Michael Feinstein & Cleo Laine Launch West End ART OF SONG FESTIVAL

A new music festival celebrating the 'Art of Song' will feature some of the world's great singers and songwriters in performance in the heart of the West?End at Leicester?Square?Theatre, from Tuesday April 5 - Tuesday April 19.

Artists appearing include Cleo Laine, Michael Feinstein and Stacey Kent, while two special nights will celebrate the work of legendary songwriters Duncan Lamont and Fran Landesman, with guests including Norma Winstone, Kenny Wheeler, Ian Shaw, Sarah Moule and Gwyneth Herbert. With five shows in the 400 seater Main house and four 10pm Late Lounge shows in LST's intimate studio space, the Art of Song festival will celebrate the art and craft of songwriting in a unique and exciting way.

Michael Feinstein will attend a Art of Song Festival press launch on Thursday 7 April at 4.00pm.

Michael Feinstein
Tuesday 5 - Sunday 10 April
Michael Feinstein - the multi-platinum selling, five-time Grammy nominated "Ambassador of the Great American Songbook" - combines his critically-acclaimed voice and intimate knowledge of American popular standards to create an unforgettable evening of timeless music.

NORMA WINSTONE, TINA MAY AND Lee Gibson PERFORM 'THE SONGS OF DUNCAN LAMONT'
Friday 15 April
To celebrate Duncan Lamont's 80th birthday, three of the UK's finest jazz singers will perform the songs of Duncan Lamont accompanied by Duncan himself on saxophone and with special guests Kenny Wheeler (flugelhorn), Brian Dee (piano) and Chris Laurence (bass). Duncan will be joined on stage by Norma Winstone, Tina May and Lee Gibson

Cleo Laine SHAKESPEARE AND ALL THAT JAZZ
Saturday 16 April
A rare opportunity to see the legendary Dame Cleo Laine in an intimate theatre setting. In this very special concert, she will perform songs from her classic 1964 album ‘Shakespeare And All That Jazz' (given a 5-star review in Downbeat magazine) featuring the bard's verses set in jazz settings by her late husband, Sir John Dankworth.

STACEY KENT IN CONCERT
Monday 18 April
Stacey Kent now boasts six best-selling albums, a string of awards, including the British Jazz Award, The BBC Jazz Award for 'Best Vocalist', and Album of the Year, as well as a fan base that enables her to sell-out concert halls around the world.

AN EVENING WITH Fran Landesman
Featuring Ian Shaw, Gwyneth Herbert and other special guests
Tuesday 19 April
The jazz world's answer to Dorothy Parker, Fran Landesman is renowned as a songwriter and poet and one of the last living links to the Beat Generation. Her songs include classics like ‘Ballad of the Sad Young Men', ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most' and ‘Scars', and many of the world's great singers have performed her work. This concert will feature Fran Landesman alongside celebrated jazz singers Ian Shaw, Gwyneth Herbert, Sarah Moule and Nicki Leighton-Thomas accompanied by Fran's co-writer Simon Wallace on piano.

NEW WRITERS NIGHT
Friday 8 April at 10.00pm
Celebrating some of the freshest new singer-songwriters working today, this show will feature six showcase performances to launch the Art of Song Late Lounge shows.

ESTELLE KOKOT 'FRACTURED BALLADS'
with special guest Kate Shortt
Saturday 9 April at 10.00pm
South African singer/songwriter Estelle Kokot launches her new show, performing her own arrangements and interpretations of songs by writers as diverse as Neil Diamond, Trent Reznor, and Michel Legrand. She also showcases her own acclaimed songwriting. 'Fractured Ballads' features Estelle's mesmering singing and piano playing accompanied by the extraordinary singer/cellist/comedienne Kate Shortt.

BOSSA! EARL OKIN / GEORGIA MANCIO AN EVENING OF JAZZ AND BRAZILIAN SONG
Friday 15 April at 10.00pm
A night of Brazilian music and jazz performed by two of the UK's finest exponents of bossa nova - Earl Okin and Georgia Mancio.

THE SONGS?OF?JOHN?BARRY
A tribute to the late James Bond composer featuring Yots K
Saturday 16 April at 10.00pm
Composer John Barry, who died in January 2011, was renowned for his themes to the James Bond films including 'Goldfinger', 'You Only Live Twice', 'From Russia With Love' and Diamonds Are Forever'. Expect to hear these and many more classic songs in this special tribute concert featuring Afro-Grecian jazz singer Yots K and guests.

Leicester Square Theatre
6 Leicester Place
London
WC2H? 7BX

Box office: 0844 873 3433
www.leicestersquaretheatre.com

Tuesday April 5 - Tuesday April 19

Tickets:?from £12.00