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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.

My Jazz Story

Music has accompanied me through the darkest of moments and the taken me to the highest points of my life. I was first exposed to jazz by my parents and sister. I began taking piano lessons at the age of three and studied classical piano for 15 years even though my true passion has always been jazz and rhythm and blues. Unfortunately, most of my jazz idols have passed away. I was fortunate to meet and become friends with Neil Hefti after a move from the east coast to Los Angeles. I've been lucky to see so many of my contemporary artists' performances and have never been disappointed! The first jazz record I recall was bought by my older sister... it was Ella Fitzgerald's "Let No Man Write My Epitaph" My advice to new listeners is don't get stuck in just one bag... listen and be open to all types of music.