Singers' Corner

Richard Allen was child actor on Broadway, working under the name Michael Allen. He starred in Peter Pan, The King & I, and many great Broadway shows. He also had a career in early television; first in the original, live production of Peter Pan, then commercials and soap operas, starring in the Guiding Light soap until his early 20s. Read more...

Four-time Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson is acclaimed for scat abilities, perfect intonation, and expressive ballad interpretation. She began her jazz career in 1990 in Kansas City and quickly saw success: by 1992, she was signed to Concord and had released her first album as a leader, "I Didn't Know About You." She continued releasing albums throughout the 1990s, steadily garnering acclaim with each one. 2001's "Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane" was a critical and popular success, earning a nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. She was nominated again for this award in 2006 with "Footprints," 2008 with "Imagina: Songs of Brasil," and 2011's "'Round Midnight," her first album on which she accompanied herself on piano for the entire album. She continues to record (her latest release, a Christmas album, came out in 2013) and tour in the US and internationally. Read more...

A versatile jazz-blues singer, Ernestine Anderson has been a well-loved vocalist over the course of her 50-year career. Ernestine's career began at age 18 when she toured for two years with the Johnny Otis band. In 1952, she joined Lionel Hampton's band, which at the time included Russell Jacquet, Milt Jackson, and Quincy Jones. In 1955, she collaborated with Gigi Gryce on his album "Nica's Tempo." Ernestine's debut album in the US was recorded in Sweden and released in 1958 on Mercury under the title "Hot Cargo," and soon after her career was in motion: in 1959 she was heralded as Down Beat Magazine's "Best New Vocal Star." Read more...

Israeli-born jazz vocalist Yaala Ballin has earned the attention of critics and listeners alike for her clear sound and improvisational style. Since moving to New York in 2004, Yaala has performed regularly at local venues like Smalls, Smoke, and Birdland as well as abroad at the International Jazz Festival in Tel Aviv. Her first album, “Travelin’ Alone,” was released in 2009 on Smalls Records; she followed up with 2011’s “On The Road” which received significant critical praise for its “class, confidence, and sophistication” (All About Jazz). She frequently leads masterclasses in New York, Europe, and Israel, and is an instructor in a US State Department “Jazz Futures” program in Cyprus. She serves on the faculty of the City College of New York. Read more...

“Uncategorizable” vocalist and composer Theo Bleckmann is known for his unusual, often avant-garde work that encompasses jazz, contemporary classical, cabaret, and even performance art. The German born musician moved to New York in 1989. By 1992, he was collaborating with Kirk Nurock on a series of duets (“Theo & Kirk”). In 1998, he recorded with Sheila Jordan on her album “Jazz Child.” His longstanding collaboration with guitarist Ben Monder has produced six albums, perhaps some of his most popular work. He worked with Meredith Monk as a core ensemble member for fifteen years. Read more...

"I take a song and work it in my own way. I love the challenge of a musical moment, the immediacy of it," says Ms. Brown. She grew up in St. Louis and started performing at an early age. She worked in classical music but grew into the jazz scene in Cleveland with the help of drummer.bandleader Bob McKee. From there, she performed with such artists as Ellis Marsalis, Billy Taylor, Dizzy Gillespie and Joe Lovano. Read more...

Betty Carter is regarded as one of the most adventurously improvisational jazz vocalists whose complex musical talent put her on par with the best of the bebop horn players. Her breathy style and immense scatting ability is often compared to Sheila Jordan, another Detroit-based vocalist. With a career that began by impressing Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie and included two dozen albums as a leader over nearly half a century, Betty's legacy on jazz voice cannot be understated. Read more...

