Barbara Jay (b. Aug. 14, 1937) is a British jazz singer.

Barbara Jay grew up in a musical family, her father playing trumpet with many of the leading bands of the time. She took to singing at an early age and by the 1960's she was working with many leading British Jazz musicians.

As a solo Jazz singer Jay has shared he billing at Ronnie Scott's club with Horace Silver, Pharoah Sanders, George Chisholm, Dave Holland and Jon Hendricks in Cabaret on the Saga Ruby Cruise ship and P&O Oriana.

In 1970 she was chosen to sing with Benny Goodman and and his orchestra on an extensive European tour and appeared in many major cities, including Paris, Milan, Copenhagen and Zurich. She also performed at the Carnegie Tavern in New York where she was accompanied by Ellis Larkins. In 1993 she devised the very successful "Ella Fitzgerald Songbook Show" which has been performed at major venues and Festivals throughout Britain and also with her own quartet at the Pizza on the Park Knightstbridge, London. She appears frequently with her saxophonist husband Tommy Whittle and has performed extensively on TV and Radio in the UK.

Sources

The Virgin Encylopedia of Jazz, Ed. Colin Larkin. Virgin Books, London (2004).

Selected Recordings[edit]

The Nearness of You (Tee-Jay 1982)
Just friends (Spotlight 1982, 1988 and 1997)
Memories of You (Tee-Jay 2000)
The Ella Fitzgerald Songbook Revisited (Spotlight 2001).
Reminiscing with Barbara Jay (Spotlight 2003)

Selected Discography[edit]

As leader[edit]

1949: Lee Konitz With Tristano, Marsh And Bauer (Prestige)
1954: Konitz (Storyville)
1954: Jazz at Storyville (Storyville)

Tommy Whittle Quartet (Sept. 1951, Melodisc): Tommy Whittle (ts), Ronnie Ball (p), Frank Donnison (b), Tony Kinsey (d).
Tommy Whittle Septet (Oct. 1951, Melodisc): Tommy Whittle (ts), Bobby Pratt (tp), Roy Willox (as), George Hunter (bs), Frank Horrox (p), Johnny Hawksworth (b), Ronnie Verrell (d).
Tommy Whittle with the Tony Kinsey Trio (April 1953, Esquire): Tommy Whittle (ts), Dill Jones (p), Stan Wasser (b), Tony Kinsey (d).
Tommy Whittle with The Tony Kinsey Trio - NJF concert at the Festival Hall, London on February 28th, 1954 (Esquire 32-004(part), EP44) (JMC8/JJ4): Tommy Whittle (ts), Dill Jones (p), Sammy Stokes (b), Tony Kinsey (d).
Tommy Whittle Quintet (August 17th, 1954, Esquire EP37): Tommy Whittle (ts), Harry Klein (bs), Dill Jones (p), Joe Muddel (b), Eddie Taylor (d).
Tommy Whittle Quintet (December, 1954, Esquire): Tommy Whittle (ts), Harry Klein (bs), Dill Jones (p), Joe Muddel (b), Eddie Taylor (d).
Tommy Whittle Quintet (March, 1955, Esquire): Tommy Whittle (ts), Harry Klein (bs), Dill Jones (p), Joe Muddel (b), Eddie Taylor (d).
Tommy Whittle Quintet (August, 1955, Esquire): Tommy Whittle (ts), Harry Klein (bs), Dill Jones(p), Dave Willis (b), Eddie Taylor (d).
Tommy Whittle Orchestra (November, 1955, Esquire) Kenny Wheeler (tp), Keith Christie (tb, v-tb), Ronnie Baker (as), Tommy Whittle (ts), Joe Temperley (bs), Don Riddell (p), Freddie Logan (b), Eddie Taylor (d).
Tommy Whittle Orchestra (March, 1956, Esquire) Kenny Wheeler (tp), Keith Christie (tb, v-tb), Ronnie Baker (as), Tommy Whittle (ts), Joe Temperley (bs), Don Riddell (p), Freddie Logan (b), Eddie Taylor (d).
Tommy Whittle - Keith Christie Quintet - (July, 1956, Esquire) Keith Christie (tb, v-tb), Tommy Whittle (ts), Derek Smith (p), Arthur Watts (b), Eddie Taylor (d).
Tommy Whittle Quartet (July, 1957, HMV) Tommy Whittle (ts), Eddie Thompson (p), Brian Brocklehurst (b), Jackie Dougan (d).
Tommy Whittle Quartet (September, 1957, HMV) Tommy Whittle (ts), Eddie Thompson (p), Maurice Salvat (b), Jackie Dougan (d).
Tommy Whittle Quintet (July, 1958, Saga) Tommy Whittle (ts), Harry Klein (bs), Eddie Thompson (p), Ken Sprang (b), Jackie Dougan (d).
Tommy Whittle Quintet (May, 1959, Tempo) Tommy Whittle (ts), Harry Klein (bs), Eddie Thompson (p), Ken Sprang (b), Jackie Dougan (d).

With others

Harry Hayes and his Band (Oct. 1946, HMV) with Leo Wright (tp), Harry Hayes (as), Tommy Whittle (ts), Bill Lewington (bs), George Shearing (p), Alan Ferguson (g), Bert Howard (b), Billy Wiltshire d).

The Melody Maker All-Stars (March 7th, 1955, Esquire EP56): Kenny Baker (tp), Keith Christie (tb), Vic Ash (cl), Johnny Dankworth (as), Ronnie Chamberlain, (ts,sops), Tommy Whittle (ts), Harry Klein (as,bs), Vic Feldman (vib), Bill McGuffie (p), Tito Burns (acc), Bert Weedon (g), Joe Muddel (b), Eric Delaney (d). (Add Joe Harriott (as) on Waxing The Winners)

Johnny Dankworth Orchestra (March, 1957, Parlophone)

Dickie Hawdon, Derek Abbott, Bill Metcalf, Stan Palmer, Colin Wright (tp), Jack Botterill, Garry Brown, Laurie Monk, Tony Russell, Danny Elwood (tb), Johnny Dankworth (as), Tommy Whittle (ts), Alex Leslie (bs,cl), Dave Lee (p), Eric Dawson (b), Kenny Clare (d).