Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning composer, jazz singer and musical storyteller Cécile McLorin Salvant will blend sounds that reimagine the jazz genre when she performs at Shannon Hall in Memorial Union on Feb. 7. This concert is part of the Wisconsin Union Theater’s 2022-23 Jazz Series. During her Feb. 7 concert, Salvant will perform a 90-minute set featuring songs from her 2022 album “Ghost Song,” which explores themes of love, loss & life, as well as selections from her previous discography. The New York Times recently named “Ghost Song” the Best Jazz Album of 2022.
She discovered her passion for music at a young age, beginning piano lessons at 5 years old, joining a children’s choir at the age of 8, and enrolling in classical voice training as a teenager. Since her early music education, she has shifted her focus from classical music to jazz and has established herself as one of the most highly acclaimed jazz singers of her generation. Stylistic experimentation, heartfelt storytelling and velvety vocals characterize her unique sound. She considers herself an “eclectic curator,” as she draws connections between genres and time periods usually considered distinct, including vaudeville, blues, jazz, baroque & folkloric music. Salvant’s repertoire contains new takes on jazz standards along with many original compositions. Over the course of her extensive career, Salvant has received an array of prestigious awards, including the MacArthur Fellowship, the Doris Duke Artist Award, & GRAMMY Awards for best jazz vocal album.
