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Jacqueline Tabor

About Me

My Jazz Story

True to her sobriquet, Jacqueline Tabor, the Seattle Chanteuse, is premier jazz and blues-infused vocalist of the Pacific Northwest who won the Earshot Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 2012, 2018, and 2019. The Tabor sound is deeply human and contains the perfect amount of sustained vibrato, touched by the emotions contained in the lyrics. The Seattle Chanteuse has released three albums, with her third, The Lady in the Gown comprising 15 jazz tunes, including her original title track, which was nominated for Earshot Jazz Album of the Year in 2018. Recently, she created and performed a powerful tribute concert to Billie Holiday with the legendary Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. Tabor first studied jazz in high school under pianist Jack Halm before continuing her education in the blues at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Later, she worked with the accomplished Cornish College vocalist, Andrienne Wilson, and followed that with performances in Kobe, Japan upon winning the Seattle-Kobe Sister City Association Female Jazz Vocalist Award. In 2011, she released her debut LP, What a Wonderful World, which helped Tabor earn the prestigious Earshot Jazz Award for Northwest Vocalist of the Year in 2012. Tabor released her second album in 2014, The Jazz in You, which was recorded live by KNKX’s (formerly KPLU’s) Jim Wilke at the Seattle Jazz Vespers. This project received national acclaim and exposure to airways. It later went on to be showcased in a coveted KNKX in-studio session in 2016, now available on YouTube/NPR. This experience inspired her next step, which quickly turned into the evolution of her career. In 2018, Tabor’s third album, The Lady in the Gown, was released. This project has 15[SM2] jazz tunes including the original title track that incorporates the fresh sound and new vibe from her collaboration with the wonderful 200 Trio. Max Holmberg on drums is an inspiration to rhythm and brings coolness and savvy more seasoned musicians yearn to obtain. Greg Feingold is a bass playing purist, meaning one who can play without electronic amplification. The strength of his strumming is simultaneously tremendous and subtle. Cole Schuster is a beautiful guitarist who keeps a very “cool customer” look on his face while playing monster licks that move your heart and make your mind think. These men have really created a space for Tabor to broaden her song list with great support and respect. Following the album release, Tabor went on to accept an Earshot Jazz Award for the second time, receiving the 2018 Vocalist of the Year honor, while also being nominated in the Album of the Year category for The Lady in the Gown. In 2019, Tabor was the featured artist for the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra as they sold out two performances at Benaroya Hall in Seattle and Kirkland Performance Center. In fine form, Tabor received multiple standing ovations in tribute and celebration of the great musicians who collaborated with her was simply phenomenal! In Tabor’s own words, “I wanted to honor Billie Holiday as a survivor and not a victim. Holiday surpassed so many cruelties and had the intelligence to find her voice through songs.” “Jacqueline Tabor is a joy to work with. Her authentic and heartfelt interpretations of classic jazz pieces and new pieces alike, bring outstanding energy and depth to the stage. Every one of her outings with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra has been a musical triumph, and we look forward to sharing the stage again with her for many years to come.” - Michael Brockman Co-Director of SRJO In March 2020, Tabor had the honor of being part of The Quarantine Sessions (TQS). TQS is the brainchild of Marina Albero, the multifaced, an exceptionally talented pianist. This project was womxn-led and received national acclaim from Los Angeles to New York City. In October 2020 this project now has a home and a creative residency at Block 41 and the support of Teatro Zin Zanni. The Four Women Residency includes Marina Albero, Adriana Giordano, Chava Mirel, and Jacqueline Tabor. Please stay tuned for what the future holds for this empowered songstress, the Seattle Chanteuse, as she embarks on a new and ongoing project with the notable Marina Albero, soon to be revealed. Jacqueline Tabor & Marina Albero present: “Don’t Explain” - A dialogue between Eleanor and Eunice “Don’t Explain” is a theatrical work in progress that presents the powerful story through song and dialogue between Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. Audience favorites Tabor and Albero create a space of intimate connection between Billie’s standard of God Bless the Child in 1939 and Nina’s composition of Four Women in 1966. Today, their voices are echoing stronger than ever as our society faces its own current turning point.