Anne Burnell

Member Since: 2015 | Location: Chicago | Page Views: 1,280

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About Me

Chicago vocalist

Anne Burnell is a vocalist and songwriter whose work has been presented at jazz clubs, concert halls, and festivals including the Sarasota Jazz Festival, Taste of Chicago, Plymouth Arts Wine & Jazz Festival, and the Food & Music Festival in Panama. Her solo recordings include Blues in the Night, a Harold Arlen tribute arranged by Count Basie Band veteran Bob Ojeda, and Summer Days & Dreamy Nights, produced and arranged by Henry Johnson, featuring original songs that earned her a Billboard Magazine Certificate of Achievement in Songwriting. Anne served as President of Chicago Cabaret Professionals (2019–2023) and received the organization’s Excellence in Cabaret Service Award. She is also a recipient of a Chicago DCASE Individual Artist Grant. Anne Burnell tours with her husband and pianist Mark Burnell, they are an award winning Chicago-based jazz duo blending the Great American Songbook, jazz standards, vintage pop, and original music. Mark Burnell is a pianist, vocalist and educator. Mark taught jazz at Northwestern University and Roosevelt University, trained vocalists for ten years at Carnegie Mellon University, where he earned his BFA and MFA, and directed the CMU Jazz Choir. He has worked with Dave Frishberg, Richie Cole, Louie Bellson, Connie Francis, Ward Swingle, and has toured internationally throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and Central America. He is one of Chicago’s most in-demand pianists and music directors and leads a weekly jazz trio at Tortoise Supper Club. Together, Anne and Mark Burnell tour nationally and internationally, presenting Chicago-rooted jazz and cabaret on stages in New York, Paris, Amsterdam, Panama, and beyond..They are Illinois ArtsTour, and City of Chicago Band Roster artists, and 2024 Gold Coast Award winners.

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My Jazz Story

I love jazz because... I was first exposed to jazz... I met [musician name]... The best show I ever attended was... The first jazz record I bought was... My advice to new listeners... Or whatever else you have in mind.

My House Concert Story

We live streamed throughout the pandemic weekly on Thursday nights. Learning how to do this, and collaborating with video, streaming and tech people was amazing, very exciting, sometimes in a panicked sort of way. What happened was the followers got to connect with us weekly, ask for requests, and connect with each other. It was helpful for us to write a set, learn tunes, and prepare a show each week. Many of our fans said it helped them through, and they knew what day of the week it was. When things opened up, we had some close friends over for a small house concert and drinks. These intimate sessions with just piano, vocals, and percussion instruments became really nice acoustic experiences.