press/reviews

The Mail On Sunday: february 20, 2005

**** by Keith Shadwick (those are four stars that I got out of him....)
"There Ain't Nothing Like A Dane."

The valentines day weekend was a good time for checking out jazz singers. For a start, audiences are looking for something a little special in their lives. Second Artists are very happy to sing about love. At the Blue Jay Lounge in Londons Shepherds Bush, young Krestine Havemann, a tall and beautiful blond with a natural gracefulness on stage that suggested she was in this for the long haul, made her debut with pianist Dave Frankel's quartet. Born to danish parents but having spent half her youth in Ireland, Havemann spoke with a beguiling lilt that brought smiles to the Blue Jay's patrons within seconds. 'It is a very special night for me,' she confessed, and already the crowd was wishing her well. Her repertoire was classic American popular songs and sophisticated blues. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered came early in the first set, as did more slyly humorous numbers such as Teach Me Tonight and Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You. Her jazz credentials were emphasized by the fact that she was fronting a loose-limbed quartet happy to take excursive solos-and the audience, at ease in a large nightclub with a relaxed atmosphere, responded enthusiastically.

It was refreshing that Havemann possessed the surprisingly rare knack of communicating with them. She was also someone with a sincere love and knowledge of the music she was singing, drawing attention to Chet Baker's association with the song How Deep Is The Ocean and paying a similar tribute to Billie Holiday on Them There Eyes.

Holiday and Baker, both no longer with us, are fixed supernova in popular music. Perhaps Krestine Havemann will make that long journey too. It will be interesting to watch her next steps.

Frederiksborg Amts Avis: (DK) february 24, 2006

"Seductive Voice From London At JFK"

Saturday jazz at John F Kennedy is this weekend presenting a singer with an exciting past, both as a jazz singer and as a press photographer in London where she has spent the past 7 years. But, Krestine Havemann, because that is who it is, is as danish as they come and from Hilleroed, where she years back started performing jazz with her father, the artist Claus Havemann, and where she both played the violin and sang. At JFK tomorrow Krestine vil however just be singing and with her she brings a very exquisite band, which consists of Torben Kjaer on Piano, Niels "Flipper" Stuart on Tenor Sax, Mikkel Find on Drums and Ole Rasmussen on Bass.

Jazz Special: (DKs Jazz Magazine) Feb/Mar 2007

By Thorbjoern Sjoegren

"....Not just on the back of the previous reviews, but certainly also for her own qualities, Krestine Havemanns debut-cd is a completely different pleasure. She neither sounds nor looks to be a very young girl. First and foremost she is capable of resting with ease in the pulse of the music and phrases with a combination of relaxation and natural assurance. Her treatment of the english language is apart from that spotless ( that is with regards to danish vocalists not as obvious as one might think) and the repertoire is exquisite, even if only three of the twelve standard dominated pieces can be called lesser known. However not only these three possess a quality which makes this cd more than just easy listening. Leslie Bricusse's, If I Ruled The World, Gershwin's Loads Of Love ( sung with a fascinating mixture of experience and innocent sweetness) and finally the fine Irish songwriter Luke Blooms very beautiful title track. I would think that Krestine Havemann is familiar with ( or at least has heard ) Dianna Krall, Stacey Kent, the young Nancy Wilson and perhaps Karryn Allyson, but her own natural musicality is so pronounced that she is more than just "promising" and we can look forward to hearing more from her. And the excellent accompaniment does not exactly let her down either. With among others Torben Kjaer and David Frankel each playing piano on six different tracks, both very tuned in to the music, and the to me completely unknown Dave Lewis with short but prominent additions on tenor sax.