Valerie Monroe

“It was always in my heart to do something on my own,” shares Valerie Monroe, a ravishing jazz singer based in Southern California. Formerly known as Valerie Geason, Monroe has established an impressive musical legacy over the past decades. A relative of the illustrious Clayton jazz family—bassist John, the late saxophonist and flutist Jeff, pianist Gerald—Monroe was inspired early on by Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Nancy Wilson, and Nina Simone. She got her first big break as a Raelette—a backing singer in 1990-91 for The Genius himself, Ray Charles. The alto-contralto also kept her creative fires burning on the theater stage (Ain’t Misbehavin’, Chicago) and the NBA stage, singing the national anthem at numerous Lakers, Clippers and Spurs games. In 2018, she made inspired appearances on Cousin Jeff Clayton’s 2018’s Listen Through the Looking Glass. Saxophonist Rickey Woodard, pianist Josh Nelson and Gerald Clayton, trombonist Ivan Malespin, trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, drummer Lewis Nash, and on bass, John Clayton himself are Monroe’s resplendent band. The resultant offering is the aptly titled Simply Me coming out this spring, 2025. John Clayton encouraged Monroe to pick standards, for familiarity’s sake: Monroe took it a step further, and selected an original in the title track. Monroe says. “I’m a seasoned baby boomer, and it’s never too late to do what you want to do. This is me being simply me: sharing my music and hopefully bringing joy to others.”