Known for his deep baritone, Earl Coleman worked with many of the greatest musicians in jazz. Earl’s first documented recording session was one in which he led; on this 1946 date, he was accompanied by none other than Miles Davis and Art Blakey. His next session was no less impressive: at this 1947 date, he sang This Is Always and Dark Shadows with the Charlie Parker Quartet. These songs went on to become some of his biggest hits. During the 1950s and 1960s, Earl worked with Gene Ammons, Art Farmer, Gigi Gryce, Elmo Hope, and Sonny Rollins. His last recording session was with Etta Jones in 1989. Read more...

Chris Connor is considered to be one of the foremost cool jazz vocalists of the 1950s and 1960s. Chris is often listed in a trio among June Christy and Anita O'Day, but she developed a style and popularity of her own throughout her multi-decade career. Chris got her big break when June Christy heard her on the radio in 1953 and recommended her for the coveted female vocalist position in Kenton's band -- Chris's dream job. She stayed with Kenton for 5 months, during which time she recorded one of her signature songs, All About Ronnie. Chris's 12-record association with Atlantic is considered by many to be the peak of her career. Read more...

An impressive jazz pianist and vocalist who is also an esteemed academician, Dr. Cooper has had a lengthy and fruitful career as both a performer and an educator. She has performed with such musicians as Eddie Harris, Red Holloway, David “Fathead” Newman, Jimmy Witherspoon, and others. She is widely regarded for her sensitive accompaniment for vocalists like Meredith D'Ambrosio, Giacomo Gates, and Gloria Lynne. She earned her doctorate in music and education from Columbia University’s Teachers College in 1992. Read more...

Multidimensional artist Meredith d’Ambrosio is often heralded as a modern renaissance woman. Although she is best known as a jazz vocalist, Meredith is also a successful composer, pianist, lyricist, and painter. Critics describe her vocal style as soft-toned, pure, interpretive, and warm, in a tradition that follows Blossom Dearie and precedes Diana Krall. Raised in a musical family, Meredith studied painting and music from an early age. She was invited to open for John Coltrane in 1966 but turned him down. It was not until nearly a decade later that she made her recording debut with her husband, Eddie Higgins. Read more...

Dena DeRose is a tremendous pianist, vocalist, composer, and educator. Dena learned voice somewhat accidentally: as a student at Binghamton University, she practiced and played piano so rigorously that she was forced to abandon the instrument for two years, during which time she turned to singing instead. By the time she was able to play piano again, singing was an integral part of her musical identity, and when she moved to New York in 1991, her unique vocal style combined with her pianistic musicality made her a success. Read more...

English vocalist and pianist Georgie Fame has had a busy career in both the jazz and R&B scenes. Born Clive Powell, he was renamed at age 16 by the impresario Larry Parnes. He gained early recognition in the '60s with his R&B band Georgie Fame And The Blue Flames; one of their biggest hits was Yeh, Yeh by Rodgers Grant . Read more...

Perhaps the best known female vocalist in jazz, Ella Fitzgerald was hailed as the "First Lady Of Song." Her pure tone, clear diction and horn-like improvisational ability earned her the respect of musicians and the general public, launching her to great fame. Her interpretation of the American Songbook is the means for which many musicians and vocalists learn standards, making Ella one of the most influential jazz artists of all time. Read more...

Rachel Gould, born in Camden, New Jersey, has a deeply personal style and a rich, low voice that are instantly recognizable. A graduate of Boston University for cello and classical voice, Gould began singing professionally in the 1970s in the United States. However, it was not long before she left for Europe, living in Germany and Switzerland before settling in Holland in 1991. She has worked and performed with many jazz musicians of acclaim, including Woody Herman, Chet Baker, Benny Bailey and Lou Blackburn, to name a few. Her phrasing and vocal technique are known and admired worldwide by many vocalists and she is well-known as a vocal teacher, especially in Europe. Read more...

