Janet Evra

Last updated

Janet Evra
Janet Evra Photo.png
Background information
Birth nameJanet Kimberley Irvine
Born (1988-07-04) July 4, 1988 (age 35)
Origin Gloucester, England
Genres Latin jazz, samba, jazz, indie jazz, French jazz, bossa nova
Occupation(s)Jazz singer/bassist
LabelsLotown, Plum Jazz
Website janetevra.com

Janet Irvine Buchanan, (born 4 July 1988) popularly known as Janet Evra, is an English-born vocalist, bassist, guitarist, songwriter and bandleader. Evra sings in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French and performs in jazz, indie jazz, French jazz, bossa nova, samba, and Latin jazz styles. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life

Janet Irvine was born in Gloucester, England. She grew up in a musical household and learned the piano, cello, and guitar as a child.

She was a member of Cheltenham indie rock band Knave in 2006, performing on vocals and rhythm guitar.

She received a B.A. from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, and a M.S. from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability in Ann Arbor, Michigan. [3] She then lived in Alton, Illinois and worked in the sustainability field for an environmental non-profit. [4] She then moved to St. Louis, Missouri.

Career

Evra performs at music festivals and concerts in the US and Europe. She has performed shows in Sweden and Switzerland and at the 2019 Deva Jazz Festival in Romania, the 2021 Linna Jazz Festival in Finland, and the 2023 Brecon Jazz Festival in the United Kingdom. [5]

Evra released her debut album Ask Her to Dance in 2018. [4] [6] [7] In 2019 Evra released 'Wish You Were Here', a single, and in 2020 she released singles 'Summer Love Song', 'Floating on Life', and 'I'd Rather Be Lonely With You'. [8]   Evra signed with Lotown Records in 2020. In 2021 Evra released her second album, Janet Evra & Ptah Williams: New Friends, Old Favorites; the album received national jazz radio play in the US. [9] In 2022 Evra signed with Plum Jazz and released her third album Hello Indie Bossa. [10] In 2023 Evra released a single "Almost True" featuring Randy Brecker; also in 2023 Evra released her fourth album, Meet Me in Paris, a French jazz-themed record. [11]

Evra has collaborated with Randy Brecker, Taylor Eigsti, Andrea Motis, Wycliffe Gordon, Tracy Silverman, Bob Reynolds, Sara Gazarek, Mohini Dey, Severi Pyysalo, Yusa, Jeff Coffin, Roy Wooten, Eric Marienthal, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Ptah Williams, and Diego Figueiredo among other musicians. [12] [10] Evra was a 2019-2020 Artist in Residence at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation in St. Louis, USA. [13] She is the co-creator of St. Louis Music Box, a social media music video series. [14]

Evra also leads the musical group The Bon Bon Plot performing French jazz music. [4]

Personal life

Evra is married to Will Buchanan, a guitarist and producer. The two regularly perform together. [4] [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sleater-Kinney</span> American rock band

Sleater-Kinney is an American rock band that formed in Olympia, Washington, in 1994. The band's lineup features Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein, following the departure of longtime member Janet Weiss in 2019. Sleater-Kinney originated as part of the riot grrrl movement and has become a key part of the American indie rock scene. The band is also known for its feminist and progressive politics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Getz</span> American jazz saxophonist (1927–1991)

Stan Getz was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, with his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott Yanow as "one of the all-time great tenor saxophonists". Getz performed in bebop and cool jazz groups. Influenced by João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim, he also helped popularize bossa nova in the United States with the hit 1964 single "The Girl from Ipanema".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Vincent (musician)</span> American musician (born 1982)

Anne Erin Clark, known professionally as St. Vincent, is an American musician and singer. Her guitar playing has been praised for its melodic style and use of distortion, and she has been listed among the best guitarists of the 21st century by multiple publications. Rolling Stone named Clark the 26th-greatest guitarist of all time in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Sanborn</span> American saxophonist

David William Sanborn is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album Taking Off in 1975, but has been playing the saxophone since before he was in high school and has been a session musician long before its release. He remains popular as a session musician, playing in several albums of various artists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thievery Corporation</span> American electronic music duo

Thievery Corporation is an American electronic music duo consisting of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton. Their musical style mixes elements of dub, acid jazz, reggae, Indian classical, Middle Eastern music, hip hop and Brazilian music, including bossa nova.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creed Taylor</span> American record producer (1929–2022)

Creed Bane Taylor V was an American record producer, best known for his work with CTI Records, which he founded in 1967. His career also included periods at Bethlehem Records, ABC-Paramount Records, Verve, and A&M Records. In the 1960s, he signed bossa nova artists from Brazil to record in the US including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Eumir Deodato, João Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, and Airto Moreira.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrice Rushen</span> American jazz pianist and R&B singer

Patrice Louise Rushen is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Ono</span> Brazilian Japanese bossa nova singer

Lisa Ono is a Brazilian Japanese bossa nova singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eliane Elias</span> Brazilian jazz musician (born 1960)

Eliane Elias is a Brazilian jazz pianist, singer, composer and arranger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jula De Palma</span> Italian singer (born 1931)

Iolanda Maria Palma, known as Jula De Palma, is an Italian singer.

