Kristin Berardi and James Sherlock

Kristin Berardi and James Sherlock have been making music together since 2004, this year releasing their third album “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out”.
Their second duo album, "If You Were There" received the National Jazz
Bell Award for The Best Jazz Vocal Album of 2010.

Their unique and honest collaboration makes them sought after both in Australia and overseas. The duo have performed at the Sapporo City Jazz Festival, Java Jazz Festival, Teatro General San Martin in Buenos Aires and all of the main festivals and clubs in Australia. The duo supported Al Jarreau and George Benson at the prestigious
Montreux Jazz Festival in 2007, and completed a successful European tour in
Switzerland and Germany that year.

Kristin was the winner of the 2013 National Jazz Award, the 2006 Montreux Shure International Jazz Award, the 2012 Bell award for best vocal album with The Mothership Orchestra and the 2007 Freedman Fellowship.
James was the winner of the Ike Isaacs International Jazz Guitar Award and works with a variety of Australia's finest musicians as well as many visiting artists including New Orleans trumpeter Leroy Jones, New York jazz vocalists Sheila Jordan, Chris McNulty and Cyrille Aimee and master drummers Jeff ‘Tain’ Watts and Jon Riley.


“A singer, accompanied by a guitarist. It’s an honest and challenging format, where both musicians need strong technique, complete trust in each other, and an unfailing instinct for where the beat would be if they had rhythm section with them.

Happily, vocalist Kristin Berardi and guitarist James Sherlock share these qualities, and more. They have been performing on and off as a duo since 2004 (this is their third duo album), so they know what they are doing, and how to best complement each other’s work.

Berardi has won jazz vocal competitions here and in Europe, and I suspect that their wins have been based not only on technical proficiency, but more so on the emotional sincerity of her vocal interpretations, and her ability to ensure that, when she takes liberties with a song, it isn’t at the expense of the lyric.

There is no better example than the opening track here, ‘Change Partners’. It’s usually played at a bright tempo, but she slows it right down, to create a performance full of frustrated yearning. Sherlock is with her at every turn, and when he takes a turn soloing, is no less absorbing a storyteller.”

Adrian Jackson, Rhythms Magazine, Jan/Feb 2015

“If you have not heard Kristin Berardi sing, rush to do so. She is probably the finest jazz singer Australia has produced, and given the world-wide scarcity of the genuine article-as opposed to singers who just work with jazz musicians-we may well lose her to an international career.”

John Shand, June 20 2007, Sydney Morning Herald.

“Sherlock is a wonderful guitarist, and a craftsman of songs possessing beauty and depth. Solo should make a few Top 10s of the year and help propel Sherlock onto the bigger stage he surely deserves. Definitely a name to watch out for.”

Ian Patterson, August 11, 2010, All About Jazz.