by Tom DemalonBorn in 1970, in Berne, Switzerland, Swiss/Dutch jazz vocalist Susanne Abbuehl showed an interest in music at a very young age, composing songs and writing lyrics as a small child, as well as studying harpsichord. She moved to Los Angeles in 1987 to study voice and spent time touring the United States and Canada with a jazz group. She later returned to Europe, studying jazz and classical voice, including North Indian classical voice, at the Royal Conservatory of the Hague. In 2001, Abbuehl released April on ECM, earning enthusiastic reviews and comparisons to other modern-day, female jazz vocalists like Cassandra Wilson and Norah Jones. Compass, also on ECM, followed in 2006.