Clairdee

Since moving to the Bay Area in 1986, Clairdee has performed almost every style of music, from R&B and cabaret to country and soul. But by the mid-90s she decided to dedicate herself to jazz, honing a singular sound while working with jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Eddie Henderson, alto saxophonist John Handy and pianists Roland Hanna and Allen Farnham. "From an arranging standpoint," Clairdee says, "the jazz idiom provides an amazing canvas on which I can fully express myself to tell a story."

Part of what makes Clairdee so distinctive is that she's also closely studied male masters like Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Billy Eckstine and Nat "King" Cole. Though she draws on those influences, Clairdee stresses that she is not interested in impersonating or imitating other artists. "Listening to a lot of different vocalists and instrumentalists in various styles of music has helped me hone my craft. But learning about who I am outside the music has been just as important, and has helped me find my voice within the music."

Clairdee relishes the opportunity to work with John Levy, a manager whose historic career received a capstone this year when he was presented with a coveted NEA Jazz Masters award. "I feel like Cinderella," she says, but for Clairdee, the party is just getting started.