The American singer Gretchen Parlato was one of the big discoveries at the 2010 North Sea Jazz Festival. Parlato had to improvise because her luggage had been lost at the airport. Nonetheless, she gave an impressive performance that was rewarded with an intense standing ovation. Since then, her name has become very well known and she is regarded as one of the major new singers on the jazz circuit. Her album The Lost And Found was released last year and according to American jazz critics, it belongs on the list of the best jazz albums of 2011. On this highly acclaimed album, Parlato sings songs she composed herself as well as interpretations of numbers by Wayne Shorter, Lauryn Hill and Simply Red. Shorter calls her "unique" and is a fan, as is Jamie Cullum. Herbie Hancock has praised her intense, magical connection to music. The singer herself is the daughter of Frank Zappa's bassist David Parlato and she constantly emphasizes that she is no purist but rather a jazz singer who is also influenced by Brazilian and African music.
