Clairdee

Since moving to the Bay Area in 1986, Clairdee has performed almost every style of music, from R&B and cabaret to country and soul. But by the mid-90s she decided to dedicate herself to jazz, honing a singular sound while working with jazz luminaries such as trumpeter Eddie Henderson, alto saxophonist John Handy and pianists Roland Hanna and Allen Farnham. Part of what makes Clairdee so distinctive is that she's also closely studied male masters like Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Billy Eckstine and Nat "King" Cole. Though she draws on those influences her style is totally unique.