The Quintet: Bass^2

Band
Hetty Kate - Voice
Sam Lemann - Guitar
James Sherlock - Guitar
Ben Robertson - Double Bass
Ben Hanlon - Double Bass

About
The Quintet : Bass² is a distinctive jazz ensemble with two guitars and two double basses, founded by jazz vocalist Hetty Kate. The combination of more than one double bass in a jazz setting is unusual, yet echoes the spirit of classic albums such as 'Super Bass,' 'Two Bass Hit,' and 'We Three.'

Similarly to the guitar, the double bass's beautiful timbre occupies a distinct sonic space, offering a beautiful counterpoint to the human voice. And indeed, what could be better than one bass?

Undoubtedly for Hetty, the answer is two! Hetty Kate has always enjoyed singing with guitar and bass, and has released many albums in this combo. Not particularly interested in recreating a 'gypsy' or 'manouche' sound, Hetty is drawn to artists like Wes Montgomery, Barney Kessell, and Grant Green.

This ensemble's mastery of their instruments is deeply enriched by their personal appreciation for freedom, joy, and curiosity, both in life and in music. This infuses the quintet with delight and embues the music with an atmosphere of fun and playfulness.

(To discover the story behind this project, and learn about the musicians involved please visit our 'About' page).

Vocalist Hetty Kate, described as “the real deal” and “one of the best swing vocalists on the current scene” (Will Friedwald - Author / Jazz Critic USA), was born in England, raised in Melbourne, and has been based in Paris since 2017. With a career spanning more than a decade Hetty toured for many years with acclaimed Australian musician James Morrison, and can now be found on stages large and small from New Zealand to New York. With a clear, sweet sounding voice, Hetty really swings, and fills the room with a natural musicality.

Hetty has performed at many premier jazz festivals internationally including the New York Winter Jazz Festival (USA), Sapporo International Jazz Festival (Japan), Ascona Jazz Festival (Switzerland), Prague Proms (Czech Republic) and the Cavell Leitch International Jazz Festival (NZ) as well as many others across Europe, Asia and Australia. Performance highlights include performing with eight symphonic orchestras, treading the boards as Ava Gardner in an original Australian stage production 'Ava at the End of the World' and appearing on both Australian and French TV.

www.hettykate.com