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Julie Slim

world jazz vocalist

About Me

Julie is a multilingual, multicultural vocalist who sings in Arabic, French, English, Portugese, and Spanish. With a focus on jazz and world music, Julie brings forth her cultural influences in her music, reviving American and international jazz and pop standards between the 1920's and 1960's with her unique arrangements and rich, warm vocals, while also mixing in her own compositions. She currently lives in Austin, TX.

Julie Slim & RendezVous is the project closest to her heart, a collaborative quintet with Austin musicians, specializing in French, American and international standards from the 1920s to the 1960s. Julie is honored to feature special arrangements by jazz legend, Dr. James Polk. The band premiered in 2013 to a sold out house at Esquina Tango in Austin, TX with Dr. James Polk on keyboards, Roberto Paolo Riggio on violin, Michael Stevens on bass, Michael Maddux on accordion and Ethan Vlah on percussion. Since then, RendezVous has performed widely and become a meeting place for many talented local musicians and budding friendships. Julie has self-produced a 3-song EP, a five-song live EP recorded in Austin, TX, and a full length album, Promenade Sentimentale, an 11- track journey through the many faces of love from loss to discovery. Over the years, Julie has revisited her Lebanese roots, expanding her musical repertoire to include Arabic music. Julie began her musical life in Musical Theatre in Allentown, PA. In 2009, she cofounded Layalina with oud player, Sari Andoni. Julie has also collaborated with Austin's 1001 Nights Orchestra, Ojàla, Indimaj, and Atlas Maior and has appeared on stage with Ann Hampton Callaway. She is a member of Swan Songs, an organization that fulfills musical wishes for senior citizens. She is also a member of the Threshold Choir, an international volunteer organization of women who sing for patients on their final journeys, locally at Hospice Austin's Christopher House where she and her Threshold Choir sing every Tuesday morning.

Julie began her musical journey in Beirut, Lebanon, where she grew up with Fairuz on the radio, her mother's 78s by Edith Piaf, Jacqueline François and other contemporaries, as well as listening to her mother singing French or American Standards. During her college years in Pennsylvania, she explored different styles of music like Gregorian chanting. After moving to Allentown, PA she delved into musical theatre, joining the Muhlenberg Summer Repertory Theatre in The Mikado (Pitti Sing), Kismet (Princess Ababu), and Tales from the Arabian Nights (Scheherazade), and launched her cabaret career, creating the duet cabaret act, Etcétera, with fellow actor and friend Rod Gilkeson. In 1996, shortly after moving to Austin, TX, she was nominated for a B Iben Payne theatre award for her work in the original show, Deep in the Heart of Texas. She continued performing in various Austin theaters including The State Theater (Man Of La Mancha), The Paramount with Austin Musical Theatre (Fiddler On the Roof), and The Scottish Rite Theatre with Austin Cabaret Theatre (Ann Hampton Callaway). In 1997, she created Cabarageous, a cabaret duet with friend and singer Donna Lipman, which performed in many Austin venues including the Zachary Scott Summer Cabaret Series. Since 2001, Julie has also been a vocalist and educator with Austin Jazz Workshop a nonprofit organization founded by Michael Melinger, touring over 90 elementary schools within an academic year.

Julie will be self-releasing her latest album of originals, Suspended, on April 30, 2025, available on all music platforms as well as vinyl. Her release shows will be at Monks Jazz in Austin, TX on May 2, 2025 at 8pm & 10pm live or livestreamed. 

My Jazz Story

My House Concert Story

I have hosted, attended as well as played at house concerts. As an audience member, I think that they are one of my favorite forms of concert as they provide a truly intimate experience of the music and a great chance to get to know the artists up close and personal. As a host, I loved bringing the community together and meeting new people through it while supporting music at its finest. As a performer, they are in my top favorite venues as they provide a real opportunity of conversation between the audience and the musicians, and they really take the music to a different level through the vibe and the atmosphere they create, which changes the way we play and what we end up playing. I also find that financially they are a great deal on all levels, for attendees and for the performers. As for the host, it is a wonderful way to donate energy, time and resources in support of their favorite artists.

My Favorite Local Jazz Venues & Festivals

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