When Clare Teal comes to the city it won't be the first time her velvet-lined voice has echoed around Huntingdon Hall.

It won't be the last either.

The jazz singer, who actually lived in Malvern for a while after leaving university, gushed when she talked about performing there.

"It's got great acoustics," she said.

"With the new record coming out the band has changed, I've got three backing singers and it's the perfect venue for vocals."

Clare's eagerly awaited album Paradisi Carousel was released on Monday. Produced by Chris Hughes (Tears for Fears, Enya, Paul McCartney), it is packed with succulent tunes.

"It took me a long time to complete," said Clare. "My first record, I think, took me two days and most jazz records are made very quickly.

"I didn't intend for it to take me a year but it did. I wanted to take stock, have a think, consider the direction I was going in."

While still honouring her jazz background, Clare loves to cover those sunny 1960s American songs.

"Like the Beach Boys, Dusty Springfield, The Carpenters," she said.

"When you choose a song, it is very easy to choose one because other people are singing it. You might want to cover My Way, but how could you ever better the greatest singer?"

As well as inspired cover versions, including a divine rendition of The Four Tops' Reach Out, Paradisi Carousel features three tracks penned by Clare, proving she is much more than just a great vocalist.

As well as topping the British jazz charts and cracking the UK Top 20, Clare has won several prestigious awards, including British Jazz Vocalist Of The Year and BBC Jazz Vocalist Of The Year. She is performing at Huntingdon Hall on Saturday, June 9. For tickets, priced £18.50, call Worcesrter Live box office on 01905 611427.