Detroit-born Kenny Hagood was a vocalist who came out of the tradition of Billy Eckstine. His career began at age 17 when he sang with Benny Carter. From 1946 to 1948, he sang with Dizzy Gillespie, with whom he recorded several times. He recorded his first album as a leader in 1947 for Savoy. In 1948, he recorded with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and Tadd Dameron. Kenny was the only vocalist to be featured on the legendary “Birth Of The Cool” session; he recorded Darn That Dream. After these years of great success, Kenny stepped out of the limelight: he recorded only twice more (in 1967 and 1982, both as a leader). Read more...

Sheila Jordan is one of the most engaging and creative jazz vocalists alive today. Known for her breathy, unusual voice and her superb vocalese, Sheila began performing professionally in the 1940s when she, Skeeter Spight, and Leroi Mitchell formed the trio Skeeter, Mitch and Jean. Despite being underage, she often hung around the Detroit clubs where Bird played and eventually gained his attention, resulting in Bird sometimes asking her trio to sing at his gigs. Her recording career took off in the 1960s, during which time she began long-standing collaborations with artists like Steve Kuhn and Lee Konitz. Read more...

Known for her superior renditions of ballads, Irene Kral was one of the top cabaret-jazz singers of the 1970s. Her style was in part influenced by, and often compared to, her close friend Carmen McRae. Her rendition of the standard Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most is considered to be the definitive recording. Read more...

Karin Krog is perhaps Norway's leading jazz singer and certainly its most idiomatic. She is a unique song artist with a great international reputation possessing her own recognizable style and voice. She started to sing during her teenage years together with various local musicians. She attracted attention during jam sessions at the Penguin club in Oslo, and in 1955 was hired by the pianist Kjell Karlsen to sing in his sextet, followed by her radio debut the next year. Read more...

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross was a popular bop-influenced vocalese trio formed by Dave Lambert, Read more...

Carolyn Leonhart comes from a tradition of jazz, but has a strong influence of rock and pop. Her father is celebrated bassist Jay Leonhart and her mother is vocalist Donna Leonhart. Growing up, Carolyn saw her father accompany singers like Sarah Vaughan, Mel Torme, and Peggy Lee. As a student at Rochester University, Carolyn won the DownBeat Outstanding Jazz Singer in College Award. In 1994, she placed 3rd in the Thelonious Monk Vocal Jazz Competition. She released her first album in 2000, “Steal The Moon,” a collaboration with pianist/composer Rob Bargad. During this time, she worked consistently as a backup singer for rock band Steely Dan and recorded with them on several Grammy-winning albums. She has also worked with numerous rap artists. She is married to Wayne Escoffery and leads the Carolyn Leonhart Group. Read more...

Influenced at an early age by her collection of Duke Ellington and Fats Waller records, May has become one of the finest jazz vocalists and lyricists the U.K. has produced. After heading her own Back Door Theatre Company in the early ‘80s, she established herself as a chanteuse in Paris, forming her first quartet in 1989. She has released seven albums under the U.K. record label 33Jazz, becoming a featured soloist in distinguished jazz events and venues including the Duke Ellington mass, London jazz club, and the Lionel Hampton Jazz Club in Paris. She frequently appears on BBC radio and television. Read more...

Born and raised in Northern Germany, Verena McBee has been always connected to the arts. Starting at age 7 she took piano lessons over 15 years in her hometown at the Conservatory of Osnabrueck and added the flute at age 14 and joined a local theater group. Read more...

Vocalist Carmen McRae was a singer best-known for her delivery of lyrics and her sensitive interpretation of ballads. Her unique behind-the-beat phrasing and trumpet-like clarity earned her the moniker "The Singer's Singer." Her career spanned 50 years and included over 60 releases—over which her style remained remarkably consistent—and many critics consider her to be as talented as the iconic vocalists Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen's primary inspiration, Billie Holiday. Read more...

Known for his unique inventiveness and improvisations, Mark Murphy's distinctive post-bop vocal style has launced his career into decades. Raised in Syracuse in a musical family, he sang with his brother's dance band and studied theater and voice. Moving to New York in 1954, he recorded his first album, "Meet Mark Murphy" with Decca Records and then signed with Capitol in 1959, under whom he released four LPs. He went on to record classic jazz with Riverside Records, hitting the charts in 1963 with the singles of Fly Me To The Moon and Angel Eyes, procuring him the "New Star of the Year" award in Down Beat Magazine's Reader's Poll. Read more...

