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Dominique Eade

Poetic and passionate, American vocalist, composer and improviser Dominique Eade blends musical virtuosity with a songwriter’s straightforward emotional sensibility, creating music that has garnered critical acclaim, inspired audiences, and served as a creative signpost for generations of singers. The New York Times called Eade “an exceptional singer” with a “wide vocal range and a grasp on the intricacies of style,” one “who weighs a chanteuse’s coolness against a jazz musician’s exploratory instincts.” The Atlantic Monthly recognized Eade for her “rich voice and effortless delivery” while the Boston Phoenix called her music “sublime and daring.” Eade’s performances throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe include the Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, the Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival, Mountain Stage, the Rigas Ritmi Jazz Festival, the Panama Jazz Festival, the Molde International Jazz Festival, and the What is Jazz Festival, and clubs such as Los Angeles’ The Jazz Bakery, New York’s The Blue Note, The Five Spot and The Jazz Standard, D.C.’s Jazz Alley and Boston’s RegattaBar. Eade was signed to RCA Victor in 1998, recording with jazz luminaries Dave Holland, Victor Lewis and Benny Golson.

Deemed “a fearless collaborator” by pianist Fred Hersch, Eade’s musical associations have ranged from Alan Dawson and Stanley Cowell to MacArthur grant recipients Ran Blake and Anthony Braxton. In 2017, NPR Critic Nate Chinen listed Blake and Eade’s performance of music from their critically acclaimed Town andCountry (Sunnyside) at New York’s Park Avenue Armory as one of the Top Ten Jazz Performances of the year. Eade has recorded and co-produced 7 CD’s under her name, landing her on top ten lists at Billboard, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, DownBeat magazine, the Jazz Journalist Association, and elsewhere. Appearing as a guest in jazz and contemporary classical ensembles including the Either Orchestra and Boston Musica Viva, Eade is the featured vocalist on the 2020 Dave Douglas/Elan Mehler album, If There Are Mountains (Newvelle). Eade was nominated for Best Debut Artist in the 1998 First Annual Jazz Awards in New York City, and received the 2006 Outstanding Alumni Award at New England Conservatory, where as a teacher for over 3 decades, she has mentored an array of talented musicians including Roberta Gambarini, Michael Mayo, Rachel Price, Sofia Rei, Jorge Roeder, Sara Serpa, Sarah Jarosz, Darynn Dean, Luciana Souza, Akenya Seymour, Jo Lawry, Aoife O’Donovan, and many others.

Ran Blake & Dominique Eade: Roots & Byways

Read "Roots & Byways" reviewed by Troy Dostert

by Troy Dostert
July 12, 2026

For a pianist whose prodigious recorded legacy goes back to the 1960s, Ran Blake has only rarely deviated from his preferred settings: solo albums and duos with vocalists. While his Short Life of Barbara Monk (Soul Note, 1987) is arguably one of the finest quartet records of the 1980s, and his Sonic Temples (GM Recordings, 2001) is a superb later trio effort, he has for the most part been largely content to limit himself to more intimate contexts, especially with ...

In Pictures

Dominique Eade with the John Toomey Trio at the Attucks Jazz Club

by Mark Robbins
November 17, 2023

Dominique Eade has been teaching at The New England Conservatory for over 30 years. Her students have included Roberta Gambarini, Michael Mayo and Aoife O'Donovan. Well known in jazz circles for her scatting, improvising, delivery, Eade is neither showy nor pretentious. She is more concerned with the music and the story than with the small vocal rough spots that may pop up occasionally. No vibrato, no stretching out a simple word into six syllables, she presents the composition in a ...

Radio & Podcasts

Jazz From Movie and TV Music

by Jerome Wilson
September 28, 2022

This show features jazz versions of movie and television music, both soundtrack themes and songs that originated in movies. Musicians heard on the show include Dominique Eade, Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Bing Crosby, Marty Krystall, and Eri Yamamoto. Playlist Henry Threadgill Sextett “I Can't Wait Till I Get Home" from The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill & Air (Mosaic) 00:00 Chien Chien Lu “Mo' Better Blues" from The Path (Self-Produced) 1:03 Marty Krystall Quartet “Theme ...

Album Review

Dominique Eade: Town and Country

Read "Town and Country" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi

by Angelo Leonardi
March 22, 2018

A sei anni dall'incisione di Whirpool (Jazz Project, 2012), Ran Blake e Dominique Eade ripropongolo la loro esplorazione piano/voce privilegiando l'attenzione dal Great American Songbook ai canti della tradizione popolare e di denuncia sociale. Com'è noto l'83enne Ran Blake è un decano del New England Conservatory di Boston, dove fondò con Gunther Schuller il Third Sream Department. Sua lontana allieva alla fine degli anni settanta, Dominique Eade è da tempo docente nella stessa università e condivide con Ran Blake l'intransigente ...

