Christine Tobin
Biography Christine Tobin
Christine Tobin
is based between New York City and London. The Irish born vocalist and composer is renowned for her unique rich voice and original compositional style. With eleven highly acclaimed CDs under her own name and four major awards under her belt, Christine is treasured in the UK and beyond as one of the leading lights on the contemporary scene. Her authentic sound was described by The Guardian as ‘Tobin’s 24 carat voice’ while praising her both for the poetry of her compositions and the warmth of her golden voice. Her style, although rooted in jazz, is eclectic and draws on a broad range of influences. The Irish Times called it ‘music that veers from grungy, post-industrial grooves to wispy romanticism to abstracted contemporary classical’. MOJO Music Magazine said of her ‘Christine Tobin really transcends glib genre-fication. Her expressive range acknowledges finely acquired folk, jazz and 20th-century classical influences, which already sets her apart. And everything is shot through with an unmistakable refinement, free-spirited earthiness and giddy romanticism, this singer-songwriter is in a field of one.’ She has led various projects and in 2012 ‘Sailing to Byzantium’, her settings of WB Yeats poems, won a British Composer Award. The following year she won a ‘Herald Angel Award’ at the Edinburgh Festival for her show ‘A Thousand Kisses Deep”, her imaginative versions of Cohen classics. And in 2014 she won ‘Jazz Vocalist of the Year’ at the Parliamentary Jazz Awards. Earlier in her career Christine won ‘Best Vocalist’ at the 2008 BBC Jazz Awards.
Her versatility and musical integrity has ensured that she is a much in demand guest with other bands. She has performed and recorded with a list of diverse creative artists, including musicians Kenny Wheeler, Billy Hart, Mark Turner, James Genus, Gary Versace, Leo Genovese, Joe Locke, Harvie S, Mike Gibbs, Nigel Kennedy, Django Bates, Billy Childs, Julian Joseph, BBC Big Band, Carleen Anderson, Tim Garland, Cleveland Watkiss, Gary Husband, actor Gabriel Byrne, film director Mike Figgis and Pulitzer Prize winning poet Paul Muldoon.
Christine works regularly on the international scene. Her 2016 shows in the US included Xerox Rochester Jazz Festival, Edmonton and Vancouver Jazz Festivals and in NYC she played at Symphony Space, The Irish Arts Center, National Sawdust, Kitano, Club Bonafide and Bar Next Door. UK and London performances include Ronnie Scott's, The Pizza Express Jazz Club Soho, Vortex, The Sage Gateshead and many reputed festivals including the London Jazz Festival, Brecon, Cheltenham and Hull Jazz Festival. Previously she has played at many renowned jazz festivals worldwide. These are Kongsberg, Shanghai, Varna, Kalisz, Berlin, Rainforest Music Festival Borneo, Sons di Hiver Paris, Molde, Baku, Syria, Haarlem, Frankfurt and Cork International Jazz Festival. Club appearances on the international scene include Joe’s Pub NYC, A-Trane Berlin, a week’s residency at the Half Note, Athens and residencies at the Jamboree, Barcelona.
Her vivid interpretations of Bessie Smith were featured in film director Mike Figgis' Red White and Blues docu/film in the Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues series. These films were commissioned by the PSB channel in the U.S. and screened at cinemas worldwide. Christine has also presented special features for BBC Radio 3’s cutting edge programme Jazz On 3 and appeared regularly on Alyn Shipton’s Jazz Library also for BBC Radio 3. She has contributed to programmes about Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter, Joni Mitchell and Carmen McRae. The special documentary programme she presented for RTE Lyric FM ‘Out with Paganism’, was a Silver Radio Winner at the New York Festivals - 2013 World’s Best Radio Programs.
