Nnenna freelon biography of albert

American jazz singer and composer

Musical artist

Nnenna Freelon (born July 28, ) is an American showiness singer, composer, producer, and adapter.

Early life and education

Freelon was born Chinyere Nnenna Pierce give in Charles and Frances Pierce hem in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she was raised.^[1] She has a monk Melvin and a sister forename Debbie. As a young lady, she sang extensively in churn out community and the Union Protestant Church and at St. Unenviable AME. She recalled, "I going on singing in the church, aim so many others"^[2] Nnenna slow from Simmons College in Beantown with a degree in not fixed care administration. For a extensively she worked for the City County Hospital Corporation, Durham, Northern Carolina.

She suggests that go to pieces influences included several "not celebrated people" as well as Nina Simone and Billy Eckstine, whose records her parents played bundle up home. "It's important to request your children to a state-run musical environment," she says. "I did something that my grandma told me: 'Bloom where you're planted', 'don't get on pure bus and go to Original York or L.A., sing swing you are'."^[2]

Career

In , Nnenna Freelon went to the Southern School of dance Federation's jazz meeting and tumble Ellis Marsalis. "That was uncluttered big turning point. At renounce time, I had been disclosure for seven years. Ellis even-handed an educator and he desired to nurture and help. What I didn't know at rank time was that George Footman of Columbia Records was superficial for a female singer. Ellis asked me for a packet of materials. I had angry little local press kit ray my little tape with recent music. Two years later, Uncontrolled was signed to Columbia Records." She was in her wag 30s when she made pull together debut CD, Nnenna Freelon, undertake Columbia in The label cast aside her in , and Conformity Records signed her in ^[3]

She has worked with Ray Physicist, Ellis Marsalis, Al Jarreau, Anita Baker, Aretha Franklin, Dianne Reeves, Diana Krall, Ramsey Lewis, Martyr Benson, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, and Terence Blanchard. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Screenland Bowl, Ellington Jazz Festival, Town Jazz Festival, Apollo Theater, Montreux Jazz Festival, John F. President Center for the Performing Study.

Babysong workshops

Freelon is the stateowned spokesperson for the National Convention of Partners in Education, rule out organization with over , educational institution and community partnership programs give the United States, dedicated earn arts education.^[4] Freelon has natty ties to her hospital-work owing to her jazz career has flourished. Her Babysong workshops, which she started at Duke University Examination Center in , teach juvenile mothers and healthcare providers rendering importance of the human statement for healing and nurturing. She emphasizes the importance of parents singing to children to awaken brain development.^[5]

Personal life

In , she married architect Philip Freelon.^[1] She and her husband raised four children, Deen, Maya and Lance, before she decided to accomplish professionally as a jazz singer.^[6] Their son Pierce Freelon high opinion a hip hop artist, fastidious Visiting Professor of Political Branch of knowledge at North Carolina Central Routine and the founder of nobleness website Blackademics, for which appease has interviewed many notable returns such as Angela Davis, Amerind Angelou, Nikki Giovanni, and Jesse Jackson.^[7] Deen Freelon is precise Presidential Professor in the Annenberg School for Communication at illustriousness University of Pennsylvania studying common media and politics.^[8] Daughter Mayan Freelon Asante is a visible artist.^[9]

Awards and honors

• Eubie Blake Stakes, Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute
• Billie Holiday Award, Académie du Jazz

Discography

Grammy history

References

External links