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Jeannette Lambert

Inspired by her jazz-loving parents and childhood addresses that spanned the globe, Ms. Lambert began singing professionally in coffee shops at the age of 12. Mentored by veterans of the Montreal jazz scene, including trumpeter Herbie Spanier, and influenced by the diverse vocal traditions of flamenco, fado, and jaipong, she grew up playing in professional jam sessions with visiting artists such as vocalist Jon Hendricks. She would go on to further refine her musical style studying with vocalist Jay Clayton, the legendary Cecil Taylor and others at the Banff Jazz Workshop. Geoff Chapman of the Toronto Star wrote that "unadorned elegance is the keynote of Jeannette Lambert's singing" and she was named one of the 500 best jazz vocalists of all time by author Scott Yanow in his book, Jazz Singers. She has performed around the world, written lyrics for music recorded by a number of other jazz vocalists, and co-founded the artist collective/record label Jazz From Rant with her brother, guitarist Reg Schwager, and her husband, drummer Michel Lambert, in 1991.

She has produced two cds of children's jazz music with her group, Bebop for Babies. She performs melodic versions of Bronte poems on Michel Lambert's cd, Unclouded Day, released by Ayler Records. She has also released her jazz versions of classic Christmas carols, Jeannettically Modified Christmas Songs.

Her jazz standards album, Born to be Blue, features a collection of her favourites. Recently Jeannette, Reg and Michel travelled to Bali, Indonesia where they performed music from Born to Blue as well as collaborating with many great Balinese musicians. She has composed a song cycle inspired by their travels in Bali as well as a series of compositions based on dream-inspired haiku. She appears on the cd by Phil May entitled Sudbury, singing in both French and English in a tribute to their hometown in Northern Ontario.

In 2014 she returned to Indonesia to travel to Sulawesi where she performed her song cycle Bali Songs at the Toraja International Festival with her trio. In the summer of 2015 she collaborated with Michel Lambert on compositions created during their artist residency in Italy. Her newest recording, Sonnets and Promises, is currently in production and features songs gathered in Barcelona and Rome with Reg Schwager, Greg Burk, Alexandre Grogg and Michel Lambert.

She recently produced an online jazz vocal course, available in China, and has a Youtube channel dedicated to interviews with female improvisors and innovators. As well, her multi-media web cinema projects featuring her music have been exhibited worldwide. She lives in Montréal, Canada, with her husband, drummer and composer Read more

" data-original-title="" title="">Michel Lambert and their two sons.

Awards

She has been the recipient of numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec for composing, travel, new media and sound recording.

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Recording

Jeannette Lambert releases new album of jazz standards

Jeannette Lambert releases new album of jazz standards

Source: Lambert

MONTREAL, QC (CANADA)—On May 5th, 2011, Jazz From Rant will release Montreal jazz vocalist Jeannette Lambert's 9th recording as a leader, Born to be Blue (rant 1141), featuring her longtime collaborators, her brother guitarist Reg Schwager, her husband drummer Michel Lambert and bassist Neil Swainson. The recording features a return to the jazz standards Jeannette and Reg began performing when they were teenagers, with many of the selections recorded now for the first time. Drawing on her background singing and ...

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Recording

Jeannette Lambert's "Sand Underfoot" Out Today

Jeannette Lambert's "Sand Underfoot" Out Today

Source: All About Jazz

MONTREAL, QC (CANADA) -- On February 28th, Jazz From Rant will release Montreal- based poet/jazz vocalist Jeannette Lambert's seventh recording as a leader, Sand Underfoot (rant 0631), featuring longtime collaborators, bassist Barre Phillips and drummer Michel Lambert, and special guest, pianist Paul Bley. Funded in part by the Canada Music Fund and the Music Section of the Canada Council for the Arts, her follow- up to 2003's Lone Jack Pine (rant 2027), which Cadence called “an absorbing round of music ...

126

Recording

Poet/Jazz Vocalist Jeannette Lambert's New CD Coming Feb. 28th

Poet/Jazz Vocalist Jeannette Lambert's New CD Coming Feb. 28th

Source: All About Jazz

MONTREAL, QC (CANADA) -- On February 28th, Jazz From Rant will release Montral- based poet/jazz vocalist Jeannette Lambert's seventh recording as a leader, Sand Underfoot (rant 0631), featuring longtime collaborators, bassist Barre Phillips and drummer Michel Lambert, and special guest, pianist Paul Bley. Funded in part by the Canada Music Fund and the Music Section of the Canada Council for the Arts, her follow- up to 2003's Lone Jack Pine (rant 2027), which Cadence called “an absorbing round of music ...

Re: Unclouded Day:

"fantastic and jaw dropping" JAZZNETT "a winning live document " THE WIRE "like a cubist painting" MODISTI

”Sand Underfoot is a top notch session … The undisputable stand-out track is "Sand Underfoot," … It sums up all of this album's delicateness, creativity and telepathic interaction ... Sand Underfoot remains firmly anchored in jazz, if only by Jeannette's deep understanding of jazz singing and Michel's flexible free swing, so there is no need to be afraid.”

François Couture, All Music Guide

Pick of the Week: "Amidst a crowded room of experimental female jazz vocalists, Jeannette Lambert comes across as a refreshing alternative to the usual sound manipulators. Her style is more reminiscent of avant-psych-folk from the 1960s than any jazz vocalist; think of her as a cross between ESP- Disk folk, Fairport Convention, and Patty Waters. Her voice has a sing-song quality that buoys up even the compellingly dark musical atmospheres created here by Phillips, Bley, and Michel Lambert ... This fascinating disc is also further proof of the vitality of Quebec’s jazz scene."

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Primary Instrument

Vocals

Location

Montreal

Willing to teach

Beginner to advanced

Credentials/Background

Jeannette's online jazz vocal course for beginners is available in Chinese through IYA Music. She can be contacted directly for private lessons.

Clinic/Workshop Information

Jeannette has given workshops on jazz vocal technique, free improvisation and working with poetry.

Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Born To Be Blue

Jazz from Rant
2011

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Jeannettically...

Jazz from Rant
2009

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Michel Lambert...

Ayler Records
2007

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Sand Underfoot

Jazz from Rant
2006

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Bebop for Babies II

Jazz from Rant
2006

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Bebop for Babies

Jazz from Rant
2003

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Rim of Fire

From: Sand Underfoot
By Jeannette Lambert

Videos

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