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Heather Bambrick has been singing for about as long as she’s been talking. Born and raised in St. John’s Newfoundland, she began singing at a very young age, and continued this pursuit with a number of award-winning Chamber Choirs, Vocal Jazz Ensembles, and dinner theatre productions.
In 1993, Heather moved to Toronto begin her studies in the world of Jazz. As a graduate of the University of Toronto Jazz Studies department, Heather has studied and performed with such Canadian Jazz talents as Phil Nimmons, Alex Dean, Mike Murley, Carol Welsman, and Kenny Wheeler. She was a lead soloist in the U of T Vocal Jazz Ensemble, with whom she recorded a CD in 1997 and won the DownBeat Magazine Award for Outstanding College Vocal Group.
Heather was a founding member and lead soloist of the Toronto-based Vocal Jazz/Pop ensemble The Beehive Singers, performing with such artists as Darmon Meader of the Grammy Award-winning New York Voices (RCA), and playing to “standing-room only” audiences at several regional, national and international music festivals. In November, 1999, The Beehive Singers released their debut self-titled CD to critical national acclaim. They twice toured Central and Western Canada, performed repeat sold-out engagements in New York, entertained for a Regent Holidays Western Caribbean cruise, recorded works for the Millenium Celebrations in Mexico and the opening ceremonies for the 2000 Calgary Stampede, and entertained at the 2000 Gemini Awards. The “Hives” have also provided lush backing vocals on several recordings, including those for Carol Welsman, Roger Clown, and Jaymz Bee and the Royal Jelly Orchestra. In April, 2000, The Beehive Singers were awarded “Best Vocal Group” by Jazz Report Magazine.
Heather’s voice can be heard on more than just Canada’s top Jazz club stages. She recorded a number of concerts for CBC’s The Vinyl Café. (Her performance in one of these was included in the Best of the Vinyl Café in 1998.) Other radio and television appearances include: Canada AM (CTV), The Mike Bullard Show (CTV / The Comedy Network), Bravo! (CHUM-City), TVO’s Studio 2, the 2000 Sick Kids’ Telethon, and CBC Radio’s Sound Waves and This Morning. In April 2002, Heather was the featured soloist on the CBC national radio and television live broadcast of the Easter Sunrise Celebration, and in May, 2003, she joined Emm Gryner, Suzie Vinnick, Ron Hynes, Gordie Sampson, and The Irish Descendants on the CBC Radio recording All for a Song. She has performed on a number of television and movie soundtracks, including those for Jacob Two-Two and the Hooded Fang, and Tom Fitzgerald’s Beefcakes, and her voice can be heard on national television and radio commercial recordings for clients like Chapters, McDonald’s, Labatts, T.D. / Canada Trust, and Sears.
As an educator and clinician, Heather has worked with groups at the Huntington Society Jazz Camp, the Toronto District School Board, Ontario Vocal Jazz Festivals, Musicfest Canada, the Labrador Creative Arts Festival, and the Calgary Stampede. She is currently a Vocal instructor in the Jazz Studies Department at the University of Toronto Faculty of Music.
Heather is currently quite active in the Toronto music scene in several musical genres, as a private / corporate entertainer, and freelance vocalist for various studio sessions and live music venues. On the stage, Heather easily demonstrates her effortless technique, lyrical fluidity, and naturally warm audience rapport. Her live shows are an entertaining combination of timeless standards, fresh, accessible original material, and just the right touch of humour, reminiscent of her Newfoundland upbringing. Her solo show “Hi Standards” commanded a large following over a period of two years during which it played to standing-room-only crowds. In March of 2003, after much anticipation, Heather released her debut solo CD It’s About Time. Fans and critics alike embraced this long-awaited recording, which is currently featured on the regular play lists at Jazz FM (Toronto), CBC Radio, as well as on stations in NewYork, Alaska, Florida, and countless satellite stations. |