Jacqueline Kroft – Biography

 

 Jacqueline Kroft

I was born in Liverpool, England. My family moved to Malaysia when I was two and then after shopping back in England a couple of years later, went to Canada. My mother was a dressmaker, had a great voice, studied opera and sang Gershwin and Puccini in the kitchen, my father was and still is an inventor.

At the age of ten I started playing the piano and was interested in the arts in general. After high school, I attended an experimental art school for two years on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, now called Victoria Art College. Here I studied drawing, painting, sculpture, dance, literature, photography and a general overview of the creative self.

In the summer of my first year of College I did a study on the Orcinus Ocra (Killer Whale) with a group of young explorers, (Erich Hoyt, Bruce Bott and Jim Muffin O’donnell). We sailed up the west coast of Canada to the Queen Charlotte Straights and in Kayaks and canoes photographed, filmed and recorded a pod of Orcinius. Our main objective was communication through sound with synths and hydraphones.

After completing my art course, I returned to Toronto to be with my family and opened up my painting studio in an old warehouse at the bottom of King and Jarvis. I also started helping some friends of mine (the Cole family) in their jazz club Basin Street, to raise money for paints and basic survival. It was here that I met jazz musicians like Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Gerry Mulligan and Chest Baker. Listening to them every night and getting to know them had a strong impact on me.

Co-incidentally during this time, my mother gave me the piano I had played as a child (I had studied classical music with Mr. John Cester, a Polish Concert Pianist at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and studied piano and voice. Also studying improvisational jazz with Bobby Fenton and Fred Stone (Freddy Hubbard Band).

I got my first job as a pianist at the Flamingo Comedy Cabaret. Soon after this I was fully booked in clubs in Toronto. An agent from Germany booked me in Frankfurt which began a long tour of Europe. I stayed in Europe for eight years recording demos and co-writing with different artists for Sony and Warner Bros and performing extensively throughout the Continent.

I decided to move to London out of curiosity and adventure but mostly because my first album “Mermaids live inside” Great musicians rallied around to record with me like Andy Partridge from XTC, Mo Foster from Jeff Beck Band, Vic Coppersmith Heaven who produced The Jam and Neville Farmer. Geoffrey Burgon did a string arrangement for Sidcup Girl. Mermaids can be bought on my website www.jaquelinekroft.com and appointed record shops. I married Geoffrey Burgon and had our son, Danielle Milo. 

My second album ” pianowife ” was released in the summer of 2005.  Pianowife, the theme song from this album is being used as the title music for an interview TV series in Canada called ” In the Mind of ” transmitting now on Biography Channel 140. Some of the songs from Pianowife are in electronica and are being used on television series ” Riders and Rich Kids ” ITV1, and ” the race ” ITV2. (available on Collection of Tronic) I have written the lyrics to the theme music for the Fortsyte Saga ” Irene’s Song ” of which the Welsh opera star, Bryn Terfel has sung and ” Junes Song ” sung by Sisel. This recording was released by Decca Records in England. Fortsyte Saga won a Bafta.

And from all that to this…

www.redheart.net  
Redheart is a small Gloucestershire based knitting company that started in 2000. We have mostly hand-knitters and a handful of hand-loomists. One of our knitters, Christine, has been a champion knitter since the second world war. Some of the stitches used in these sweaters have long been lost and it is our delight to re-introduce them. Their design is different and not to be found elsewhere! We exhibit in the extra-ordinary gallery: egg, 36 Kinnerton Street, London, SW1X 8ES t.020 7235 9315 f.020 7235 0469. Some of Egg’s clients, Giorgio Armani, Donna Karan and Issey Miyake.
We choose the best wool’s we can find and enjoy working with English and Scottish Wool but use many exquisite wool’s from Italy also. We are just beginning to weave in Linen. 

The hand-knitted sweaters take three to five weeks to knit so it is a long process. Because of their quality these sweaters will very likely be worn by your children’s, children. We work hard not only on the quality but take pleasure to ensure that the design is striking and unusual.
We hope that you enjoy being kept warm in the unique individual style of our wool garments.