Cécile McLorin Salvant
@ the Queen Elizabeth Hall
15 November 2023

Sullivan Fortner – piano, Yasushi Nakamura – bass, Savannah Harris – drums, Weedie Braimah - percussion

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Passionate, lyrical, dramatic, witty, theatrical, soulful, moody and completely captivating… Yes, this is Cécile McLorin Salvant!

Biography

Cécile McLorin Salvant was born and raised in Miami, Florida of a French mother and a Haitian father. She started classical piano studies at 5, and began singing in the Miami Choral Society at 8. Early on, she developed an interest in classical voice, began studying with private instructors, and later with Edward Walker, vocal teacher at the University of Miami.

In 2007, McLorin Salvant moved to Aix-en-Provence, France, to study law as well as classical and baroque voice at the Darius Milhaud Conservatory. It was in Aix-en-Provence, with reedist and teacher Jean-François Bonnel. She started learning about jazz, and sang with her first band. In 2009, after a series of concerts in Paris, she recorded her first album “Cécile,” with Jean-François Bonnel's Paris Quintet. A year later, she won the Thelonious Monk competition in Washington D.C.

Over the years, she has developed a curiosity for the history of American music, and the connections between jazz, vaudeville, blues, and folk music. McLorin Salvant carefully chooses her repertoire, oftentimes unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs, with strong stories.
McLorin Salvant enjoys popularity in Europe and in the United States, performing in clubs, concert halls, and festivals. In 2014, her second album, “WomanChild” (Mack Avenue Records) was nominated for a Grammy.

Her third album, “For One To Love” (for Mack Avenue Records), was recorded in 2015 with Aaron Diehl (piano), Paul Sikivie (bass), and Lawrence Leathers (drums). In 2016, “For One To Love” won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album.