Camille Thurman

Acclaimed by Downbeat Magazine as a "rising star" singer with “soulful inflection and remarkable, Fitzgerald-esque scat prowess” and hailed by All About Jazz as a “first class saxophonist that blows the proverbial roof of the place”, Camille Thurman has been amazing audiences throughout the world with her impeccable sound, remarkable vocal virtuosity and captivating artistry. Many have praised her vocal abilities to the likeness of Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter. Her lush, rich & warm sound on the tenor saxophone has led others to compare her to tenor greats Joe Henderson and Dexter Gordon. An accomplished performer and composer, Camille has worked with notable Jazz and R&B icons such as George Coleman, Roy Haynes, Dianne Reeves, Wynton Marsalis & the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Hendricks, Pattie LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Louis Hayes, Russell Malone, Nicholas Payton, Jacky Terrasson, Alicia Keys, Lalah Hathaway, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu among others. Camille has performed with her band at the Kennedy Center, Rose Theater, Alice Tully Hall, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival, The Library of Congress, the Sydney International Women in Jazz Festival, the Tomsk International Jazz Festival, the International Fano Jazz Festival and many other prominent jazz venues and festivals around the world. A 2017 season highlight includes performing as a feature artist alongside Harry Connick Jr., Audra MacDonald, Diana Krall, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Renee Fleming, Marilyn Maye, Roberta Gambarini and Kenny Washington along with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra for the “Ella at 100: Forever The First Lady of Song” Gala concert in tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. In 2015 Camille was a recipient of the Martin E. Segal –Lincoln Center Award for Outstanding Young Artists and a runner up in the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition. She was a two-time award winning recipient of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award and a winner of the Fulbright Scholars Cultural Ambassador Grant to Nicaragua and Paraguay. Her compositions were featured and performed by her quartet in the ASCAP/ Kennedy Center "Songwriters: The Next Generation" showcase. Camille has appeared on BET’s Black Girls Rock as the saxophonist & flutist in the All Star Band. “ORIGINS” (2014), Camille’s debut album, reached JazzWeek’s Top 50 and was hailed by the New York Jazz Record as a record that “comes bursting in with the power of virtuosity tempered by tradition, understanding and great feeling” and was celebrated as “a rich multifaceted work of art that is never boring and at times is outstanding” (Curt’s Jazz).

“Spirit Child” (2014) featured Rashaan Carter, Shirazette Tinnin, Anthony Wonsey, Shan Kenner and Jason Lindner. “Inside The Moment: Live At Rockwood Music Hall” (2017) is Camille’s third release as a leader and first on Chesky Records featuring Mark Whitfiled, Ben Allison and Billy Drummond. ​ ​ ​ Camille is a proud endorser of D'Addario Woodwinds Jazz Selects Saxophone Reeds. Source: Camille Thurman

Awards

2012 & 2013 ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award 2013 Featured Artist/Band for the ASCAP/ Kennedy Center "Songwriters: The Next Generation" showcase 2013 ASCAP Phoebe Jacobs Prize 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition 2nd Runner Up 2012 & 2013 Saxophonist for BET Black Girls Rock All Star Band 2014 Mid Atlantic Jazz Festival Vocal Competition Finalist