DESCRIBED as a 'treasure of British jazz' Lee Gibson brings her unique talent to The Wharf this month.

Lee is a nationally and internationally acclaimed jazz singer who has delighted critics and fans alike with her wonderful voice, innate sense of swing and dynamic stage presence.

A trained dancer and singer, she started her career in the West End as leading lady at the Talk of the Town, where Laurie Monk, producer of the BBC's Jazz Club, heard her and offered Lee her first broadcast.

Since then Lee has made over 1,500 solo broadcasts for the BBC — most recently with the BBC Concert Orchestra in a live transmission from the Golders Green Hippodrome. She is a regular guest with the BBC Big Band in their concert appearances.

Her film and television credits include Victor Victoria, Privates on Parade, The Great Muppet Movie, An American Tail, Willow, Yenti, The Two Ronnies, The Morecambe and Wise Show, Only Fools and Horses and seven Royal Variety Shows.

Lee has appeared at the Barbican, the Purcell Room, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Fairfields Hall, Ronnie Scotts (both London and Birmingham), five seasons at Pizza on the Park and all the major jazz venues.

Festival appearances in the UK include Appleby, Ealing, London, Birmingham, Wigan, Marlborough, Edinburgh, Dundee, Newbury, Bude, Cork and the Isle of Man. In 1998 a return visit saw her headlining the Manly Jazz Festival in Sydney, Australia and in 2001 she headlined the Latvian Jazz Festival in Riga.

As well as working with her own trio and quartet, Lee is a highly respected and accomplished big band singer.

In Europe she has recorded and starred with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra in Holland, the UMO Jazz Orchestra in Finland, the WDR Band and the Francy Boland Band in Germany and the marvellous Danish Radio Band (conducted by the late great Thad Jones) in Denmark.

Lee is currently working on her new CD for Spotlite Records and this is scheduled for release in the spring of 2002. Festival appearances at Swanage, Southport, Hull and Preston are already confirmed together with a further season at Pizza on the Park and concerts with the BBC Big Band in Northampton and Burton on Trent.

Noted US critic and author Dan Morganstern said: 'This is a singer who deserves wider recognition — she is a real credit to jazz in the UK'.

Lee appears at The Wharf on April 27.

Tickets £5.50 in advance, 01822 611166.