Biography

A singer of original material, jazz standards and popular music and writer and performer of spoken word and poetry, 

Her innate sense of musicality, gleaned from her earlier years of saxophone playing and study of the jazz idiom, inform a voice that has individuality, originality and flair

Esther Bennett is featured on 02’s Music Mapper, which highlights Iconic musical artists.

Born in Birmingham in the West Midlands, England, Esther moved to London as soon as she reached the age of 18.
Here, she continued her studies in Art & Design and commenced studies in Music, Dance and Drama. Almost immediately, she began working in performance of all three. 

After a 6-month tour of Taiwan and Hongkong, where she not only performed but made all of her own costumes, Esther returned to London with the sole aim of buying a saxophone and studying jazz. This she did privately and at various institutions including The Guildhall School of Music & Drama, The City Lit, Goldsmiths and The Camden Institute with Andrea Vicary 

During this time gigging and performance continued, playing alto saxophone and singing with local indie, funk and reggae bands, in an all- female soul band and across London and around the country in jazz duo, quartet and Big Band outfits where residencies included at the notorious Bass Clef Club run by the iconic bass player Peter Ind.

Acting also continued in London Fringe Theatre, in West End productions of “Buddy” and “Return to the Forbidden Planet”, in Television work for Fox Kids, Sky TV and the BBC and a position at a theatre school where, after collecting LAMDA certificates in acting Esther taught drama and worked as a scenery painter and designer
Well into her 30s, Esther realised that it was imperative that she concentrate on one of her skills in order to really further her career and singing seemed to incorporate all of the creative skills that she had worked in and honed over the years.

In 2004 she released her debut album “Just in Time”.
Produced by the award-winning jazz singer Ian Shaw,  it received a four-star review in “Jazzwise Magazine” and was launched at London’s iconic 606 Club.

Since then, she has carved out a prestigious career as a jazz singer performing extensively in major venues in and around London across the country and in Europe whilst also teaching singing privately and for a number of terms at Southampton University 

Esther has worked with some of the countries most acclaimed and respected jazz musicians, including Saxophonist and composer Duncan Lamont who himself had performed with Henry Mancini, Benny Goodman, Gil Evans, Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Count Basie. 

In addition to his achievements as a performer he was also one of the UK’s most important contemporary jazz songwriters, with songs recorded by some of the finest singers in the World including Cleo Laine, Tony Bennett and Natalie Cole. 

From 2010 until his passing in 2019, Esther curated “The Duncan Lamont Songbook” project, organising gigs and tours across London in which she and Duncan performed, often with guest singers including Norma Winstone and Tina May. Following his death in 2019, Esther continues the project to this day with Duncan Jnr who, like his father is not only a consummate saxophonist and flautist but also an excellent story teller and raconteur.

In 2020 they released the EP “The Songs of Duncan Lamont which “Jazz Journal Magazine” awarded four stars.

Covid and lockdown provided the opportunity to exercise her own songwriting skills and another recording was released in 2021 called “Safe Places”. Once the pandemic was over, both recordings were launched at London’s Pizza Express Dean Street.

Her most recent album “Home is Where the Art is” sees Esther exploring a new avenue – that of spoken word and poetry. The album opens with a four-and-a-half-minute piece about her hometown of Birmingham set to the music of film composer, Didier Messidoro. A true labour of love that has received high praise from poetry publications, art magazines and BBC Radio. 

Being particularly proud of this work,  Esther made a video to accompany the track. An homage to her hometown and it’s musical, industrial, multicultural and working-class history.

Mixed with a selection of favourite jazz standards, “Home is Where the Art is” was launched at London’s Jazz Cafe Posk and Toulouse Lautrec Jazz Venue and awarded another four-star review in “Jazzwise Magazine”.

Career highlights include, performing at Ronnie Scott’s, performing at Wavendon’s ‘Music in the Garden’ and being invited by Dame Cleo Laine to join her table to enjoy the other artists and performing with Prince at London’s “China Whites”.

Esther continues to be one of the jazz scene’s most highly respected and widely loved vocalists, juxtaposing sensitivity with a sparky sense of humour; her song delivery leaving audiences utterly compelled.

‘I love the integrity and beauty of Esther’s voice’

Jazz Wax Marc Myers

“Great Sarah Vaughan influenced singer” 

Time Out Magazine

‘Esther is a rare breed of performer who truly commits herself to expressing the lyrics of a song and bringing them to life in a new and innovative way’ – 

Sound Generation