Audrey Shakir
Jazz Voice School of Music- Biography
Audrey Shakir was born into a musical family in Cleveland, Ohio – her mother was a great pianist, organist and vocal coach, and her father, whose idol was Billy Eckstine, loved to sing. She began her professional career as a pianist in a group that played the tunes of Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan and others. Eventually, Audrey started leaning towards Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, all the while adding singing to her playing talents, with the vocal influences of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Joe Williams and Jon Hendricks.
After moving to New York, she was introduced to Barry Harris, which led to numerous gigs with him. While playing the New York scene, she became a regular performer at The Village Gate and had dates at Town Hall, the Apollo Theater and Tavern on the Green. Audrey relocated to Atlanta in the late 1980’s, where she established herself as the city’s most prominent jazz vocalist. She has performed at several Atlanta Jazz Festivals among her sold-out appearances at every jazz club in Georgia’s capital city. She has been featured in many articles about the Atlanta arts scene and is in high demand to play throughout Atlanta. She has been described as the finest scat singer since the great Ella Fitzgerald.
Over the years, Audrey has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Johnny O’Neal, Pharaoh Sanders, Kenny Burrell, Tommy Turrentine, Ted Howe, Neal Starkey, Jerry Fields, Gordon Vernick, Joe Gransden, Kevin Bales, Justin Varnes and many other notable musicians. Her CD, “If You Could See Me Now” for Hot Shoe Records, allowed her to put her own unique vocal signature on a diverse selection of standards and jazz classics. She is currently developing a new album adapting her jazz influences to contemporary tunes. Truly a world-class performer, Audrey Shakir continues to entertain audiences with her remarkable talents, both in Atlanta and beyond.