Interview with Brenda Earle Stokes, Musician, Educator, Jazz Artist

Brenda Earle Stokes is a rare jazz artist with a true command of both the voice and the piano. Hailed as “a breezy delight” by Time Out New York, Brenda’s music is rooted in the jazz tradition with influences ranging from Brazilian music to rock radio. As a bandleader she has toured clubs and festivals across the US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia and has released 6 albums own her own label. As a follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2014 studio album Right About Now, Stokes sought to challenge herself to dig deep and share the full scope of her talents in the most intimate setting possible. Brenda Earle Stokes has performed as a side person with John Riley, Dick Oatts, Joel Frahm, Roxy Coss, Wycliffe Gordon, Maurice Hines and the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. She has held residences at the Kennedy Center and Banff Center for Fine Arts, was a finalist of the Mary Lou
Williams Jazz Piano Competition and was a winner of the IAJE Sister’s in Jazz competition, identifying her as one of the top emerging jazz artists of her generation.

To learn more visit https://brendaearle.com/
To find the Versatile Musician visit https://pianoandvoicewithbrenda.com/membership/

Top 5 Songs of Encouragement
1) Song of Life:  Fred Hersch and Norma Winstone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1rRZnsy8hA&list=RDw1rRZnsy8hA&start_radio=1
2) Oscar Peterson Trio - Place St. Henri
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Nje7TuVJIo
3) Morrissey - Back on the Chain Gang (Official Video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_hInzyYN3o
4) No Wonder by Luciana Souza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttQ8k2vdopo
5) CARMEN MCRAE - No More Blues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0UWu_xchHU