Carol Welsman

True to the theme of her new album, Carol Welsman’s travels these past few years have taken her everywhere from a performance in Marian McPartland’s “Friends” evening at Dizzy’s in New York to appearances such as “one of Oscar Peterson’s favorite singers” in the first of a six concert series paying tribute to the legendary pianist in Toronto. In 2011, the singer performed 18 concerts in Japan to a total of over 30,000 fans, mostly at venues holding over 2,000 people. Her gold selling Japanese only release Memories of You featured clarinetist Ken Peplowski and was voted the #1 album of 2009 by Jazz Critics Magazine.

In addition to touring extensively in Japan, Italy, Brazil, the U.S. and Canada over the last decade, Welsman had the honor of performing on “Larry King Live” for the third anniversary commemoration of 9/11 and closed the show with a moving rendition of her song “This Lullaby”—which was later recorded by pop icon Celine Dion (who released it as “Baby Close Your Eyes” on her 2004 Miracle CD). Throughout that year, a camera team followed Carol around the globe to film the career showcasing documentary “The Language of Love,” which aired across Canada on CBC three times; special guests on the project included Casto Neves, Herbie Hancock and Brazilian singer Djavan. In 2010, Welsman received a Bravofact grant to shoot a music video entitled (like her Peggy Lee album) “I Like Men,” in which she interviewed eight men who revealed their secrets about love. In addition to her success in the traditional jazz world, the singer has been a popular force in smooth jazz as well, and has won several Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards (since renamed the WAVE Awards), including Female Vocalist of the Year (2010) and Album of the Year for her self-titled Jimmy Haslip produced album in 2008.

The granddaughter of Frank S. Welsman, founder and first conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Carol Welsman’s passion for jazz led her to Boston's Berklee College of Music in the 80s, where she majored in piano performance. She later traveled to Europe, and studied voice with Christiane Legrand (sister of Michel) and, in Paris, met Romano Musumarra (producer/songwriter for Celine Dion, Pavarotti and Garou). She became the English lyricist for Musumarra’s compositions, including a two#1 hit songs in France and Sweden. Welsman co-wrote the Ray Charles 1995 recording, “Out of my Life” and the 2006 duet “You Are My Miracle” for tenor Vittorio Grigolo and Pussycat Dolls lead singer, Nicole Scherzinger. Welsman’s debut CD Lucky To Be Me received a 1996 Juno Award nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album and led to her being named Best Female Jazz Vocalist of the Year (1996) by Jazz Report Magazine.

“The most rewarding aspects of what has truly been a remarkable and often surprising career have been meeting artists I have long admired, like Michel Legrand, Herbie Hancock, George Benson and Stevie Wonder,” she says. “I think one of the reasons I’ve been successful in my own right is that I make a point of connecting with my audience, evoking emotion through the storytelling in song, and sharing my musical gifts with them simply because I love what I do so much. With every show I perform, I want the audience to feel like they’re sitting in my living room, being part of the latest leg of my musical journey.” Show less