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| Michelle Walker at Enzo's Acclaimed jazz vocalist Michelle Walker returns to Enzo's Jazz Room inside The Jolly Madison Hotel on Friday December 8, 2006 performing two sets with Daniela Schaechter on piano, Santi Debriano on bass, Luca Santaniello on drums. Walker is a recent transplant from Washington, DC to New York City. She is a jazz vocalist, arranger and educator. In just four short years of professional singing, Michelle has begun to amass an impressive musical resume of concert and festival performances, including The Lincoln Center-Women in Jazz Festival, The Silver Spring Jazz Festival, Goshen Jazz Festival and The Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival. While attending the University of Maryland where she studied music and vocal performance, Michelle developed a deeper love for jazz vocal improvisation. She continued her studies privately with jazz vocal legends Rhiannon, Jay Clayton and Mark Murphy and through programs at Stanford University and Amsterdam Conservatory in Holland. Michelle is often compared to Cassandra Wilson, Nina Simone and Betty Carter in style and tone. She has opened in concert for Wynton Marsalis, Rene Marie, Terrell Stafford, Chris Botti, George Benson and Mark Murphy. Her arrangements of straight-ahead standards and contemporary pop tunes blend genres effortlessly and with a undeniable level of originality that is solidifying her own distinctive sound. Dave Nathan at AllAboutJazz.com says, "Walker demonstrates an extraordinary degree of musicality." According to Mike Joyce of the Washington Post, the hypnotic, sexy, deep tone of Michelle's voice has a "soul-comforting allure". write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |