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Elizabeth Tomboulian

Singer of jazz, Brazilian and Uruguayan music, vocal improv facilitator

About Me

With experience as a solo artist and band leader since the Texas Bar days of the 70s, I enjoy recording, arranging, teaching, and facilitating improvisation in the style of Rhiannon and Bobby McFerrin, two of my teachers. My career has taken me to New Orleans, Nashville, San Francisco, Boulder, Denton, Houston, Wisconsin, Montevideo, Japan, and now I'm digging the scene in NYC.

I love project work designing CD covers, books, and other publications, having 20 years experience with Adobe software.

Teaching is becoming more rewarding as I'm now enjoying planting seeds, nurturing them, then detaching from outcomes, which is great when students have a wide range of personal investment in study.

My Jazz Story

I love jazz because it offers the opportunity to hear, sing, and play music composed spontaneously, using music and humor as universal languages. It knows no borders. It promotes unity and peace. I was first exposed to jazz when I was visiting my older brother, Nick, and came across Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. I met Richie Cole opening for his quartet at the Blue Note in Boulder. He and I performed "Billies Blues" as his encore, trading 4s. Great fun! The best show I ever attended was Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass. The first jazz record I bought was Thelonious Monk. The beautiful thing about jazz is there is no destination of complete and total understanding. There is, however, a never-ending depth of discovery ready and waiting when you have time to explore.