Kris Gayle (Vocals)

Kris Gayle is a highly experienced female jazz vocalist, with her main vocal influences being Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday.

Originally from London, she originally came to Cornwall for a summer season in Penzance, and finding the lifestyle to her liking, settled in the area. She quickly became established as one of the West Country's leading jazz artists, forming her own band, Gayle Force, and made many TV and radio appearances. Gayle Force released two well-received albums, "Gayle Force" and "Which Way Is Up", and by invitation Kris also appeared in Australia.

Kris also became a professional studio session singer at Sawmills Studio, Fowey, which gave her considerable experience in all popular musical styles.

Kris then retired from singing live for a few years to run her own business, although she kept her voice in trim by doing session and recording work. Having subsequently sold the business, she was persuaded to return to give a live performance for the 2003 St Ives September Music Festival, where she appeared with pianist/arranger Viv Rodd, head of the Jazz Degree Course at Truro College. The engagement went so well that they decided to work together on a regular basis, and Kris and Viv quickly became one of the leading locally based jazz acts, and have appeared all round the West Country.
Their regular appearances at the prestigious St Ives Jazz Club attract capacity audiences; their first CD "Dedicated to You" sold out” and was featured by Humphrey Lyttelton on his Radio 2 "Best of Jazz" programme, as well as on Brian Smith's Radio 3 Jazz Spot.
Kris has now begun work on a new CD which should appear in the autumn, featuring Viv Rodd's orchestrations. Kris and Viv have already made an acclaimed appearance at Teignmouth Jazz Festival, and more Jazz Festival work is in the offing.
In 2004 an artist friend Carol Blank, who lives in Harlem, and was married to the former John Coltrane and Andrew Hill drummer Roger Blank, invited Kris to New York to appear at the Williamsburg Music Center. This went so well that she was booked for an equally successful return performance in October last year, where her accompanists included guitarist Gerry Eastman (ex Sarah Vaughan) and bassist Bob Cunningham (ex Dizzy Gillespie).
After New York she then flew down to Louisiana for an appearance with the noted New Orleans drummer Barry Martyn and his band.
Since returning to live performance in 2003, Kris has also started giving private vocal tuition, and several of her students have already made their live performance debuts.