SHE’S an up and coming young singing talent who is causing much excitement in the jazz world.

Tomorrow Zoë Gilby is in Huddersfield to show off the talents which are creating such a buzz, singing in the cellar space at the Lawrence Batley Theatre as part of the latest Huddersfield Jazz gig.

Zoë grew up in the North East in a household bursting with jazz.

Her father Mike Gilby had a successful 40 year career as a jazz trumpet player and arranger and it was apparently not uncommon to see young Zoë at his concerts.

Dad clearly passed on his jazz genes and remains a major influence on Zoë’s work.

She studied drama and dance but then switched to music at Newcastle College realising that singing was where her heart lay.

She started her professional career as lead vocalist in a social club band and toured the north east for 18 months. But Zoë says it was a birthday present, a weekend at a Fionna Duncan vocal jazz workshop in Glasgow that made the difference.

“Fionna and the other tutors gave me the key to the door that I wanted to open,” she said.

From then on, Zoë embarked on a journey with jazz. She took her inspiration from the greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae.

Thanks to family friend trombone player Mike Carton, Zoë was booked to be a featured vocalist with a six piece band in the 2006 Cork Jazz Festival.

As well as performing twice a day at the festival Zoë sat in with Northern Irish saxophonist legend Gay McIntyre and his quartet.

After hearing her sing just one song, she was invited to be the vocalist with his quartet at a festival the following year.

Meetings with other top-line musicians continue to help inspire and shape her work.

Tomorrow will lead a quintet of musicians at the LBT in her own interpretations from the great American Songbook.

Saturday’s line-up includes Mark Williams on guitar, Noel Dennis on trumpet, Andy Champion on double bass and Richard Brown on drums.

The music starts at 8pm and tickets are available on 01484 430528.

The next jazz date for your diary is the arrival of the Matt Wates Sextet, another Huddersfield Jazz gig, which is scheduled for December 4.

This is swinging modern British jazz from an ensemble led by a fine alto sax player.