Germaine Bazzle (born March 28, 1932) is a jazz vocalist from New Orleans.
Background
Bazzle was born in
in 1932 and is from the
Seventh Ward.
She grew up in a musical family and began playing the piano by ear at a young age. Her formal musical education began at the age of twelve at the Xavier Junior School of Music.
Her musical influences include
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer.
Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...
, and
Billy Eckstein.
Career
After graduating from the
Xavier University of Louisiana
Xavier University of Louisiana (also known as XULA) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black, Roman Catholic, Catholic university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only Catholic HBCU ...
Bazzle worked as a teacher, including as choir and music appreciation at Xavier Prep.
She retired from teaching in 2008.
Since graduating from university Bazzle has been a performing musician. She has collaborated and performed with
Red Tyler
Alvin Owen "Red" Tyler (December 5, 1925 – April 3, 1998) was an American R&B and neo-bop jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger, regarded as "one of the most important figures in New Orleans R&B".
Biography
Born and raised in New Orleans, Ty ...
,
Peter "Chuck" Badie,
Victor Goines
Victor Louis Goines (born August 6, 1961) is a jazz saxophonist and clarinetist who has served as president and chief executive officer of Jazz St. Louis since September 2022. From 2000 to 2007, he was director of the jazz program at Juilliard.
...
, George French,
Ellis Marsalis, Emile Vinnette, Larry Siebert, and David Torkanowsky, along with their band Germaine Bazzle & Friends.
She sang regularly with the Saint Louis Catholic Choir
and The New World Ensemble. She has performed in New Orleans night clubs for over twenty years.
Bazzle is a supporter and faculty member of the Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp.
Discography
Between 1985–1997 she participated in ten recording sessions as a vocalist and backing vocalist.
Albums
Guest appearances and collaborations
Awards
In 2015, Bazzle received ''
OffBeats Lifetime Achievement in Music Education award. ''OffBeat'' also awarded her two Best of the Beat awards, Best Contemporary Jazz Vocalist in 1996 and Best Female Vocalist in 1997.
In 1990, 1992, 1993, and 1994 she received the
Big Easy Music Award for Best Female Performer.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bazzle, Germaine
1932 births
Living people
20th-century African-American women singers
American women jazz singers
American jazz singers
Rounder Records artists
Jazz musicians from New Orleans
Singers from Louisiana
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American women singers
Xavier University of Louisiana alumni
African-American Catholics
21st-century African-American women singers