I am trying again with this one because I'm sure Ossie or Brian will know something and they may have been out of town when I last posted this. The full post was made originally on 22 June 2010.

Any Information On This Singer?

About twenty years ago ( maybe a little more) I used to go to a jazz club. One evening a guitarist was booked whose first name I cant recall but surname was Christian (no not Charlie who was long dead by then). Anyway he couldnt make it due to illness but not to disappoint his daughter came along (I think from somewhere in the Bristol area) and gave his apologies and said she hoped we didnt mind if she performed instead.
She was a singer who accompanied herself on guitar and proceeded to blow us all away with a variety of standards and torch songs. She was particularly good on the latter and also played guitar very well. Her name was Angela Christian.
Now unfortunately there is a well known American singer by that name and that is all I can find on the Web because I have searched for her in vain wondering what has happened to her.
I believe she later sang as a vocalist for the BBC Show Band or something similar and became semi well known. I also once had a vid of her performance at a nightclub in Caerphilly which was titled "Angela Christian Live At The Millionaires' Club". (Probably early or mid eighties)
She was in my opinion really ,really good and her version on that vid (which I lent to someone and never had back) of Duke Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood" was the best I have ever heard outside Ella Fitzgerald's.
Does anyone know of her or have any information?

Net search is hampered by hundreds of entries for a more recent well known American singer of the same name.

Might this by your Angela Christian, William?  If so this photograph is currently on offer at e-bay.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ANGELA-CHRISTIAN- ... 2a0a30ac5d

She's listed on e-bay under Television/Law&Order, which suggests she's an actress - but maybe she was moonlighting at your jazz club.

I can't really be any help with 1980s jazz singers - or almost any jazz singers come to that.  Just not my cuppa.  I've looked in the few books and catalogues I have that cover that era, but drawn a blank.

If as you say there was a video issued of her performance, then I can only suggest your try e-bay from time to time.  It just might turn up there - or if she was a local girl, then check charity shops in your area.

Best of luck.

Brian 

Having read this thread and noticed that you had posted befroe on the subject.........I did a search and looked it up.....

In your original request you discovered that she had sung with the BBC BIG BAND........


So I put in a search for ANGELA CHRISTIAN BBC BIG BAND

and came up with this.........


http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/mus ... of+You.htm

Awed by your faith in me and Bria, William!! Having been off line - a fault in the phone line they tell me after throwing away money on a new filter - I've just seen your plea. However Brian and Geoffrey have done the donkey work so I'll just like back and listen to some old 50s pop - like Bria I'm not into jazz as such - Ella and Sarah aree about as far as I go - unless it's scat and that is really a big turn off for me.

like Bria I'm not into jazz as such - Ella and Sarah aree about as far as I go - unless it's scat and that is really a big turn off for me.

I am into Jazz ( I collect Jazz singles and EP's ) ..........but in truth it is  mostly instrumentals .........so Jazz singers are something I know very litttle about......

Thankyou all, but no that is not her, Brian. I believe that's the Angela Christian (American singer/actress) who is all over the Web and confusing the issue.
Lamas has come up with the right girl. (see this). I believe she was originally from the Bristol area and was heard occasionally on BBC programmes.
Probably talking the early/mid eighties.
Ossie, she was more a mainstream singer than Jazz as such and her rendition of Duke Ellington's "In A Sentimental Mood" (very torchy) is the best rendition I've ever heard of it. Surprised nobody knows anything about her. She was a really good singer.
Here's what Lamas pointed out. Not so concerned in getting her stuff as knowing what happened to her.

BBC Big Band - Very Thought of You Album Track Listing

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trk Song Time Price
1 Mood Indigo See All 3 4:20 $0.99
2 I'll Never Smile Again See All 2
3 Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
4 Memories Of You See All 3
5 I Can't Get Started See All 3
6 Moonlight Serenade See All 5 4:05 $0.99
7 Solitude See All 2
8 Very Thought Of You See All 4 3:41 $0.99
9 You Made Me Love You See All 2
10 Sophisticated Lady See All 4
11 Body And Soul See All 3
12 Moonlight Sonata See All 2

Hello out there.  I was really surprised when someone showed me this message board.  I am the previously Bristol-based Angela Christian who used to sing with the BBC Big Band and the Radio Orchestra, and I was extremely flattered that everyone seemed to like my version of "In a Sentimental Mood".  I spent 10 years or so singing with the Syd Lawrence Orchestra performing all the Glenn Miller music (late 70s to late 80s).

I have lived in Surrey since the 1980s and continued to tour and perform on the BBC until 1998 when I decided I did not want to do the long car journeys up and down the motorways any more, so I more or less retired.  I carried on singing and playing in local venues and for private parties for a while longer and then finished altogether in 2000.  Since then I have had several interesting and varied jobs, one in particular allowing me to indulge my passion for canals and canalboats.

In the 90s I sang and played at many jazz festivals up and down the country, including the Jersey Jazz Festival in the Channel Islands, which I did every year for about 8 years.  I got to perform with some fabulous musicians such as Roy Williams, Dick Morrisey and Martin Taylor, and one year the BBC Big Band came over during the festival and I sang with them on a broadcast for Big Band Special on Radio 2.

My last really big gig was the 1992 tour of the US with the BBC Big Band and special guest George Shearing.  We then struck up a really good friendship and I used to visit George and Ellie in their lovely Cotswold cottage which he had for 6 months of the year, along with my late friend and colleague, pianist and presenter Steve Race and his wife.  After returning from America I had the good fortune to sing on Friday Night is Music Night from the Hippodrome Golders Green with the BBC Concert Orchestra, conducted by Robert Farnon, with George Shearing as special guest - that really was musical company at its best!

Well everyone, happy listening and it was nice to be able to set the record straight!

Greetings and welcome to you Angela. You certainly have a great track record, pity that the touring took it's toll on you resulting in giving it all up. I too was around during your time but our paths didn't ever cross. If you sang with the BBC Big Band then you must have known Les Howerd???  After I finished performing I operated an Agency/Management office and I booked the BBC Big Band when Les Howerd was at the helm.  Somewhere I have an audio cassette (remember them), of Les singing 'To Him We're All The Same' - he had a great voice. I believe there was another male vocalist who sang on occasions with the band - David Macbeth, do you remember him?  From memory I think David also operated an agency office, somewhere in the North East???

I hope that you will stay around. 

Ta Ra.     -    The Jones Boy.

Amazed and delighted to see your reply, Angela, as it was I who started this thread.
I once saw you live in the Liberal Club in Swansea where the jazz club was held and you made a huge impression on me and many others in the audience that night. It was when your father was unable to appear as I described earlier.
It's great to know that you are well and enjoying other things these days.
I think a couple of our resident music experts will get a bit of a ribbing from me now.LOL.
PS. Shoot that American "imposter" who is clogging up the internet.
And there really ought to be more info about you on the Web.

Bernie, you are right about David Macbeth he was from Newcastle. I don't know if he ran agency but he did own a night club in his home town. He was also a professional footballer with Newcastle United and a regular singer on Tyne Tees Television as David North, so a man of many talents. He is also still around as witnessed by this photograph taken in May of this year. He is the one front and right:




He retired from the business after a heart attack in 1996 though he made a brief comeback for a special tribute to Johnny Keating in 2003. When he had his first hit he was working as a salesman for Andrews Liver Salts.