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Clairdee

  • home
  • about
  • music
    • Videos
    • A Love Letter to Lena
    • music moves
    • this christmas
    • destination moon
  • shows
  • stand up
  • store
  • contact

A 21st Century Jazz Singer

“A whole lot of interpretive brilliance” is how JazzTimes describes Clairdee’s soulfully alluring style and rich timbre. She swings, has an intimate, vulnerable way with a ballad, and can shout at will, revealing roots in the gospel church. Her masterly interpretation of lyrics is a gift aptly described by the inimitable Nancy Wilson who said, “In the tradition of all great vocalists, Clairdee infuses each song with her own unique style while always remaining true to the song itself.” 

Clairdee sings in night clubs, concert halls, and festivals in Edinburgh, Tokyo, Bangkok, Toronto, Moscow and St Petersburg Russia, New York, San Francisco, Monterey, and points in between. She leads her world-class band and performs with pops orchestras, big bands, and some of America’s most notable jazz instrumentalists. 

Clairdee’s discography as leader includes four highly regarded albums on her Declare Music label. “A Love Letter to Lena,” garnered international press and acknowledged in three categories in the 2020 Grammy® first round nominations. 

A 2018 recipient of the Bay Area Jazz & Blues Artist Lifetime Achievement Award, she is a passionate advocate for music education: Professor of Jazz Voice, San Francisco Conservatory of Music; Teaching Artist, SFJAZZ and San Francisco Symphony; Board member, Bay Area Jazz Mobile and Independent Jazz Alliance; Artist Advisory Member and mentor, Jazz in the Neighborhood.

My purpose is to engage, uplift and build community through music — creating narrative that inspires beyond the stage.

Quotes

 “In the tradition of all great vocalists, Clairdee infuses each song with her own unique style while always remaining true to the song itself.”
— Nancy Wilson

"Sumptuous, elegantly restrained."
— The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland)

"Generous spirit and unpretentious sincerity"
— Down Beat

"Clairdee projects an unmistakable aura onstage — regaling the audience with songs interwoven with warm, humorous anecdotes — creating a seamless, wonderful tapestry throughout the concert." 
—All About Jazz

“In sassy, solidly assured, crowd-pleasing form, a whole lot of interpretive brilliance." 
—JazzTimes

RECOGNITION
2020 1st round Grammy® nomination (3 categories), "A Love Letter to Lena"
2018 Bay Area Jazz & Blues Lifetime Achievement
2008 (book) The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide by Scott Yanow

DISCOGRAPHY
A Love Letter to Lena, Clairdee (Declare Music) 2020
New Holiday Classics, Adrian Cunningham & La Lucha (Arbors) 2020
Jazz Voices of Poetry (JVOP) 2017
Spiritu Sancto, Dimitri Matheny 2007
Music Moves, Clairdee (Declare Music) 2005
Holiday at the Oasis (KUVO Jazz-89 compilation) 2005
This Christmas, Clairdee (Declare Music) 2002
Destination Moon, Clairdee (Declare Music) 2000
West Coast Alternative, Dan Buegeleisen (Corridor) 2000
Santa's Got a Brand New Bag, Dimitri Matheny (Monarch) 1999
Can't Hide Love, John "Buddy" Connor (Seaside/Cat's Paw) 1996
A Piano for All Seasons, Kevin Gibbs (Clarity) 1993
Shine On, Mehler & Nash (Salt Music, Inc) 1993

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Edinburgh Jazz Festival, Scotland • Monterey Jazz Festival • Playboy Jazz at the Rose Bowl • Salt Lake City Int'l Jazz Festival • Sarasota Jazz Festival, FL • SFJAZZ Center • Siletz Bay Music Festival, OR • Stanford Jazz Festival • The Jazz Cruise • Blue Note Napa • Catalina's, Hollywood • Dizzy's Coca Cola Club, NYC • Douglas Beach House • Freight & Salvage • Metropolitan Room, NYC • Vitello's Supper Club • Yoshi's • Capitol Center for the Arts, NH • Fitton Center for the Arts, OH • Shedd Institute for the Arts, OR • Spreckels PAC, CA • Staller PAC, NY • Feinstein's at the Nikko, San Francisco • Tempe Center for the Arts, AZ • Tennessee Theatre, TN • Toronto Convention Center, Canada • Venice Institute PAC, FL • Wells Fargo PAC, CA • Three Japan Tours • 2 Russia Tours

