Elisabeth Kontomanou
Elisabeth Kontomanou (born November 30, 1961 in Lyon ) is a French jazz singer .
Live and act
Kontomanou, whose mother is from Greece and whose father is from Guinea , grew up in southern France. The musical autodidact founded her own jazz quartet at the end of the 1980s, with which she first attracted attention at the Concours de La Défense .
In 1988 she worked with the pianist Jean-Michel Pilc , as well as with Thomas Bramerie , Pierre Dayraud and Stéphane Belmondo . She sang the title song in the music film Masque de Lune by Michel Legrand . In 1993 she recorded her first album.
In 1995 Kontomanou went to the USA , where she performed in various New York clubs. In 1998 she went on a US tour with pianist Andy Milne . The album Hands and Incarnation brought her in 1999 a nomination for the Django d'Or . After working with various formations (including a sextet with saxophonists JD Allen and Sam Newsome and with the big band Ornicar ), she founded a duo with percussionist Ari Hoenig in 2004 . In 2006 she was voted best jazz vocalist of the year ( Les Victoires du Jazz ). In 2011 she recorded the album Secret of the Wind with pianist Geri Allen . She also worked with Leon Parker , Toots Thielemans and Jacques Schwarz-Bart .
Discographic notes
- Embrace with JD Allen III, Thomas Bramerie, Abdou M'Boup , Sam Newsome, Jean-Michel Pilc, 1998
- Hands and Incantation with Jean-Michel Pilc, 2000
- Midnight Sun with Thomas Bramerie, Ali Muhammed Jackson , Jean-Michel Pilc, 2002–03
- Waitin 'for Spring with Laurent Coq , Daryl Hall , Sam Newsome, John Scofield , 2006
- Brewin 'the Blues , 2008, with Laurent Courthaliac (piano)
- Secret of the Wind , 2011, with Geri Allen (Plus Loin Music)
- Amoureuse , 2014
Lexical entry
- Philippe Carles , André Clergeat , Jean-Louis Comolli : Le nouveau dictionnaire du jazz . R. Laffont: Paris 2011
Web links
- In the footsteps of Dee Dee Bridegewater: France's No. 1 jazz vocalist
- Elisabeth Kontomanou at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
personal data | |
---|---|
SURNAME | Kontomanou, Elisabeth |
BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French jazz singer |
DATE OF BIRTH | November 30, 1961 |
PLACE OF BIRTH | Lyon |