Album Review

Dominique Eade & Ran Blake: Town And Country

Read "Town And Country" reviewed by Jerome Wilson

by Jerome Wilson
June 21, 2017

Pianist Ran Blake has a long track record of collaborations with vocalists starting over 50 years ago when he made the album The Newest Sound Around with Jeanne Lee and continuing in the years since in recordings with Chris Connor, Christine Correa and Sara Serpa among others. This is his second meeting on disc with his fellow instructor at the New England Conservatory, Dominique Eade. The first, Whirlpool, fit snugly in with Blake's prominent film noir interests. This remarkable new ...

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Album Review

Dominique Eade & Jed Wilson: Open

by Jim Santella
May 19, 2007

The jazz duo allows a vocalist to communicate with her audience more completely than any other format, since you get the pure essence of her voice along with just enough accompaniment to matter. This works quite well with a talented singer such as Dominique Eade, one of the best that jazz has to offer. She's sincere in her approach to this program, making the most of every phrase. Her superb vocal flexibility shows up on each track as she reaches ...

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Album Review

Dominique Eade + Jed Wilson: Open

Read "Open" reviewed by Michael P. Gladstone

by Michael P. Gladstone
November 22, 2006

If you were to ask a group of emerging jazz vocalists in New York who they were influenced or taught by, a surprising number would mention Mark Murphy or Dominique Eade. Certainly, Murphy's long career and many awards do not make him a surprise choice, but what of Dominique Eade?

As the child of an Air Force officer father and a Swiss mother, Eade spent her youth in Europe living on different military posts. In high school, her ...

Performance / Tour

Internationally Renowned Vocalist Dominique Eade Performs Recital Featuring Original Music And Songs By Hoagy Carmichael, Bob Dylan And More

Source: Braithwaite & Katz Communications
April 16, 2016

Internationally renowned vocalist/composer Dominique Eade is joined by pianists Jed Wilson and Ran Blake, oud player Kenan Adnawi and setar player Nima Janmohammadi in a faculty recital melding Eade’s original music with songs by Hoagy Carmichael, Bob Dylan and more. The concert takes place at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 24 at NEC’s Jordan Hall, 290 Huntington Avenue, Boston and is free and open to the public. For more information, go to: necmusic or call 617-585-1122. About Dominique Eade Dominique ...
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Education

Dominique Eade on Teaching at New England Conservatory

Source: Ann Braithwaite
March 8, 2015

Dominique Eade knows the value of an open-minded teacher first hand. Eade’s creativity had found diverse outlets as a child, including guitar playing (“I was a pretty good finger- picker”) and songwriting, and as an English major at Vassar she would often supplement her assignments with poems and songs. “I was doing music constantly, but was mostly self-taught, and never thought of it as a career choice,” she recalls. “After I wrote a piano piece, `Bottom’s Dream,’ as part of ...
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Performance / Tour

Lola Danza @ Ryles Jazz Club w/ Dave Tronzo and Dominique Eade

Source: All About Jazz
February 20, 2008

The enchanting and innovative vocalist, Lola Danza celebrates Boston's finest Jazz Musicians with a reunion concert at Ryles Jazz Club (212 Hampshire St. Cambridge MA) Thursday February 28th, 2008 at 8:30pm. Ms. Danza will be joined by special guests, vocalist Dominique Eade, Dave Tronzo - guitar, Bob Gullotti - Drums, John Lockwood - Bass, Leo Genovese- Piano, Phil Grenadier - Trumpet, Jeff Galindo - Trombone, and Nat Mugavero - Drums. Ms. Danza celebrates Boston's finest Jazz musicians, her band mates, ...
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Event

Firehouse 12 Presents Dominique Eade/Jed Wilson Duo November 17th

Source: Improvised Communications
October 11, 2006

Friday, November 17th at 8:30 and 10:00 p.m. Dominique Eade/Jed Wilson Duo Firehouse 12 45 Crown Street in New Haven, CT Tickets are $15 (opening set) and $10 (second set) Details available here

Dominique Eade, vocals/composer; Jed Wilson, piano

On Friday, November 17th, vocalist/composer Dominique Eade and pianist Jed Wilson will celebrate their new CD, Open (Jazz Project), with a two-set performance at New Haven's Firehouse 12. The duo is ...
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Event

Dominique Eade Celebrates 20 Years on NEC Faculty with Recital of Vocal-Instrumental Duets, November 8

Source: All About Jazz
October 31, 2004

Jazz Vocalist, Composer, Arranger, Lyricist Teams Up with Pianists Jed Wilson, Ran Blake and Guitarist Mick Goodrick in NEC's Jordan Hall

Jazz vocalist Dominique Eade, named one of the top ten jazz vocalists in the 1999 DownBeat Critics's Poll, will celebrate her 20th year on the New England Conservatory faculty with a recital November 8 at 8 p.m. in NEC's Jordan Hall.

Called “...an impossibly versatile vocalist, composer, lyricist, and instrumental arranger" by the New York Times Magazine, Eade will ...
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“An immensely appealing sound.” The New York Times

“For all her virtuosity, it’s her sound that carries the performance.” The New York Times

“Focused, lyrical and conversational atmosphere full of subtle nuance and superb musicianship.” DownBeat

“Eade’s singing was marvelous, whether singing actual words or applying her voice to instrumental lines.” The Boston Globe