Chris McNulty

Critically acclaimed Australian-American vocalist and composer Chris McNulty returns to the Jazz Lab with a stellar line up of Miro Lauritz – piano, Ben Robertson – bass, Carl Mackey – alto and Lewis Pierre – drums.

McNulty’s warm, soulful sound and liquid phrasing melds seamlessly across a wide range of styles and idioms. One of the unique modern vocal jazz artists of her generation who also composes, McNulty melds technical mastery and emotive delivery with a special gift for storytelling. Her effortless synergy with the musicians she shares the stage with has been captivating audiences worldwide for decades. With vocal influences ranging from Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Nancy King to Carol Sloane, including a generous tip of the hat to Streisand, McNulty also traverses more modern modal approaches to instrumental material from Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner and James Williams along with several penned by McNulty herself. She combines a rich, expressive voice with a deep sense of swing, a natural feel for the blues and an impressive ability to improvise.

After moving to the United States in 1988 McNulty became a fixture on the New York jazz scene for almost three decades before relocating back to Australia in late 2015. Her recordings and performances have garnered 4 and 5 star reviews in publications including DownBeat, Jazz Times, The Irish Times, Jazz Wise, All About Jazz, JazzIz and The Australian. Her album ‘Eternal’ (Palmetto 2015) earned her 11th place on the 80th DownBeat Readers Poll for Album of the Year in 2015. In 2013 Chris was the recipient of the Australian Jazz Bell award for Best Australian Jazz Vocal Album for ‘The Song That Sings You Here.’ She is also the recipient of a 2019 Bundanon Trust composer residency which she completed in Perth, WA. Chris is currently working on a project of all originals which she hopes to record across a number of cities and countries in 2025.

What the critics have to say….

Live Performance reviews:

“McNulty has a refined musical intelligence, deep understanding and mastery of the bebop idiom and complete control of the ballad with an emotional wallop of lived experience. ‘There’s No Such Thing As Love’ was memorable for McNulty’s great ability to tell a story, with perfect diction, engaging tone and expressive range. It was a programme chosen with such care and intelligence – old, new, popular, classic, original, standard, swing, ballad – it was like a degustation of jazz vocal at its most inviting and satisfying.” –– Ian Muldoon, Eric Myers Jazz – December 2023

“A singer of great subtlety, she interprets each lyric in an extremely individual way and with exceptional sensitivity. Without doubt an inspirational jazz singer. Eloquent, expressive and extremely exciting. The subtle variations she applies to each song aptly illustrate her unflinching commitment to jazz. A consummate artist, her unsentimental approach suggests a certain vulnerability and emphasizes an intimacy few singers can match.” –– Mike Pinfold, jazz journalist – UK, Howden Jazz Society

Album Reviews:

“…the singer’s story-telling gift has you hanging on every phrase. She also contributes a brace of songs – the first, the hauntingly beautiful “Letter to Marta”…the second “Long Road Home – The Song That Sings You Here”, features jazz singing of the highest order. McNulty has never sounded more at ease with her mastery.” –– Peter Quinn, March 2013 – Jazz Wise UK

“McNulty has put all she has learned over half a lifetime of jazz singing and songwriting into this exquisite chamber jazz CD. The Australian born, New York City-based singer and a veteran performer on the international jazz scene, has many gifts as a performer and a direct channel to the emotional core of a lyric. On ‘Eternal’, McNulty bares her soul, and one doesn’t dare look away.” — 4 1/2 stars ***** Allen Morrison, Downbeat, June 2015

“Exquisite….McNulty applies poignant jazz chops… while accomplishing the impossible, the expression of her story through song….making listeners rethink the meaning of why we love jazz..” — 5 Stars ***** Blaine Fallis, All About Jazz, July 2015 USA