the songs the sings are timeless stories that touch young and old alike, fulfilling a desire for sophisticated love songs that is not catered to by today’s pop music industry. She receives fan mail from people of all ages and nationalities and, in an age where music is more likely to divide than unite the generations, it is quite common for three generations of the same family to attend her concerts. This romanticism is best demonstrated on the award winning recording with Jim Tomlinson, THE LYRIC.. featuring STACEY KENT (Token 0501). It is the most complete collaboration between Stacey and husband, Jim. On this album, Jim's saxophone and Stacey's voice achieve a level of empathy only hinted at on earlier recordings. As the New York Times', Stephen Holden put it, “Sometimes the chemistry between musicians and the chemistry of love get a11 tangled up in wonderful ways. When watching the jazz singer Stacey Kent make music with her husband, the tenor saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, it is easy to imagine yourself eavesdropping on intimate pi11ow talk by besotted partners in a luxury suite atop some faraway pop-jazz Olympus.” Her new latest album, BREAKFAST ON THE MORNING TRAM, hints at a more confessional side to Stacey's artistic persona. This is a more complete, personal and mature expression of feeling than Kent has delivered on any of her previous recordings. It is not easy to account for Stacey's success and she herself remains characteristica11y coy. What is sure is that Stacey has a voice that grabs you. It demands to be listened to and yet never draws attention to itself. As her new collaborator, Ishiguro put it in his liner notes to her 2002 album, IN LOVE AGAlN, “In song after song, we find a route to the emotional heart of the music without first having to admire her technique. “Stacey's natural and unaffected delivery allows the craft of the songwriters, whose work she performs, to shine through. She has an appeal that transcends category. (In March 2009 Stacey received the prestigious ‘National Order of Arts and Letters’(“Chevalier des Arts et Lettres”), a government decoration, in recognition of her contribution to the arts.)

三月之雨
星空寄語
幸福瑣事
縱情浪漫
真愛旅程
池塘之愛
閉上雙眼
阿飛正傳
冰雕旅店
溫室花房
向我表白
美麗如昔
忘情列車
幸福森巴
美好世界

Waters of March
So Many Stars
Ces Petits Riens
So Romantic
I Wish 1 Could Go Travelling Again
L'Etang
Close Your Eyes
Alfie
The Ice Hotel
Jardin d'Hiver
Show Me
They Say It's Wonderful
Breakfast on the Morning Tram
Samba Saravah
What a Wonderful World

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