Songs for Sheila
Penny King and friends
Event Start Date & TIme: November 22, 2025 18:00
Purchase Tickets
| Ticket Type | Tickets left | Price | Quantity | Cart |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seated General Entry | 82 | $35.00 | ||
| Seated Student Entry | 10 | $30.00 | ||
| Seated Duke/Duchess | 4 | $0.00 |
Doors 6pm
Show 7pm
In August of this year, the jazz world lost a true legend, and a pioneer of modern jazz vocals, the incomparable Sheila Jordan.
Known for her deeply personal style and fearless improvisation, her lifelong love of jazz and bebop began in her early days in Detroit where she fell in love with the music of Charlie Parker, before moving to New York in the 1950’s to play with Parker, Charles Mingus and countless others, whilst studying with Lennie Tristano. Her groundbreaking first recording as a lead vocalist was an 11 minute version of ‘You are my Sunshine’ on George Russell’s album ‘The Outer View’. This far from traditional version drew the attention of Blue Note records, which lead to her iconic 1963 debut release ‘Portrait of Sheila’, making her the first female vocalist to record for the label.
A celebrated jazz educator for decades, Sheila began teaching at the City College of New York in 1978, and continued there until 2005, as well as holding positions with other faculties, and conducting workshops internationally. Sheila was the recipient of many honours, including the 2008 Mary Lou Williams Award for a Lifetime of Service to Jazz, a National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship in 2012, the highest highest honour for a jazz musician in the United States, and in 2023, was inducted into the Downbeat Hall of Fame. She inspired generations of vocalists, perhaps most notably her protégé and close friend Theo Bleckmann, and in a career spanning nearly 80 years, was still singing just months before her passing.
By invitation of the Ellington Jazz Club, tonight’s performance aims to honour the incredible life and legacy of Sheila Jordan – not to emulate, but to remember her music, her contributions and to honour one of jazz’s most influential vocalists who will continue to captivate generations of jazz musicians to come.
Featuring
Penny King – Vocals
Chris Foster – Piano
Nick Abbey – Bass
Daniel Susnjar – Drums
With special guests to be announced
About Penny King:
Penny King is a seasoned and respected jazz vocalist, remaining a favourite of Perth jazz audiences for over twenty five years. Her style moves effortlessly between jazz and contemporary repertoire, performing her own original compositions whilst adding her own touch to much loved standards, musical theatre greats and contemporary icons.
Penny received national and international recognition in 2013 with her debut release Journey, recorded with her quintet, and the album was subsequently shortlisted for Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album at the 2014 Australian Jazz ‘Bell’ Awards. Featuring both original compositions and original arrangements of jazz and contemporary standards, the album was met with widespread critical acclaim.
A regular at The Ellington Jazz Club, Penny has also appeared at many Perth International Jazz Festivals, both with her quartet, and with her show “Both Sides Now: The Music of Joni Mitchell”. She has appeared at many other festivals throughout Western Australia, and at the Paris Cat Jazz Club in Melbourne. She has been a featured vocalist with the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra, through which she has had opportunities to sing alongside jazz luminaries such as James Morrison and Dale Barlow, as well as feature on their 1996 album release ‘Night and Day’. Penny continues to work with the next generations of vocalists as a member of the WAAPA jazz department, the Instrumental Music School Services and St Stephen’s School.
“King is simply an excellent tradition-rooted jazz singer, whose phrasing and scat are jazz elements delivered with rich, pitch-perfect, humanly nuanced ease” Katie Bull, The New York City Jazz Record, August 2014.
Featuring
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