South African singer Esther Miller has received rave reviews for her CDs and live performances.

She has honed her technique with classical singing lessons and delved into jazz history to take inspiration from Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Shirley Horn and Blossom Dearie as well as the jazz/pop of Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

In South Africa she has worked with some excellent players, including saxophonists Winston Mankunku and Ezra Ngkukana, bassist Basil Moses and guitarists Johnny Fourie and Errol and Alvin Dyers.

Last year she sang at jazz festivals in Cape Town (with trumpeter Jeremy Pelt), the Isle of Wight (Jazz Divas) and Cheltenham (with her quintet).

Promoter Mike Gordon says: "She is a jazz singer of the classic school, with an outstanding technique, sensitive interpretation and an eclectic repertoire of ballads and modern standards."

"Voice, style and presence – she has it all," said Humphrey Lyttelton, summing Esther up as "a great talent".

Esther's band includes Karen Sharp, who played sax in Lyttelton's band, which performed at the Spa last August.

Since moving to London in 1999, Karen has become a busy and much in-demand freelance musician, working alongside Jim Mullen, Roy Williams, Clare Teal, Alan Barnes, Paul Lacey and Ellyn Rucker.

Tenor, soprano and baritone saxophonist Stuart MacDonald has a compelling stage presence and mixes swinging, frenetic, funky bop and lyrical jazz standards.

Mike says he is a major figure on the regional jazz scene and a Scarborough Jazz favourite, either with the Heavy Horns or the Bourbon Tequila Salsa Jazz Band, or backed by the resident trio, as he will be next week.

"Stuart regularly plays with the bands of Pat McCarthy and Ben Crosland and has supported some star names in jazz such as Peter King, Gerard Presencer, Jean Toussant, Tommy Smith and Carla Bley," says Mike.

His influences include Earl Bostic, Stan Getz and Louis Jordan.