The St. Louis Repertory Theater is a repertory theater, based in Webster Groves, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. It is often referred to locally simply as "The Rep". Hana S. Sharif is the Artistic Director and Danny Williams is the Managing Director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LouFest</span> Annual music festival in St. Louis, Missouri

The LouFest Music Festival was an annual two-day event held 2010 - 2018 in Forest Park, located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The event featured local, regional and national acts, with an aesthetic range from funk and indie-rock to alt-country and soul. The event featured four stages with alternating performances throughout the weekend. The festival grounds included a children's stage and village, an environmentally friendly vendor area, and a food court featuring restaurants from St. Louis neighborhoods. On September 5, 2018, LouFest was canceled only days before the event was supposed to take place due to “the loss of two of the event’s top sponsors, scheduling and contract issues with major artists, and existing debt from previous events."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight</span> 1972 single by James Taylor

"Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, from his 1972 album One Man Dog. The song has been included on three of Taylor's greatest-hits collection albums: Greatest Hits (1976), Classic Songs (1987) and The Best of James Taylor (2003). Taylor re-recorded the song for the 2001 Michael Brecker album Nearness of You: The Ballad Book; this rendition won Taylor the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2002.

<i>Light My Fire</i> (Eliane Elias album) 2011 studio album by Eliane Elias

Light My Fire is the twenty-first studio album by Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias. It was released on May 31, 2011 by Concord Picante. On this record she performs mostly Brazilian songs, but also adds a couple of jazz standards and one or two famous rock and pop compositions. The Elias's song "What About the Heart " received a Grammy nomination for "Best Brazilian Song" in September 2011.

<i>I Thought About You</i> (Eliane Elias album) 2013 studio album by Eliane Elias

I Thought About You: A Tribute to Chet Baker is the twenty-second studio album by Brazilian jazz pianist and singer Eliane Elias. It was released on May 28, 2013, via Concord Picante label. The album is dedicated to American jazz trumpeter and vocalist Chet Baker. On this record she performs famous jazz standards and compositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoebe Bridgers</span> American musician (born 1994)

Phoebe Lucille Bridgers is an American singer-songwriter. Her indie folk music typically centers around acoustic guitar and electronic production, with melancholic lyrical themes. She has received four Grammy Awards from eleven nominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Aldana</span> Chilean tenor saxophone player

Melissa Aldana is a Chilean tenor saxophone player, who performs both as a soloist and with her band Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Costa (musician)</span> Jazz pianist and composer

Daniel Greco Costa is a British-Italian-Portuguese jazz pianist and composer known for his original work and for his collaborations with artists such as Randy Brecker, John Patitucci, Mike Stern, Hermeto Pascoal, Dave Liebman, Ivan Lins, Seamus Blake, Dave Douglas, Romero Lubambo, Leila Pinheiro, Marcos Suzano, Jaques Morelenbaum and Roberto Menescal. His music has been featured by publications such as DownBeat and Rolling Stone and he has worked as an educator and writer as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douyé</span> Musical artist

Douyé is a Lagos, Nigerian born jazz vocalist who now lives in Los Angeles, California. She has released five albums; the first two recordings were R&B, but she made the change to jazz for her third album to honor her dying father's request to her when she was a child, which was to sing jazz. The fourth album is jazz interpretation of bossa nova and samba music. Worldwide, Nigerian musicians are well known for Afrobeats music, but Douyé is one of the only Nigerian-born female artist that is recognized for their jazz, bossa nova jazz, and recording Great American Songbook.

The Kranzberg Arts Foundation or Kranzberg Arts Foundation is a non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting arts, music, orchestra, jazz, theater, and culture in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. The Kranzberg Arts Foundation is responsible for the creation and growth of the Midtown St. Louis Neighborhood which includes the Grand Center Arts District.

References

  1. ↑ Leftridge, Steve. "British-Born Janet Evra Is Making Glorious Jazz in St. Louis". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Kevin C. (1 December 2021). "Janet Evra delivers a fresh, romantic jazz spin to St. Louis' music scene". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Janet Buchanan | Center for Sustainable Systems". css.umich.edu. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Schaeffer, Christian. "The Bon Bon Plot's Janet Evra Takes Center Stage with Her Solo Debut". Riverfront Times. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  5. ↑ "Janet Evra tours in Finland in August - Jazz Finland". jazzfinland.fi. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Jazz, All About (17 May 2019). "Janet Evra: Ask Her to Dance album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "Reviews: Janet Evra - Ask Her To Dance". Gesso Magazine. 2 April 2019. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  8. ↑ Miserez, Laura (18 July 2020). "Behind the scenes of Janet Evra's new single, "Summer Love Song"". www.stlmag.com. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  9. ↑ "Janet Evra & Ptah Williams: New Friends & Old Favorites (Lotown Records)". JazzWeek CD Releases. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  10. 1 2 "Plum Jazz". plumjazz.com. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Album of the Week: Janet Evra, 'Meet Me in Paris' - JAZZIZ Magazine". 15 October 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Johnson, Kevin C. (December 2021). "Janet Evra delivers a fresh, romantic jazz spin to St. Louis' music scene". STLtoday.com. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  13. ↑ "Music Artists-in-Residence Archives". Kranzberg Arts Foundation. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  14. 1 2 Miserez, Laura (17 August 2021). "With the St. Louis Music Box Series, musicians Janet Evra and Will Buchanan find a new passion project". www.stlmag.com. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.