Camille Thurman … remember the name! As a composer, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and unique interpreter of the jazz tradition, she is quickly becoming one of the standard bearers for the form, making a considerable and dynamic contribution to the legacy of jazz while paying tribute to its heroes.

Fluid and powerful on the tenor saxophone and highly inventive as a vocalist, she also plays bass clarinet, flute, and piccolo. Her rich sax sound has been compared to Joe Henderson and Dexter Gordon, while her vocal approach—including an impressive scatting ability—has been classified alongside those of Ella Fitzgerald and Betty Carter.

In a few short years, Thurman has shared stages with such jazz and R&B luminaries as George Coleman, Roy Haynes, Dianne Reeves, Jack DeJohnette, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Terri Lyne Carrington, Harry Connick Jr., Jon Batiste,  Audra MacDonald, Diana Krall, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Chaka Khan, Janelle Monáe, Alicia Keys, Lalah Hathaway, Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, among others.

The New York City native has already amassed several distinctive honors for her musicianship: runner up in the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, two-time winner of the ASCAP Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award and a winner of the Fulbright Scholars Cultural Ambassador Grant, and the Jazz Coalition Composers Grant among others. Thurman also has four full-length recordings as a leader to her credit. 

Thurman toured internationally toured two seasons withe the world-renowned Jazz At Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis as a saxophonist, becoming the first woman in 30 years to tour and perform full time (2018-2020).When she is not touring with the JALCO, Thurman is on the road leading her band, The Camille Thurman Quartet. 

Thurman performs as part of New Standards Jazz Crawl on Friday, October 21st at The Carr Center Performance Studio.