York Theatre Royal again hosted musicians of the world forum.

Stacey Kent, the eloquent jazz vocalist, was accompanied by her husband, Jim Tomlinson, on tenor sax, and was supported by piano, bass and drums.

Saturday's visit was part of a wider tour which will take her soon to Turkey and mainland Europe.

The concert consisted of a range of gentle standards and recently-penned songs, mostly from her recent CDs.

Stacey obviously enjoyed being back in York, and held the evening together with her winning chatter and observations.

She has a rare voice which is light, and perfectly pitched and phrased.

Unlike some of her profession, Stacey is a committed servant of the songs she sings, revealing every syllable and nuance.

Comparison with Blossom Dearie is inevitable, not least because of their overlapping repertoire: Stacey's renditions evoke sincerity, where Blossom conveys mischief.

When Stacey sings My Heart Belongs To Daddy, one suspects that it actually does.

Tomlinson blends tenor phrases around the vocal as Stan Getz served Astrud Gilberto.

Tomlinson led the quartet for a handful of instrumentals during the evening further demonstrating his admiration of Getz.

There are worse things to do with one's life than to sound like the great man, but I feel Tomlinson is strong enough to further develop his own style.

The other supporting musicians were also superb.

The production in the theatre was excellent and the sound system faultlessly reproduced an intimate sound to a full house.

- Don Lodge