PERFORMED, OPENED, or RECORDED with
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie • Bill Charlap • Billy Higgins • Boz Scaggs • Bucky Pizzarelli • Calvin Keys • Cyrus Chestnut • David Sanborn • Dena DeRose • Dianne Schuur • Dick Hyman • Eddie Henderson • Edward Simon • Houston Person • Ingrid Jensen • John Handy • Katie Thiroux • Ken Peplowski • Kenny Washington (vocalist) • Mads Tolling • Marcus Shelby • Mimi Fox • Nancy Wilson • Regina Carter • Russell Malone • Ruth Davies • Terrell Stafford • Wycliffe Gordon • Capital Jazz Orchestra • Hilton Head Symphony Pops • Knoxville Jazz Orch • Novosibirsk Symphony • San Francisco Symphony • Vancouver Symphony • Walla Walla Symphony

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Professor of Jazz Voice 

SFJAZZ, teaching artist 

Jazz in the Neighborhood,
Artist Advisor & mentor

Bay Area Jazz Mobile,
Board member

Independent Musicians Alliance, Board member

Cal State University East Bay, guest artist 

Cal State Bakersfield, masterclass 

Diablo Valley College, vocal instructor 

San Jose State University, guest artist 

San Francisco Symphony, teaching artist 

Stanford Jazz, Family Matinee 

UC Berkeley Jazz Dept, vocal instructor 

UC Santa Cruz, guest artist 

Walla Walla Symphony, guest artist

Whitman College, masterclass

News

Click HERE for News

Gallery

John Levy: Mentor, manager, friend, and gentleman of the highest order.

John Levy: Mentor, manager, friend, and gentleman of the highest order.

Legendary songstylist Nancy Wilson: Mentor and role model after our 1-on-1 interview at Monterey Jazz Festival

Legendary songstylist Nancy Wilson: Mentor and role model after our 1-on-1 interview at Monterey Jazz Festival

Congrats from Miss Nancy Wilson

Congrats from Miss Nancy Wilson

Billy Higgins: Mentor and friend. HUGE heart, generous spirit.

Billy Higgins: Mentor and friend. HUGE heart, generous spirit.

Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli

Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli

Dee Dee Bridgewater, shares life lessons and other great stories.

Dee Dee Bridgewater, shares life lessons and other great stories.

Charles McPherson, saxophonist

Charles McPherson, saxophonist

Russell Malone & Houston Person

Russell Malone & Houston Person

Singers Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., & Nicole Henry

Singers Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., & Nicole Henry

Jamie Foxx, actor, singer, comedian

Jamie Foxx, actor, singer, comedian

Kids: I LOVE working with kids!

Kids: I LOVE working with kids!

Singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs

Singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs

Esperanza Spalding, bassist, composer, educator

Esperanza Spalding, bassist, composer, educator

Regina Carter, violinist, MacArthur Fellow

Regina Carter, violinist, MacArthur Fellow

Gerald Clayton, composer, pianist, bandleader

Gerald Clayton, composer, pianist, bandleader

Patti Austin, singer

Patti Austin, singer

Regina Carter and legendary Roy McCurdy

Regina Carter and legendary Roy McCurdy

Marian McPartland, pianist, composer, radio host

Marian McPartland, pianist, composer, radio host

Norman Simmons, Paul West, Bernard Purdie. Learning from the masters.

Norman Simmons, Paul West, Bernard Purdie. Learning from the masters.

Freda Payne, singer

Freda Payne, singer

Arsenio Hall, comedian, actor

Arsenio Hall, comedian, actor

Terence Blanchard, trumpeter, composer, educator

Terence Blanchard, trumpeter, composer, educator

Dianne Reeves, singer and excellent cook. We're both from Denver!

Dianne Reeves, singer and excellent cook. We're both from Denver!

Ken Peplowski, clarinetist, bandleader, funny man!

