US jazz talent Gemma Sherry has returned home to Castlemaine for the holidays and is planning to do some gigs in Daylesford and Melbourne next month to promote her latest album Music To Dream To.
Sherry told the Express it was great to see her family after two and a half long years.
“It’s been wonderful to spend time with my two nephews in particular. They’ve grown so much!” she said.
When we last caught up with the talented singer/songwriter in late 2020 she had just released her third album Let’s Get Serious.
Despite the setbacks of coronavirus, which meant she has been unable to tour and do live performances, the album received a fantastic response, in fact it was voted as one of the best jazz vocal albums in Japan by jazz critics.
Sherry said the new album, Music to Dream To, was an upbeat bossa nova offering.
“I was inspired to create this after such a great response from the short play EP I released back in 2020. It’s a mix of Samba and some quirky lesser known bossa tunes,” she said.
In addition, Sherry has recently released her first-ever vinyl record of Let’s Get Serious.
“It’s a limited edition release, with pink vinyl, and it took so long because of long delays in vinyl printing in the world at the moment, but also because I got the jackets made as the old authentic tip-on jackets from the 1950s,” she said.
“It’s always been important to me to make things as period-authentic as possible. They still make them on the original machines from back in the day!” Sherry said.
In addition to pursuing her own music, Sherry has started her own Female DJ company in America and has been DJing sold out Taylor Swift parties and various corporate brand events all along the US East Coast.
“My husband and I also found and moved into our dream home in Philadelphia – a late 1940s mid-century modern, Frank Lloyd Wright inspired house. I have already done a livestream concert there!” she said.
Locals audiences won’t have to travel far to catch Sherry live when she appears at Melbourne’s renowned Paris Cat Jazz Club on January 6 and 29 and the Palais Theatre at Daylesford on January 21.
“Think ‘Mad Men’ 1950s/1960s cocktail vibes, swing, upbeat…mixed with some Brazilian bossa nova!” Sherry said of what audiences could expect at her Aussie gigs.
“I’ll have film composer and arranger Brett Rosenberg playing piano at all of my gigs. He has composed for various Hollywood films and used to live in LA. He is now based in Melbourne. We connected over a love of the great jazz standards.
“I will also be joined by Darryn Farrugia on drums and Jack Pantaziz on guitar.”
So what’s next for the artist?
“I hope to finally tour Japan later in the year to promote my vinyl album release,” she said.
“I am also recording an orchestral album and plan to release an original EP album with my brother Jacob.
“I also really hope to to make it back over to the UK to record with my cousin and fellow muso Billy Woodman.”
Sherry’s new vinyl record and CDs are available from her uncle John Walter’s business Stonemans Bookroom in Castlemaine or online at gemmasherry.Bandcamp.com
Tickets for her Aussie shows are available at Pariscat.com.au and Palais-hepburn.com
