New York, NY (Top40 Charts) When West End star Emma Hatton released her debut EP alongside friend and collaborator Anthony Strong, little did she expect it to zoom straight to the top of the iTunes jazz charts. Known to theatre audiences across the globe as Elphaba from Wicked, Eva Peron from Evita and Scaramouche from We Will Rock You, Hatton's vocals were already celebrated in the theatre world but were suddenly reaching a whole new audience. It was clear she was hitting the right chords and Hatton started hatching ideas for her second album.
Independently released, and entitled Thirty Three and a Third, the long-awaited follow-up EP will drop on 11 th October - fittingly what would have been her granddad and
Gloucestershire cornet and trumpet player Bill Hatton's 100th birthday. The EP is dedicated to him and features a special appearance from British Jazz Award-winning trumpet player Freddie Gavita.
Hatton said: 'It was an incredibly special moment when Freddie started playing in the studio. I carry my granddad with me in everything I do and I know he would love this record.' She added: 'I absolutely love Musical Theatre but it is no secret that jazz and blues are also a huge part of my life. The wonderful thing about my work is that I get to realise my passion for music in so many forms. If I can encourage my theatre fans to give 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.'
In terms of the inspiration for the title, Hatton said it was an obvious choice. 'I was keen to release a vinyl record' she said. 'We started recording it four months after I turned 33...the coincidence of the playing speed of 33 1/3 RPM was too great and Thirty Three and a Third was born.'
To cater for the modern market, the EP will also be released on all digital platforms - iTunes, Spotify, Amazon music - while those hungry to hold a record in their hands can pre-order the vinyl on Hatton's website - www.emmahatton.com Now Hatton is 35 and a third, why has the EP taken so long to reach our ears? The actress and singer has not been idle, starring as Eva Peron in the West End and touring production of the world-famous Evita by Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Sir Tim Rice. Alongside this she has
toured internationally with Post
Modern Jukebox, fronted concerts all over the world and performed her own sell-out shows at the Hippodrome and Zedel's whilst also guesting with Strong, Joe Stilgoe and many more. It's no wonder then, that her schedule allowed little time to complete what was started last summer.
Hatton said: 'This EP has been a long time in the making and I am so thrilled to finally share it with you.' She added 'The music industry can be a tough nut to crack... by self-releasing I have complete creative control which is so liberating, but it takes a lot longer as you have to fund everything yourself and deal with all aspects of a release... copyright, marketing, production etc. hence the wait!!'
We all know, however, that therein lie the best things, and eagerly anticipate the release in a fortnight. Hatton is remaining tight-lipped about the four tracks included, though she does let slip that one will be 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.
So what's next for Emma Hatton? A busy end to 2018 - she's about to star in her next West End musical - The Distance You have Come - and will then return to Post
Modern Jukebox followed by appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Raymond Gubbay. Add to this planning her third album no doubt - still, there's a bit of time to go before she's 45!