Ken Peplowski, clarinetist, bandleader, funny man!

Johnny O'Neal, pianist

Johnny O'Neal, pianist

Ruth Davies: Talented bassist and best friend

Ruth Davies: Talented bassist and best friend

Earl Klugh, guitarist, songwriter

Earl Klugh, guitarist, songwriter

Valerie Noble, celebrity hair and make-up artist

Valerie Noble, celebrity hair and make-up artist

James Ingram, singer, composer, pianist

James Ingram, singer, composer, pianist

Amina Figarova, pianist, composer

Amina Figarova, pianist, composer

Henry Johnson, guitarist-singer

Henry Johnson, guitarist-singer

Ivan Lins, singer, pianist, composer

Ivan Lins, singer, pianist, composer

Nnenna Freelon,  vocalist, songwriter, playwright

Nnenna Freelon, vocalist, songwriter, playwright

Richard Bona, bassist, singer, composer.

Richard Bona, bassist, singer, composer.

Rebecca Parris, singer

Rebecca Parris, singer

Sheila Jordan, vocalist and fellow Scorpio!

Sheila Jordan, vocalist and fellow Scorpio!

Dr. Herb Wong: Mentor, friend; nonpareil jazz historian and producer.

Dr. Herb Wong: Mentor, friend; nonpareil jazz historian and producer.

Dena DeRose, pianist and vocalist.

Dena DeRose, pianist and vocalist.

Taylor Eigsti, pianist, composer

Taylor Eigsti, pianist, composer

Paula West, singer

Paula West, singer

Trombone Shorty, multi-instrumentalist, energetic entertainer

Trombone Shorty, multi-instrumentalist, energetic entertainer

Todd Gordon, UK-based crooner

Todd Gordon, UK-based crooner

Herlin Riley: Drumming never sounded SO good.

Herlin Riley: Drumming never sounded SO good.

Charles Brown, singer-pianist, sharing stories in Mexico.

Charles Brown, singer-pianist, sharing stories in Mexico.

Bud Spangler: Producer, drummer, radio personality

Bud Spangler: Producer, drummer, radio personality

Benny Green, pianist

Benny Green, pianist

Paulette McWilliams, singer-songwriter

Paulette McWilliams, singer-songwriter

Jay Leonhart, bassist and humorist

Jay Leonhart, bassist and humorist

Denise Perrier, singer

Denise Perrier, singer

Bill Strickland, ceramicist, community leader, author, and CEO of the non-profit Manchester Bidwell Corporation.

Bill Strickland, ceramicist, community leader, author, and CEO of the non-profit Manchester Bidwell Corporation.

Dr. Kim Nalley, singer

Dr. Kim Nalley, singer

Carmen Bradford, vocalist

Carmen Bradford, vocalist

Dana Goia, poet and writer, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Dana Goia, poet and writer, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Gil Gross, journalist & radio personality

Gil Gross, journalist & radio personality

Allen Farnham, pianist (left), and reed man Charles McNeal

Allen Farnham, pianist (left), and reed man Charles McNeal

Broadway star Barbara Cook and pianist Ted Rosenthal

Broadway star Barbara Cook and pianist Ted Rosenthal

Dan Ouellette, noted music journalist and biographer

Dan Ouellette, noted music journalist and biographer

Dmitri Matheny, flugelhornist, composer

Dmitri Matheny, flugelhornist, composer

A Scott Galloway, noted music journalist

A Scott Galloway, noted music journalist

Bill Charlap, pianist

Bill Charlap, pianist

Monty Alexander (left), Ken French (right)

Monty Alexander (left), Ken French (right)

L Peter Callender, actor, director

L Peter Callender, actor, director

Armistead Maupin, writer

Armistead Maupin, writer

Rehearsal with Dick Hyman

Rehearsal with Dick Hyman

Houston Person, soulful sax man

Houston Person, soulful sax man

Maestro Yaacov Bergman

Maestro Yaacov Bergman

Jamie Davis, vocalist

Jamie Davis, vocalist

Tammi Brown, vocalist

Tammi Brown, vocalist

Billy Valentine, vocalist

Billy Valentine, vocalist

All content © Clairdee 1998-2023

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