Paris-based British-Australian vocalist Hetty Kate returns to Sydney this November with the debut volume of her ambitious new project, Jazz in Four Seasons.

The series follows the changing seasons through four albums recorded in different cities around the world, each a collaboration with local musicians. Moving beyond traditional jazz hotspots, Hetty explores how this quintessentially American art form has evolved as it has travelled across cultures. The result will be a love letter to her own nomadic life and to the timeless songs that have accompanied her around the globe.

For Spring, Hetty returned to Prague – the city where her European journey began – to record with four of its finest jazz musicians. Together they captured the season in all its tempestuous, tender beauty, with works by Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck, Jerome Kern and more. The album will be released in November 2025.

“Don’t expect a predictable bouquet of love songs with ‘spring’ in every title,” says Hetty. “I’ve curated a collection that celebrates everything from the smallest creatures to the most luscious blooms – from being caught in a downpour without an umbrella to the gentle warmth of sunlight on a May morning. Even that bittersweet joy of walking beneath flowering trees, gloriously and unapologetically alone.”

Audiences can experience these songs live for the first time with a quartet of Australia’s most respected jazz musicians: Matt McMahon (piano), Ben Hauptmann (guitar), Brett Hirst (bass), and Hamish Stuart (drums).

ABOUT HETTY KATE

Not just another voice in the crowd, British-Australian vocalist Hetty Kate is a magnetic performer with sophisticated edge. Besides her ‘natural musicality’, effortless, clarion tone, and impeccable timing, Hetty’s razor-sharp wit truly sets her apart, blending poise and humour with undeniable talent. Based in Paris, her current project, Jazz in Four Seasons, is a global four-album series recorded in four cities, each reflecting a different season through local collaboration.

Described by James Morrison as having “a stage presence only matched by the clarity in her voice,” Hetty was the featured vocalist for Morrison’s award-winning symphonic concert, ʻThe A to Z of Jazzʼ which toured across Asia, Europe, and Australasia with renowned orchestras, the Melbourne concert recording of which won a coveted Australian Jazz Bell Award for ʻBest Traditional Albumʼ.

Born in England, raised in Australia and now based in Paris, Hetty has been touring internationally for almost two decades, performing in 28 countries. A regular guest at premier jazz events across the globe, festival credits include: New York Hot Jazz and New York Winter Jazz Festivals (USA), Sapporo International Jazz Festival (Japan), Prague Proms (Czech Republic), Cavill Leitch New Zealand International Jazz Festival, Ascona Jazz and Ernen Musikdorf Festivals (Switzerland), Otranto Jazz Festival (Italy), Malta International Jazz Festival, Mithra Jazz à Liege (Belgium), and many more. In Australia Hetty has performed for the Melbourne and Perth International Jazz Festivals, Castlemaine and Wangaratta Jazz Festivals, Darwin Festival, for Brisbane Festival’s Spiegeltent, Melbourne Recital Centre, the Arts Centre Melbourne’s High Tea series, and MONA (Hobart). In 2024, Hetty toured throughout Europe and London, returning to Asia with shows in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Shanghai, followed by an extensive coast-to-coast tour in Australia, with Wangaratta Jazz and Blues Festival, Melbourne Recital Centre, Jazz At The Lounge at the Concourse (Sydney), as well as returning as guest vocalist with James Morrison in his Duke Ellington Tribute at Perth Concert Hall, to standing ovations.

Hetty Kate’s diverse discography spans witty, toe-tapping swing to refined modern jazz, underscoring a talent that defies easy categorisation. In person, Hettyʼs concerts have a warm touch, are infused with joy, and always brimming with a deep love for the audience, the music itself and all of jazz history

Jazz at the Lounge

Jazz at the Lounge is a stellar line-up of ten unmissable concerts, bringing the magic of live jazz to Sydney’s North Shore.