Born: March 15 Primary Instrument: Vocal
Jill Salkin describes herself to be a hybrid singer and songwriter. Her many musical influences include Motown, Joni Mitchell, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Sarah Vaughan, Patti Austin, Chaka Khan, and Steely Dan.
Jill started writing poetry at 14, and and then began writing songs, accompanying herself with guitar and piano. Her voice study began at 16, which she continued through college and beyond.
Her earliest performances were in coffee houses, and through the years, Jill has honed her craft as a singer and performer in a variety of venues such as clubs, in casino lounges and as a background vocalist for showroom headliners in Atlantic City, recording projects, and jazz clubs in Philadelphia and New York City.
In 2001, Jill released her first CD, Heart’s Desire, a collection of her original songs, which had some select airplay. 2009 brought the release of The Very Thought of You, a compilation of jazz standards and one of her original songs. The new CD has been featured on jazz radio stations in the U.S.
Jill’s son, Jordan Howell, is a fine drummer, coming into his own in the jazz scene in Philadelphia and New York. When you listen to the songs on Jill’s first CD, you can hear the inspiration her young son brought to her life. Now, Jill is excited about bringing that full circle by having Jordan play on her gigs.
With ongoing radio airplay and live performances, Jill looks forward to broadening her audience, bringing her unique style and stage presence to many new listeners.
“How sweet it is for a radio jazz DJ to now and then receive music from a talented vocalist, he or she has not heard before. A jazz programmer’s show is as good as the artists presented on the show. So, stacking the deck with good stuff is paramount.
Vocalist Jill Salkin is of the same stack-the-deck mind-set: When she sent me her CD, The Very Thought of You, she had done so by seeking out some of the top instrumental talent in the Philly area for support.
Jill is by no means a musical novice, but I had not heard her previous to receiving her CD. As A radio DJ, it was refreshing to hear, and to present to my audience, a genuinely fine jazz voice, that perhaps may also have been new to them.” Bob Perkins - WRTI, Philadelphia
Heart's Desire (Facing East, 2000)
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