biographical information
Calgary jazz singer Glennis Houston grew up listening to jazz and swing as her parents taught ballroom dancing in their family home, so she spent many nights listening to the laughter and music emanating from the basement dancing studio, and watching the obvious joy on the faces of the dancers. This childhood experience enhanced her life-long involvement in music, with piano lessons in her childhood and teens, and then studying classical voice culminating with a Masters of Music from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She eventually realized, though, that after throwing her heart and soul into studying classical, her passion lay elsewhere. She looked back to her growing up years, and to the music with which she was familiar as a youngster; thus, her move into swinging jazz and blues as she now pursues work as one of Calgary's busiest vocalists.
Upon her return from Colorado with her Masters, Glennis studied with Calgary's Viviane Cardinal, continues to study with Cheryl Fisher, and attended the Vocal Jazz camp at the internationally-renowned Banff Centre of Fine Arts, where she studied with Jay Clayton and Sheila Jordan. There, she also had the pleasure of working with musicians Randy Halberstadt, David Restivo, Mike Lent, and Owen Howard.
The release of her debut CD “Lies of Handsome Men” culminates a life-long passion for singing. The 13 playfully sensual songs cover the spectrum from jazz standard covers, blues, funk, and tender ballads. With her vocal training, she is able to cover the spectrum from smoky sultry vocals, to power-house emotion.
Glennis has appeared at the (former) Cheshire Cat for Jazz Festival 2000, the Lunchbox Theatre for Jazz Festival 2001, the Beat Niq Jazz & Social Club, Blackfoot Inn, Michaelangelo's Workshop Caf, Kaos Jazz & Blues Club, the Blue Rock, McQueen's, Diva's Lounge at the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, Murrietta's in Canmore, and has a house-gig at Bass Brothers Lincoln Park in Calgary. Her debut CD, “Lies of Handsome Men,” was recorded in July 2003, and was released to a capacity crowd at BeatNiq on January 30th, 2004. She is scheduled to perform at the C-Jazz Festival in September 2004 in Calgary, and has a house-gig at Bass Brothers Lincoln Park in south Calgary.
