"a sparkle in her voice that floats effortlessly"
I started singing professionally as the ‘tall’ half of cabaret duo ‘The Song and the Short and the Tall’, but soon found my way onto the jazz scene. I studied with leading British jazz artist such as Liane Carroll, Anton Brown and Pete Churchill and am also a graduate of the E.N.O.’s performance course ‘The Knack’.
I have played at key London jazz venues, including Pizza on the Park and Pizza Express, Dean Street, and I was a popular returning artist at the much-mourned Marlborough Jazz Festival for 12 happy years. I have gigged with some of the UK’s finest jazz musicians, including pianists Geoff Castle, Barry Green, and Nick Weldon; bassists Tim Wells, Jeff Clyne and Simon Thorpe; drummers Clark Tracey, Paul Cavaciuti and David Ohm; and the peerless horn player Steve Waterman.
I have also recorded an album, Under Your Spell, with the stellar line-up of Geoff Castle on piano, Nick Kacal on bass, Paul Cavacuiti on drums, and Steve Waterman on trumpet/flugelhorn. It is available to purchase online via Spotify, I Tunes and CD Baby. Hard copy CDs are also available to purchase directly via my Contact page. (£5 + p&p.)
Geoff Castle
My professional work with the late, lamented genius Geoff Castle (who passed away, Jan 2020) also included a budding writing partnership. We wrote three songs together, Under Your Spell, Time to Say Goodbye and Time to Move On (tracing an entire relationship in a 3-song-cycle, now I look at the titles side by side!)
I am so sad to have lost such a creative and generous collaborator and friend this year.
RIP, Mr. C. xxx
Under Your Spell
“Tamsin sings Berlin’s ‘Change Partners’ with a sparkle in her voice that floats effortlessly over Geoff Castle’s piano lines and the fluid drive of the rhythm section. A track like ‘You’re Makin’ Me Crazy’ demonstrates her ability to swing easily on the beat and bring out the meaning of the lyrics with consummate ease, aided and abetted by Geoff Castle and the free flowing rhythm boys.”
Derek Anstell, Jazz Journal
“Think Dinah Shore/Eydie Gorme and you’ll get the measure of where Tamsin Collison is coming from on this album. ‘Under your Spell’ is an intimate affair which breathes new life into Rogers & Hart and Gershwin classics, plus neglected gems such as Oscar Brown Jnr’s ‘Opportunity Knocks’, made even more delicious with a sprinkling of trumpet from Steve Waterman.
“The musical arrangements are a dream, with Geoff Castle on Piano, Nick Kacal on Bass and Paul Cavaciuti on Drums. Geoff Castle lends his vocals to ‘Lullaby in Ragtime’ and also co-wrote the title track with Tamsin – a number which holds up really well alongside the standards; so much so, that I found myself humming it all day, after only a couple of hearings.
“In my humble opinion, if you can’t get to Ronnie Scott’s and you are longing for something special to chill out to at home, pour a large glass of your favourite wine , pop this album on, & you are as good as there…”
Lynn Parsons, Jazz FM