Vocalist Janice Borla has made utilizing her voice as a jazz instrument her artistic mission, applying it to her explorations of instrumental jazz tunes by modern and contemporary jazz composers and participating in the improvisatory process as an equal member of the ensemble. Her recordings and performances have earned her consistently high praise for her beautiful sound, superb technique, adventurous repertoire and imaginative vocal improvisations.
Borla continues to expand the parameters of jazz vocal expression on her current release From Every Angle, which was named one of the "Best CDs of the Year" by DownBeat and was hailed by JazzWeek as "Another fine effort from a singer who seems to do everything right."
Often cited for her adventurous, risk-taking approach, Borla continually challenges herself, keeping vocal improvisation front-and-center in her performances. As veteran jazz journalist Neil Tesser notes: "She shatters the stereotype of the jazz vocalist as a poseur or wannabe, infatuated with the idea of improvisation but lacking the mettle to carry it off: she's a musician who happens to play voice."
Borla's previous CD Agents of Change, named "The #1 Jazz CD of the Year" by WBEZ-FM Chicago Public Radio, also enjoyed wide critical acclaim. Christopher Loudon (Jazz Times) describes her as "a one-woman jazz tornado" and praised the album as "...eight breathtaking musical canvases, each a perceptively executed masterpiece... Genius. Pure genius." Gary Walker (WBGO, NY): "Fresh and inventive... This CD knocks me out." Bob Protzman (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette): "A stunning singer with a lustrous voice and the technique, imagination and daring of the best improvising instrumentalists."
She has performed with such jazz talents as Clark Terry, Bunky Green, Bobby Watson, Gary Bartz, Bobby Shew and numerous others. Recent performances include Chicago's Jazz Showcase, The Iridium in New York City, the Soroptimist Women in Jazz Festival in Fort Bragg, California and the Chicago Jazz Festival. A highlight of the International Association of Jazz Education in New York City was a concert where Borla and her group showcased the music on From Every Angle to a capacity crowd of attendees that responded with a standing ovation.
Acknowledged as a pioneer in vocal jazz education, Borla founded the Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp and Hot Jazz - 6 Cool Nites Concert Series, cited by Jazziz Magazine as "one of the most innovative and dynamic summer jazz educational programs in the country." She is currently Director of Vocal Jazz with the Jazz Studies Program at North Central College. As a guest artist and clinician she has performed at high schools, colleges and festivals.
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