Claudia Villela Quintet

“A Brazilian-born genius with a blistering voice” (JazzTimes), Rio-born Claudia Villela has developed a reputation as a singularly unique singer, pianist and composer, lending her five-octave voice to work with jazz luminaries including Kenny Werner, Michael Brecker and Toots Thielemans. Villela began singing professionally as a teen and eventually moved to the Bay Area. A scholarship to New York’s Manhattan School of Music and studies with the legendary Sheila Jordan cemented Villela’s jazz credentials, and she returned to California as an artist on a mission to create fresh, original music born of her Brazilian upbringing and passion for jazz. She blends the ever-present samba of her native Brazil with jazz, blues, and songs from around the globe, inspiring the iconic San Francisco Chronicle critic Phil Elwood to enthuse, “Villela doesn’t just sing – she actually dances with her voice on top of Brazilian beats.”

Claudia Villela Website
(Ticket Includes 5% City of Santa Cruz Admission Tax)