New York native Stacey Kent was first destined to a career in language, with a degree in comparative literature. After a chance meeting with saxophonist and future husband Jim Tomlinson in Oxford, Kent became enthralled in the world of jazz and enrolled in the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 1991. A series of performances in London's jazz circuit led to an appearance in Ian McKellen's Richard III (1995), and the debut album Close Your Eyes (1997). A series of acclaimed albums have seen the light of day since, including Let Yourself Go: Celebrating Fred Astaire (2000), Breakfast on the Morning Tram (2007) and Raconte-moi (2010), a collection of French standards and original compositions written exclusively for Kent, by Émilie Saat, Camille d'Avril and more.