Results for "Jazz Vocalist"

Maria Jacobs

Born: June 27, 1968

Maria Jacobs is an American Jazz vocalist, singer/songwriter and author. She is the Adjunct Professor of Applied Vocal Jazz at Kent State University. Born of Syrian Lebanese and Armenian descent, Maria was raised in Cleveland, Ohio where she frequently shared the bandstand with her father Mike Jacobs, a drummer and singer in the area. She is a national voice over artist and a Traditional/Smooth Jazz recording artist who has charted on the Groove Jazz and Smooth Jazz Global Holiday Charts. Maria became a licensed music educator following the completion of her second degree in music education from Kent State Universiy and began working as a Principal Conductor and Curriculum Advisor for The Open Tone Music Academy, who now partners with Jazz At Lincoln Center

Renee Manning

Born: February 8, 1955

Born and bred in Brooklyn, N.Y., Renee Manning stands out from the crowd. Her robust voice, rich tones and impeccable time make her truly a musicians vocalist. Her debut in the jazz world as the singer with the Mel Lewis Orchestra (from 1983-1989) was the longest tenure of any vocalist associated with that organization . By chance, Mr. Lewis heard Renée performing at Mikells . He invited her to sit in with his band at the Village Vanguard and after a standing ovation hired her as his vocalist on the spot. Since then she has proven to be an incredibly versatile singer. Many, however associate her with big bands and the blues

John and Kelly Fumo with Fumosonic

Active since: November, 1989

Fumosonic is the culmination of 20+ years of marriage and collaboration between John and Kelly Fumo. The vision of these two musician/composers from Los Angeles, CA is a transformative musical experience that draws upon John’s jazz influences and Kelly’s love of music. The pair met while doing a recording session for singer Delaney Bramlett and had an instant connection. Their journey began with the first song they created called “Shut Up and Go Home!”, which showcases the unique formula of a heavy beat, Kelly’s strong vocals and some free jazz improvisation by John. John’s trumpet playing may be heavily influenced by Miles Davis and the free expressions of jazz music, but he has worked as a side man with the likes of Neil Diamond, James Brown, Beck and Brian Setzer

Patrice Jégou

What do competition-level figure skating, classical vocal technique and an exuberant feel for jazz have in common? Only one thing. And her name is Patrice Jégou. Her new album, IF IT AIN’T LOVE - kicks off with a blazing a cappella rendition of “Lover Come Back to Me,” with Take 6’s Mark Kibble and Alvin Chea providing stunning, hard-swinging backup. From there Jégou leads us through a garden of delights — big-band romps with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, sensuous string-kissed ballads arranged by Jorge Calandrelli, artfully crafted charts by Mike Lang and David Paich, and much more. But Jégou herself holds center stage, whether on the intimate keyboard-and-voice setting of “It Might Be You,” the spare elegance of Randy Newman’s “Losing You” or the show-stopping “I’m So Glad I’m Standing Here Today.” And when sharing the spotlight with gospel diva Táta Vega on “Yes We Can, Can,” and smooth crooner Javier Almaráz on “Remembrances,” she delivers a textbook lesson on duo performance. What’s most remarkable is that this music might never have happened if not for one remark made in passing by a colleague of hers, not many years ago. She had already accomplished much before that day

Janet Stevenson

Born: March 20

Janet’s passion for the music is shaped by a lifetime of listening to and performing jazz, and an education from some of its finest performers. She credits her sense of swing, great ears and pitch to her father, a jazz drummer who insisted that she study piano before learning to sing. Janet's talent was first recognized by world-renowned bassist Cleveland ("Cleve") Eaton, and she began singing regularly both with Eaton's band and with other jazz musicians in Birmingham, Alabama. She credits vocalists Shirley Horn, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McRae as major musical influences

Kalya Ramu

Born: August 14, 1993

Kalya Ramu, Canadian jazz vocalist, composer, educator, and visual artist, has carved out a distinctive presence within Toronto's vibrant jazz community. From the age of 12, Kalya found herself immersed in the world of jazz, frequenting jam sessions and touring with community big bands. Her musical journey led her to study Jazz Performance at the esteemed Humber College in Toronto. A storyteller at heart, Kalya has a remarkable ability to reinvent classic jazz tunes while infusing her original compositions with fresh, evocative narratives.

In 2019, Kalya released her debut full-length album, "Living in a Dream", generously supported by FACTOR. Shortly after this release, the title track was featured on the soundtrack of CBC show "Frankie Drake Mysteries." Her second album, "Duo" (2021), is a close collaboration with pianist and composer Ewen Farncombe. The five-track album of original material highlights their artistic synergy. In the past year Kalya released two singles with Brazilian guitarist André Valério. The first, "Algo Contigo” (2023), features the composition of Argentinian songwriter Chico Novarro, and the second “Hold Me Close” (2024) is an original composition by Ramu and Valério and features the playing of flutist Rob Christian. Currently Kalya has been working on a brand new album called Trio, coming out on November 29 2024.

Andrea Claburn

Born: December 14

Born in Baltimore, Maryland to a classical pianist mother and a jazz aficionado father, Andrea Claburn knew what she wanted to do by the age of four. “I started begging my mother to let me to take piano lessons. She would play Chopin and Beethoven, and I would go to the piano when she was done and try to recreate what I’d heard. I wanted to play so badly.” Her mother finally relented when Andrea reached the ripe old age of six. “My mom was very smart. She said, ‘you’re not ready’ when I was in preschool. She was the opposite of a pushy stage mom. By making me wait to study piano, she made it clear that it was a privilege and I should treat it accordingly.” Meanwhile, her father introduced her to his favorite jazz artists: Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, the MJQ, Bill Evans

Linda Solotaire

Born: January 10, 1963

Linda Solotaire is a jazz vocalist and the leader of the Linda Solotaire Quartet. She also performs repertoire with her musical partner, arranger/guitarist & bassist Stu Greenspan, a jazz duo with Saalik Ziyad and more.. Linda is classically trained in music and theatre, and began her career as an actress in the late 1970s. As a solo jazz vocalist, she is most deeply influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Abbey Lincoln, Sheila Jordan, and Judy Garland. While the Great American Songbook is at the heart of her repertoire, she strives to infuse her sets with more obscure, contemporary and original songs. Linda is a vocalist, band leader, curator, and teacher

Maureen Renihan

Born: April 21, 1975

Maureen is a native Pittsburgher who recently returned to the area from Boone, NC. She acquired a love of old standards through her experience performing in theatre. Later she turned to jazz for creative expression and began performing professionally in 2012.

Stella Heath

Singing since the age of eight, Stella feels wholly blessed to be able to express herself through music and song, and to carry forth the torch of Jazz Music that she loves so dearly. She grew up in the North San Francisco Bay Area, steeped in her mother’s eclectic music collection; some of her early musical influences were Louis Armstrong, Edith Piaf, Buena Vista Social Club, Billie Holiday, Tom Waits, Bod Dylan and Ella Fitzgerald. Her education was primarily in Acting at Interlochen Arts Academy and Syracuse University, where she received a degree in classical acting and cultural geography