Helen Russell

Brisbane jazz bandleaders leaned on Helen Russell's bass playing for years. These days she's out front at the microphone too, singing jazz standards that lean quirky and sweet rather than grand. Book her band with three players, or with four once a sax player joins, and that extra horn brings more colour to a longer night. It's jazz with a light touch, well matched to a cocktail hour or a relaxed dinner. She fronts two other outfits as well: Good Bait Trio, and a pedal steel quartet called Rose Pedal Saloon.