Salena Jones: Only Love - On Broadway

Salena Jones moved to New York from her home town of Newport News, Virginia (which she shares with the late Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey) and won a talent competition at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, singing "September Song". She turned professional and was immediately booked to sing in the famous Village Vanguard Club in Greenwich Village.

Wanting to see the world and expand her horizons and also concerned at the social unrest in her home country, Salena left America and arrived in London in 1966 after a short stint in Madrid. One of her early London dates was at Ronnie Scott's where her initial booking was extended to seven consecutive weeks!

Since her first visit to Japan in 1978 Salena has built up a huge and loyal following in the land of the rising sun where she returns at least annually, appearing in concert halls, on television, radio and regularly at the three Blue Note Jazz Clubs. Signed to JVC in Japan Salena has recorded over 20 albums for them and is extremely popular in the Far East where she is a household name. To date Salena has recorded over 35 albums.

Salena's musical biography includes many distinguished musicians and band leaders with whom she has performed or recorded - Cab Calloway, King Curtis, Louis Armstrong, Buck Pizzarelli, Count Basie Orchestra, John Lee Hooker, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Maynard Ferguson, Art Farmer, Dudley Moore, Richie Cole, Guy Barker, Brook Benton and many more.

In 1994 Salena made her first appearance at "Pizza on the Park" in London. Other appearances included opening the prestigious Festival at Queens in Belfast and starring at the Eindhoven Jazz Festival in Holland. 1995 saw Salena appearing in Thailand, France, USA and performing 10 concerts with the Concord Fujitsu jazz tour where as the sole vocalist, she was supported by such musicians as Ray Brown, Benny Green and Scott Hamilton.

In early 1996, HMV, celebrating their 75th corporate anniversary, released the album "It Amazes Me" commissioned for the benefit of the Save the Children fund. This album was Salena's first release outside the Far East for 18 years.