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Natalie John

24 year old Natalie John develops her artistic expression through stretching the boundaries of popular music with compositions that derive from jazz, folk, and rock. Her music blends together the sultry, coy emotions of jazz singers that precede her with the tension of jagged rhythms and complex, lush harmonies. Natalie became enthralled with music as a youth when she began singing in girl’s choir. At the age of 16, she delved into the world of jazz records and began to pursue her musical training in the genre. Upon entering college at University of Southern California, she studied with top ranked jazz musicians, earning the John Coltrane Foundation Scholarship in 2005 and the 2006 Downbeat Award for Best College Vocalist. Transferring to New School University in 2006, John studied with Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, Junior Mance, Rachel Z, Joe Chambers and many other inspiring artists in New York City. She participated in the prestigious Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead artist residency at the Kennedy Center in the spring of 2008. Also in 2008 she was selected from an international draw of musicians to participate in the Banff Centre’s 3-week International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music, directed by world-reclaimed trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas. Outside of collegiate groups, John has performed at clubs in and around the city of L.A., including Catalina’s, the Mint, the Lighthouse, Tangier, and others. The Natalie John Quartet was featured at the 2005 Festival Jazz en Lima, voyaging to Lima, Peru, where she shared the bill with Maria Schneider, Ingrid Jensen, Geoff Keezer, and other international jazz greats. Since 2006, the Natalie John Quartet performs in Manhattan and Brooklyn at such venues as the 55 Bar, Zinc Bar, Sweet Rhythm, Spike Hill, Rose Live Music, Cornelia St. Café, and others. Natalie recently shared her talents on Oscar-winning composer and incredible South Indian musician Prasanna's new jazz album (release info. TBA). She has also performed with Ingrid Jensen’s quintet, Rachel Z’s Department of Good and Evil, Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra, and DUET, formerly known as the Tyler Schwartz Group. She performs regularly at the 55 Bar in Manhattan with her quartet.

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151
Album Review

Natalie John: Unveiled

Read "Unveiled" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey


Listening to Natalie John's Unveiled is a jarring, almost alarming experience. It is comparable to a first listen to Tony William's Emergency (Polydor, 1969), or Miles Davis on the verge, with his “Lost Quintet" (Chick Corea, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette, and Wayne Shorter), on the recently uncovered It's About That Time (Columbia, 2001). Those recordings presented music that was in-your-face on the blade edge of drastic change . A similar, though more diffuse trend is happening today in jazz vocals, ...

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105

Primary Instrument

Vocals

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Unveiled

Self Produced
2010

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