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Denise Donatelli
3-time Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Denise Donatelli's recording Whistling in the Dark ... the music of Burt Bacharach is now available everywhere!
About Me
Born and raised in the countryside of Allentown, PA, Denise, trained on classical piano from age four through
her high school years and began her love of jazz at an early age. She grew up listening to all genres of music
but fell in love with jazz and vocalist’s recordings of Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, and Ella
Fitzgerald.
Living in Atlanta in the early 90’s, she began working at Turner Broadcasting and launched her singing career
at the Ritz Carlton Hotel where she appeared regularly with a jazz trio for over five years.
Denise moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and immediately found her place in the tight knit community of well-
respected musicians. In 2005, she released her debut recording In the Company of Friends, produced by pianist
Tom Garvin on the Jazzed Media label. She then teamed with producer/pianist Geoffrey Keezer and their highly
successful Savant Records collaborations earned four GRAMMY nominations: three for Best Jazz Vocal Album
for When Lights Are Low (2010), Soul Shadows (2012) and Find a Heart (2015), and one for Best
Arrangement for the track “Don’t Explain.” In 2012, Denise was chosen Jazz Vocalist of the Year by The Los
Angeles Jazz Society, whose advisors at the time included Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Johnny Mandel.
She has also placed in Downbeat Magazine’s Critics Poll in the categories of Best Female Jazz Vocalist and
Rising Star for five consecutive years. Once described as a “musician’s singer” by the late saxophonist Phil
Woods, her innate musicianship and pure tone have also earned her spots singing for episodes of “The
Simpsons” and TV promos for Frazier, CBS/Paramount and Turner Classic Movies. Denise’s on-camera work
includes national and international commercials for such brands as CNN, Hyundai, Lexus, and Mercedes-Benz.
Denise is associated with the American Heart Association in memory of her son.
