Dubbed "Canada's incomparable vocal-jazz jewel," Emilie-Claire Barlow has thrilled fans from Tokyo to London (Ontario) with her exquisite recordings and effervescent live performances in the company of la crème de la crème of Toronto-area musicians.
Wherever she appears, Emilie-Claire endears herself to critics, peers and audiences alike with her polished yet relaxed demeanor, her charming humor, and a voice of unforgettable beauty.
Born in Toronto to parents who were both professional musicians, Emilie-Claire was encouraged to sing and study several instruments, including piano, cello, clarinet and violin. Emilie-Claire names Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder amongst her greatest musical influences.
Since 1998 Emilie-Claire has released nine discs. Known for her masterful interpretations of 1930s and ‘40s gems from the Great American Songbook, as well as a jazzy take on 1960s pop with the release of her 2010 CD The Beat Goes On, Emilie-Claire won a 2013 JUNO in the Vocal Jazz category for Seul ce soir (Alone Tonight). Her ninth album – the first one solely ‘en français’– contains new arrangements of songs she's recorded previously, and six completely new covers, including "Petit matin" by Sylvain Lelièvre, "Croissants de soleil" by Ginette Reno and "La belle dame sans regret" by Sting. Emilie-Claire says that an all-French album gave her “an opportunity to immerse myself a little deeper in the music and the [beauty of the] language…regardless of the language, the tone of many of these songs really reflected where I am in my life right now, so it seemed very natural” (CBC Music blog post).
ECB’s tenth album, “Live in Tokyo,” will be available this April. It was recorded at the elegant Cotton Club in the city’s Marunouchi business district.