24 year old Natalie John develops her artistic expression by stretching the boundaries....

Bio

24 year old Natalie John develops her artistic expression by stretching the boundaries of popular music with compositions that derive from folk, jazz and rock. Her music blends together the sultry, coy emotions of jazz singers that precede her with the tension of jagged rhythms and complex, lush harmonies. Natalie became enthralled with music as a youth when she began singing in girl’s choir. At the age of 16, she delved into the world of jazz records and began to pursue her musical training in the genre.

Upon entering college at University of Southern California in Los Angeles, she studied with top ranked jazz musicians, earning the John Coltrane Foundation Scholarship in 2005 and the 2006 Downbeat Award for Best College Vocalist. Transferring to New School University in 2006, John studied with Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, Junior Mance, Rachel Z, Joe Chambers and many other inspiring artists in New York City.

She participated in the prestigious Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead artist residency at the Kennedy Center in the spring of 2008. Also in 2008 she was selected from an international draw of musicians to participate in the Banff Centre’s 3-week International Workshop for Jazz and Creative Music, directed by world-reclaimed trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas.

Outside of collegiate groups, John has performed at clubs in and around the city of L.A., including Catalina’s, the Mint, the Lighthouse, Tangier, and others. The Natalie John Quartet was featured at the 2005 Festival Jazz en Lima, voyaging to Lima, Peru, South America, where she shared the bill with Maria Schneider, Ingrid Jensen, Geoff Keezer, and other international jazz greats. Since 2006, the Natalie John Quartet performs in Manhattan and Brooklyn at such venues as the 55 Bar, Zinc Bar, Sweet Rhythm, Spike Hill, Rose Live Music, Cornelia St. Cafe and others.

Natalie recently shared her talents on Oscar-winning composer and incredible South Indian musician Prasanna’s new jazz album (release info. TBA). She has also performed with Ingrid Jensen’s quintet, Rachel Z’s Department of Good and Evil, and Travis Sullivan’s Bjorkestra.

Natalie has worked as a jazz educator at USC’s Jazz Reach program for Los Angeles inner-city middle school students. She is currently on the vocal faculty at the 2010 Own the Mic vocal workshop in Novato, CA and the Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music in Chennai, India for the 2010 fall semester.

Influences

Joni Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley, Return to Forever, and many many more.

Education

In 2010, Natalie John is affiliated with two music schools, one in California, one in India; both strive to educate youth about the theory and practice of contemporary music performance.

Own the Mic (Marin County, CA).
Director: Lilan Kane. Own The Mic inspires young singers to challenge themselves and increase their musicianship through vocal and music education workshops. Singers will learn about vocal technique, basic theory, ear training, improvisational ideas, singing through chord progressions, mic technique, communicating with the band, intros and outros, finding the right keys to songs and arranging ideas to perform songs. Master classes include Do Dat Scat! Improv Lab, Songwriting, and Rock Steady: How to Prepare for an Audition, and singers will participate in a gospel choir, sing lead and backups in smaller ensembles.

Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (Chennai, India)
Director: Prasanna. SAM is not just your regular east-meets-west backyard. At SAM, we bring cross-cultural dialogues that are for real. This is a place where the drummer who idolizes Dennis Chambers or a guitar player who is a John Petrucci fan can also get to study with top flight Indian classical musicians to broaden their spectrum and bring more than a bit of India into their playing.

This is a place where a kanjira player or a tabla player can get a feel for how grooves and rhythms work in Funk and Reggae and how orchestration happens in larger western instrumental ensembles. Our uniquely designed integrated curriculum is targeted at taking your musicianship up several notches to enable you to not only become a better musician but a better interpreter of your inner self as an artist. You will study with world class musicians from around the world, enjoy access to state of the art equipment and most of all will be tucked away in an atmosphere of creativity in our sprawling 4 acre campus.


Singing Joni Mitchell's Black Crowe at Cachaca in New York City