Laura Bernay

Laura Bernay crosses genres for a living: jazz, cabaret, world music and classical. Born in America to French Canadian parents, with a French husband, she has a real claim on French melodie, and the training sits behind it: French studies at the Alliance Francaise and at UWA, plus years coaching the language for West Australian Opera. She sings it fluently and with genuine charm. The show moves from Edith Piaf to Cole Porter, looking at Paris through the ears of American composers and Parisian singers such as Piaf, Charles Trenet and Dalida, with songs by Porter, Poulenc, Gershwin and Rodgers and Hart along the way. Laura is backed by the Mike Nelson Quartet: Mike Nelson on piano, Murray Wilkins on bass, Matt Styles on reeds and Chris Tarr on drums.