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Dorian Devins

New York City-based jazz vocalist and lyricist Dorian Devins comes to performance from a lifetime of involvement with music filtered through a diverse background, including a career in broadcasting and print media and extensive travel.

After finding that she loved creating music through performance, she studied music theory and voice. Not content to do the standard repertoire of many jazz singers, she set out to learn and understand the music she most loved, and found a new voice writing lyrics. To date she has written lyrics for over 2 dozen jazz standards, and is currently working on composing her own tunes as well.

Aside from music, Dorian is the co-founder and co-curator of the world-famous Secret Science Club, a monthly arts and lecture series based in Brooklyn, NY. She is also a visual artist.

Dorian Devins Hits a Double in the Bleak Midwinter

by C. Michael Bailey
January 10, 2017

New York centered jazz singer and lyricist Dorian Devins first rocked my sensitive Southern Consciousness in 2013 with the release of The Procrastinator (Rain1 Jazz). Devins marked a return to that jazz step-child, vocalese: the application of lyrics to well-known wordless jazz compositions. The recording was a cornerstone of that year. Devins played a very large part on The Lou Rainone Quintet +1's Skydance singing two of her compositions (Rain1jazz, 2015). Here on the fulcrum between then and now, Devins ...

Album Review

Dorian Devins: The Procrastinator

Read "The Procrastinator" reviewed by C. Michael Bailey

by C. Michael Bailey
February 10, 2013

Ginny Carr and the Uptown Vocal Jazz Quartet recently paid proper homage to vocalese master Eddie Jefferson with the song “He Was the Cat," from Hustlin' For A Gig (HouseKat Records, 2012). Jefferson, along with Clarence Beeks (King Pleasure), specialized in writing lyrics for and singing the more notable jazz compositions, like “Moody's Mood for Love" and “Parker's Mood." This rarefied musical form has remained dormant for many years, waiting for a new talent to pen new lyrics for old ...

THE PROCRASTINATOR (Dorian Devins) - a "Best Recordings of 2013" - C. Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

"(Devins) takes a less often traveled road and blazes a new trail in standards interpretation." —All About Jazz

"...her vocal artistry transcends the traditional singer mode and moves more to a blending of melody and harmonic invention as part of the band" —Critical jazz

"Welcome the new Eddie Jefferson! " —C. Michael Bailey, The One from The Other