Jenny Ewington

"I have been involved in making music and performing all my life.  Involved in choirs and amateur shows from an early age, I developed a passion for singing and vocal harmony.  Growing up in a family where both jazz and classical music formed the soundtrack to my childhood, unusually, I have managed to work successfully as a singer in both the classical and jazz sectors.

Born from my love of close harmony singing, I formed the Hummingbirds in 2000 and continue to write the majority of our arrangements.  We now have a repertoire of around 80 songs, mainly dating back to the 1930s and 40s, supplemented by an extensive repertoire of jazz vocal solos from 20s-50s.

Cathy Edkins 

I am a busy singing teacher with a thriving practice, both privately and in schools.  Initially an oboist she moved to teaching piano and singing following a short career in personnel in the City and the birth of her two sons.  At that time I obtained my LTCL and an open university degree but wonders now where I found the time!  I now runs two choirs and I am the musical director for a local society.  I love to sing with the Hummingbirds – where else do you get to spend time doing what you love with your best friends?!

Jill Luff

I am very happy to doing the two things I love most, teaching yoga and singing. Singing has always been part of my life right from Junior School.  

I have sung with The London Philharmonic Choir, and I currently sing with small ensemble groups and with The Cappella Singers of Upminster where I am able to perform solos from a classical repertoire.

In 1999 I moved into the world of jazz with my two friends and I am now a member of ‘The Hummingbirds’, a professional and very successful close harmony trio, specialising in the Jazz & Swing era.  

The Hummingbirds keeps me very busy and recently I have also been singing with a guitarist in the duo ‘Jazz Two’, and currently developing work with ‘Sound as Healing’, a Wholistic Therapy to complement my Yoga Teaching.

Mike Ewington 

''I took classical piano lessons as a teenager but had a strong urge to play jazz. I found a couple of teachers who taught me the rudiments of jazz piano and later an opportunity occurred to form my own group, consisting of piano, alto sax, trumpet and drums. This was augmented to occasionally include tenor sax and vibes, or double bass. We played a lot of local gigs around the Ilford area. National Service intervened and the group broke up and never re-formed.

My career was in advertising and joining the staff of a national newspaper precluded me from regular gigs because of the demands of working at weekends and Bank holidays. I did nothing commercially musical for 35 years until daughter Jenny asked me to play for her Hummingbirds. I really enjoy their kind of music from the 'thirties and 'forties and have been playing for them for around eight years".

Ted Simkins

For most of my life I've earned my living as a musician playing and writing music for big bands and small groups including recording sessions, TV and BBC work.   For many years I did work for Forces Entertainment which entailed travelling and performing for troops in Northern Ireland  and as far afield as the jungles of Belize in Central America !    I also worked with bands on P&O cruise liners for 18 years.    I am at present busy performing with various talented musicians and groups in Essex .   Someone has described me as a veteran bass player - which just about sums me up!