Janet Seidel

Born in the Australian outback, Janet Seidel rose to prominence as one of the nation's foremost interpreters of cabaret and jazz repertoire. From the early 1980s onward she became a regular presence at the country's premier jazz clubs and hotel rooms, frequently appearing alongside her bassist sibling David Seidel. She also crossed the Pacific to perform at American jazz festivals, sharing stages with such distinguished instrumentalists as Harry Allen, Dan Barrett, Dave McKenna, and Michael Moore. In 2000 she made her initial foray into full-scale cabaret by conceiving and headlining Doris and Me, a revue celebrating Doris Day's vocal legacy. Working repeatedly with saxophonist Tom Baker as well as her brother, she issued a steady stream of recordings on the LaBrava imprint. Australia's leading national newspaper named her double album The Way You Wear Your Hat vocal album of the year and shortlisted it for an ARIA Award; her The Art of Lounge, Vol. 2 likewise reached the final round of judging for the ARIA Jazz Album of the Year.

Although her vocal compass was modest, Seidel deployed her resources with uncommon finesse and expressive impact. Her close-to-the-mike delivery and instinctive grasp of lyric meaning positioned her as much a raconteur as a singer. The resulting approach suggested a happy amalgam of Blossom Dearie and Doris Day, touched now and then by the cool restraint of Julie London yet shaded with a jazz inflection those two artists rarely pursued. In the manner of Jeri Southern, Shirley Horn, and Diana Krall, she regularly accompanied herself at the piano.

Throughout the first decade of the new century Seidel maintained an active recording schedule, releasing Love Letters (2000), Doris & Me (2001), Don't Smoke in Bed (2002), Comme Çi, Comme Ça and The Art of Lounge, Vol. 3 (both 2003), Dear Blossom and Hooray for Christmas (both 2004), Moon of Manakoora and Delovely (both 2005), and We Get Requests and Charade: Henry Mancini Songbook (both 2007). A DVD document of her concert work, Live in Taipei, appeared in 2011. Seidel succumbed to ovarian cancer in Sydney during August 2017 at the age of 62. Across the body of work she left behind, an exquisitely gentle and agile voice can be heard illuminating every selection, whether drawn from the Great American Songbook, contemporary pop, or lighter novelty material.