Gabrielle Cavassa

Vocalist-composer Gabrielle Cavassa continues to garner attention for her distinctive voice and intimate expression. She was crowned co-winner of the 2021 International Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocal Competition, joining the ranks of such previous winners as Cyrille Aimée, Jazzmeia Horn and Samara Joy who is a double Grammy winner this year. Growing up in the San Diego suburb of Escondido, Cavassa heard “a lot of Frank Sinatra because my grandpa is Italian, and he just loved Frank Sinatra.” Her tastes soon broadened to include the likes of Nancy Wilson and Ella Fitzgerald from her parents’ jazz Christmas albums. But it was while attending San Francisco State College that Cavassa really started getting into jazz, going to live performances and collecting records. In 2017, Cavassa moved to New Orleans, quickly acclimating herself to the local music scene. She toured with Adonis Rose and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, and trumpeter Irvin Mayfield. As a songwriter, she confronts challenging topics as though she’s sharing stark, intimate diary entries with the world. Her expression reflects influences ranging from Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse to Frank Ocean and Italian opera. Cavassa’s 2020 critically-acclaimed self-titled recording debut, co-produced by Grammynominated artist and collaborator Jamison Ross, includes features from fellow genre-bending artists Braxton Cook and Ashlin Parker. Cavassa is set to release her second studio album later this year, a collaboration with keyboardist Ryan Hanseler. More at gabriellecavassa.com.