CORY JAMISON

 

 

 Her interpretations of the American popular songbook and world music arrangements have captivated audiences coast to coast in venues ranging from New York's Town Hall in the east, to the Chicago Jazz Festival in the midwest, and to The Rrazz Room and the Cinegrill in the west. According to The Chicago Tribune, "Here is a triple-threat performer whose obvious musicianship, interpretive savvy, and lovely lyric instrument cannot help but disarm an audience."

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Jamison emerged on the national scene with her critically acclaimed centennial tribute to the composer Hoagy Carmichael and her debut CD "Here's to Hoagy". It was the top selling CD of 2000 on the LML Music label and the Chicago Tribune's annual CD review ranked it 4th out of that year's Top Ten Jazz Releases claiming, "If the centennial of Hoagy Carmichael is going to inspire just one new recording, then this release deserves to be it." After headlining the Bloomington Pops Carmichael Celebration with Randy Carmichael, the Bloomington Herald raved, "Cory Jamison managed to transform the large-scoped Auditorium into an intimate cabaret. Here, indeed, is a true cabaret talent, a la Barbara Cook".

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Her second CD, "Kenton's Cool School: The Music of June Christy, Chris Connor, and Anita O'Day", produced on her own independent label, C Jam Records, was released in November 2008. With this recording, Jamison brought together an eclectic blend of songs all performed and recorded by the three pivotal Stan Kenton vocalists. This diverse collection celebrates the musical legacies of the three jazz musicians and in adding her own distinct interpretation to each tune, Jamison brings their artistry to a new generation.

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Building on her success with the Hoagy Carmichael and Kenton Singers material, she continues to expand her popular following with tributes to Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, The Women of Tin Pan Alley, Richard Rodgers, and many more contemporary composers like Joni Mitchell, David Wilcox, and Shawn Colvin. She is also a regularly featured vocalist in the prestigious Chicago Humanities Festival and Mabel Mercer Foundation's Cabaret Conventions in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco and performed often with the cabaret legend Julie Wilson.

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Jamison is a life-long learner of music from all eras and cultures and she also studies Ladino music and Flamenco dance as they continue to influence her live repertoire. And as an historian of American popular music, Jamison is passionate about educating young musicians and students about America's unique musical heritage. She currently tours with her "musical lectures" to high schools and college campuses throughout the country.

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Cory Jamison is a graduate of Indiana University and a Eugene O'Neill Cabaret Symposium fellow. She is also a certified Music Together teacher and a dedicated member of The Threshold Choir, an organization that brings bedside compassionate care through song to hospice patients.