Rachel Bronstein is a budding vocalist, pianist, and composer based in Manhattan. Since moving to New York, she has studied vocal jazz and improvisation with Christine Correa, led the vocals for the Columbia University Latin American ensemble, workshopped new pieces with the jazz composers of Second Floor Music, and premiered an award-winning contemporary classical piece. She has appeared on several scores for short films. She premiered her improvised vocal/piano work The Narrows in spring 2013. She currently sings with the Columbia University Gospel Choir. Rachel was the vocal/web editor for jazzleadsheets.com and is now pursuing a career in web development. Read more...

Acclaimed jazz vocalist, lyricist, and composer Judy Niemack is a leader in voice, improvisation, and pedagogy. She began her jazz studies with tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh as his first vocal student, which greatly influenced her scat style. Her debut album came in 1977, the same year she moved to New York. Since then, she has worked with a who’s who of jazz, like Fred Hersh, Kenny Werner, Kenny Barron, James Moody, Cedar Walton, Jim McNeely, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry, Joe Lovano, Billy Higgins, and her husband, Jeanfrancois Prins. Read more...

A masterful cool jazz singer known for her percussive, vibrato-free style, Anita O'Day is regarded as one of the most musically gifted singers in jazz. Renowned for her improvisational skill, dynamic range, and rhythmic ability, Anita's exuberance for swing and refusal to be another ladylike "girl singer" broke the norms for female big band vocalists of her day. Read more...

Oran “Hot Lips” Page is remembered as one of the most exciting soloists of the swing era. His trumpet and vocal styles were both strongly influenced by Louis Armstrong, but with plenty of his own personal flair. He is particularly associated with the Kansas City scene of the early to mid-1930s. Read more...

Vocalist and pianist Daryl Sherman is a mainstay of the New York jazz scene known for her light, high voice. She came to New York in 1974 and quickly began performing alongside jazz veterans like Dave McKenna, Sylvia Syms, Milt Hinton, Dick Sudhalter, Red Norvo, Ruby Braff and Dick Hyman. In 1983, she was picked by Artie Shaw to sing in his new band. Read more...

Janis Siegel is best known for her work in the prolific and successful jazz vocal group Manhattan Transfer, but has also had a strong solo career. During Janis’s tenure, Manhattan Transfer has earned 10 Grammy awards and in 2003 was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. Janis won a Grammy herself for her arrangement for her 1980 arrangement of Birdland. Read more...

Ty Stephens is a singer-songwriter who fronts the band Ty Stephens & SoulJaazz. Originally trained in musical theater, Ty has appeared on Broadway in the original productions of Sophisticated Ladies and Marilyn: An American Fable. Since focusing on his vocal work, Ty has opened for such diverse and acclaimed acts as Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Carlos Santana, Liza Minnelli, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Norah Jones, Elton John, and jazz artists like Larry Coryell and Vanessa Rubin. He was the Grand Prize Winner in the Jazzmobile/Anheuser-Busch Solo Jazz Vocalist Competition, in 2006 and won first place in the R&B/Blues category of the 2002 International Songwriting Competition for his composition Somethin’ Strange. He has released three albums with SoulJaazz and recently completed a European tour. Read more...

Nancy Valentine is a versatile jazz vocalist based in New York. She recently released her debut CD, “Lovesome,” which explores the music of Billy Strayhorn. She was exposed to jazz at an early age and initially took up the trumpet. Nancy additionally pursued acting and studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting, but was inspired by the music of Chet Baker to return to music. She currently works with pianist John di Martino singing at local establishments in New York. Several of her superb vocal interpretations are on jazzleadsheets.com. Read more...