Claudia Villela

OCT 1-3 | Claudia Villela

Oct 01 - Oct 03, 2021

Joe Henderson Lab

PLEASE NOTE:
This page is an archive of a past production

Please visit our calendar for all upcoming SFJAZZ shows.

Original show description below.

Claudia Villela's concert on FRI, OCT 1 at 7:00 PM will be broadcast live as part of Fridays Live, available to all SFJAZZ Members.

Each night, Claudia Villela and her band will play two completely different shows.

“A Brazilian-born genius with a blistering voice" (JazzTimes), Rio-born Villela has developed a reputation as a singularly unique singer, pianist and composer, lending her five-octave voice to work with jazz luminaries including Kenny Werner, Michael Brecker and Toots Thielemans.

Inspired to sing from hearing the intoxicating sounds emanating from the samba school behind her grndmother’s house, Villela began singing professionally as a teen and eventually moved to the Bay Area. A scholarship to New York’s Manhattan School of Music and studies with the legendary Sheila Jordan cemented Villela’s jazz credentials, and she returned to California as an artist on a mission to create fresh, original music born of her Brazilian upbringing and passion for jazz. She blends the ever-present samba of her native Brazil with jazz, blues, and songs from around the globe, inspiring the iconic San Francisco Chronicle critic Phil Elwood to enthuse, “Villela doesn't just sing – she actually dances with her voice on top of Brazilian beats.” She has released three scintillating albums before taking a hiatus from performing, and has been busier than ever over the last few years, making a welcome return.

Villela blends the ever-present samba of her native Brazil with jazz, blues, and songs from around the globe.