COLEFORD’S West End star Emma Hatton has dedicated her eagerly-awaited new jazz EP to her inspirational ‘grampy’ - releasing it on the very date that would have marked his 100th birthday.

Emma’s critcally-acclaimed debut EP with friend and collaborator Anthony Strong went straight to the top of the iTunes Jazz and Blues chart.

The follow-up, Thirty Three and a Third, comes out tomorrow and is dedicated to her late grand-dad Bill Hatton, former President of Yorkley Onward brass band (latterly Forest Brass). It features a special appearance from British Jazz Award-winning trumpet player Freddie Gavita.

“I carry my grampy with me in everything I do and I know he would love this record,” she said.

Emma’s vocals are well-known to theatre audiences across the globe from her roles as Elphaba from Wicked, Eva Peron from Evita and Scaramouche from We Will Rock You.

Her debut EP, however, brought her a whole new audience through a string of sold-out solo shows.

Emma was influenced and inspired by legends of song like Eva Cassidy, Sarah Vaughan, Etta James, Carole King and Fleetwood Mac, which  have left her as comfortable singing blues as she is soul, jazz and country.

“I absolutely love musical theatre but it is no secret that jazz and blues are also a huge part of my life.

“If I can encourage my theatre fans to give jazz and blues a listen, or those who know me from the jazz world to come and see a musical then it’s a win win situation.”

Emma says the choice of title for her latest EP was a no-brainer.

“I was keen to release a vinyl record. We started recording it four months after I turned 33…the coincidence of the playing speed of 33RPM was too great and Thirty Three and a Third was born.”

Emma has been tight-lipped about the four tracks included, except that one is a duet between herself and Strong of a track made famous by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett, in honour of Jackson’s 60th birthday year.

Between the release of this and her debut EP, Emma has starred as Eva Peron in the West End and touring production of Evita, toured internationally with Post Modern Jukebox, fronted concerts all over the world and performed her own sell-out shows across London whilst also guesting with Strong, Joe Stilgoe, Kerry Ellis and many more.

And it will be a busy end to 2018 as she’s about to star in her next West End musical – The Distance You have Come - before returning to Post Modern Jukebox and also making an appearance with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

As well as on vinyl, the new EP will be released on all digital platforms – iTunes, Spotify, Amazon music.