REVIEW: Thirty Three and a Third (Emma Hatton)

Thirty Three and a Third is the debut EP from West End Star, Emma Hatton. The musical theatre performer known for iconic roles such as Elphaba and Scaramouche has fantastically demonstrated the versatility of her talent with four jazz and blues songs. Hatton has collaborated with jazz singer, Anthony Strong and British Jazz Award-winning trumpet player, Freddie Gavita, to break into the music industry.

The performer first started recording her EP four months after turning 33 and it coincidentally happened to have a playing speed of 33 1/3 RPM, cleverly creating the name Thirty Three and a Third. Now 35 and a third, Hatton has since been busy starring as Eva Peron in Lloyd-Webber’s Evita both in the West End and the national tour. Despite a long wait, the EP shot straight to the top of the iTunes jazz charts and it is unsurprising after hearing the catchy tracks.

‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You’ is a brilliant duet between Hatton and Strong that features as the third track on the EP. The cover of the song made famous by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett is released in honour of Jackson’s 60th birthday year and almost has a Christmassy-romantic feel. All four songs make for an easy-listen, perfect for a relaxed Sunday in the winter months, although they do have some comforting similarity to something you may hear in a hotel lobby or dining hall.

Not being a jazz-expert myself, a personal favourite of mine is the final track, ‘No More Blues’, which I have been listening to on a loop. The catchy song has a really fun feel to it, capturing the theatre star’s rich voice whilst featuring some great piano instrumentals which I can’t help but bounce along to. Fans of the 2010 Disney movie The Princess and the Frog will especially love this song, which seems like it would fit right in with the jazzy film.

Thirty Three and a Third is an exciting self-release from Hatton which she said was a ‘liberating’ experience in having complete creative control of her music. It is now available on all digital platforms and a vinyl copy is available to pre-order on Hatton’s site; www.emmahatton.com.

You don’t have to be either a musical theatre fan or a jazz fan to appreciate the brilliance of Emma’s talent in this album and it’s a perfect listen to get into a festive and fun spirit in the run up to Christmas!

Reviewed by Jess Battison

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