Jazz Articles

Clairdee: A Love Letter To Lena

by Nicholas F. Mondello
April 23, 2020

Revered decades after her passing, Lena Horne has remained an icon in the realms of music, stage & screen, and civil rights activism. With A Love Letter to Lena, San Francisco-based vocalist Clairdee assumes the task of saluting Horne by way of selections from Billy Strayhorn and other great American composers. And the inclusion of narration and quotes from Horne adds a special perspective and further poignancy to this fine musical effort. “Old Devil Moon," originally recorded ...

Clairdee: A Love Letter To Lena

by Dan Bilawsky
April 22, 2020

A fixture on the Bay Area jazz scene, Clairdee has established herself as a self-assured singer and an artist who's never content in repeating an idea. Her first three albums move from the studio to the holidays to the stage, demonstrating a high level of comfort in disparate settings and seasons. This fourth project—a tribute to Lena Horne, realized after a decade of thought on the matter—will likely extend that reputation while marking her as a strong conceptualist.

Clairdee: Music Moves

by Woodrow Wilkins
August 2, 2005

One thing that makes live music great is the way artists feed off an audience's energy. San Francisco-based vocalist Clairdee makes that point clear on the opening notes of “Yes Sir, That's My Baby, the first song on Music Moves. As the audience applauds the introduction, Clairdee says that's the reaction she wants to hear, “even if you don't mean it. This playful approach is Clairdee's modus operandi--a style that says be serious in creating the sound but ...

Clairdee: Music Moves

by Jim Santella
May 10, 2005

Music in motion. That's what Clairdee's performances are. Recorded live at Yoshi's in Oakland, California, Music Moves reveals a singer who communicates with her audience on all levels. It's easy to love her music and the way she delivers it.

In her comments on this album, Clairdee mentions her deep respect for singers of jazz and blues, such as Ruth Brown, Al Green, Donny Hathaway, and Frank Sinatra. The album's final track is a salute to Eddie Harris, ...

Clairdee: This Christmas

by Jim Santella
November 12, 2003

It’s that time of year for celebrations. A party atmosphere surrounds Clairdee’s contemporary gift package, adorned with ribbons of R&B, traditional blues, Latin jazz, and a heartfelt appreciation of the Christmas spirit. She interprets classic songs that have been handed down by favorite composers and lyricists such as Charles Brown, Alec Wilder, Thad Jones, Mel Torme, Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne, and Horace Silver.

Brown’s “Bringing In a New Year” promises to replace the other traditional anthems for ...

Clairdee: Destination Moon

by Dave Nathan
March 1, 2001

If a singer chooses to perform a program of standards in a laid back, relaxed manner, the vocalist had better have the chops to sustain slow tempos because there's nowhere to hide. One very fine singers now working out of the San Francisco area, Clairdee, pulls it off going away. With her husky, deep toned contralto, she runs through a musical agenda of eleven standards and near standards. All the usual adjectives rightfully apply to Clairdee's voice and delivery - ...

Clairdee: Destination Moon

by C. Michael Bailey
January 1, 2000

My Two Sense.. Colleague Jim Santella reviewed this Bay Area artist in the November issue of All About Jazz. Publisher, Master Ricci also sent this disc my way and I am quite glad he did. I have recently reviewed several jazz vocal offerings, but none I found as satisfying in singing or support as Clairdee’s self-produced Destination Moon.

Mainstream Voice...Star Eyes Talent.. Clairdee and her excellent piano trio meld with one another to produce a recording of seamless swing. The ...

Clairdee: Destination Moon

by Jim Santella
November 1, 1999

From San Francisco, Clairdee brings her rich alto voice and caressing mainstream charm to center stage with support from a superb piano trio. Expressive and unique, the singer’s presentation contains a tinge of Betty Carter’s upbeat way with a melody; particularly on “They Can’t Take That Away From Me," her driving “Destination Moon" and again on the slightly dramatic ballad “Time After Time."

Smooth and upbeat with an intimate quartet arrangement, “Moonglow" sets the tone for the majority of the ...