Saxophonist, flautist, composer, arranger and producer, Jim Tomlinson, is best know for his long time collaboration with his wife, the singer Stacey Kent for whom he acts as musical director, producer, songwriter. His early, mostly instrumental albums for the Candid label showcase his lyrical Getzian playing and his affinity for melody is best displayed on Brazilian Sketches.
His 2005 album, The Lyric, featuring Stacey Kent showcases the his love of song and won Album of the Year at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards.
He began writing songs with the Nobel Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro in 2006 for Kent’s Grammy-nominated Blue Note album Breakfast On The Morning Tram. He has continued writing, arranging and producing for Stacey Kent up to and including her most recent orchestral album for Sony, I Know I Dream, which won jazz vocal album of the year 2018 at the Jazz Japan awards. The title track was written with Cliff Goldmacher and the album also includes the stand-out Tomlinson/Ishiguro song Bullet Train.
Tomlinson is featured on all of Stacey Kent’s albums and also with Marcos Valle on his 2013 Ao Vivo, a celebration of Valle’s 50 years in music.
Time Out Magazine describes Tomlinson’s playing as “timeless, artful and utterly gorgeous.”
