Lynette Washington
Encyclopedia
Lynette Washington is an American
jazz
vocalist. She was the winner in the Jazzmobile
Anheuser-Busch Jazz Vocal Competition in 2005.
, R&B
, and gospel
arenas. Lynette began her early professional singing career performing in Russian nightclubs throughout New York City
and Europe
. She recorded on the early GRP releases of jazz trumpeter Tom Browne as well with her own R&B/Dance group Touché
on Emergency Records.
She has worked with artists such as Aretha Franklin
, U2
, and Peter Gabriel
and was featured lead singer in New Voices of Freedom appearing in U2's Rattle & Hum, BBC's One World, One Voice, and Lenny Kravitz
's "Give Peace A Chance" on Virgin Records
. Lynette has also recorded radio commercials and appeared in national TV commercials for Roy Rogers, Mercedes Benz, Boy’s Town, Nescafe and Pizza Hut. She has appeared with such jazz notables as drummers Buddy Williams & Anton Fig
, saxophonists Clifford Jordan
& Gerry Niewood
and bassists Alex Blake
and Cameron Brown.
Her New York City
club appearances include Creole, The River Room, Sweet Rhythm, Azalea, Opa, The Lenox Lounge, and others. In 1999, Lynette completed her first solo project entitled Long, Long Ago (A Jazz Celebration of Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa (1999)) featuring Chuck Mangione
's reedman Gerry Niewood. Her second solo project, Smoky Dawn was in 2003, and she also joined forces with her Gold/Platinum Award winning producer, pianist Dennis Bell to release a double CD LIVE! at Harlem's Kennedy Center.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
vocalist. She was the winner in the Jazzmobile
Jazzmobile
Jazzmobile, Inc. is based in New York, and was founded in 1964 by Daphne Arnstein, an arts patron and founder of the Harlem Cultural Council and Dr. William "Billy" Taylor. It is a multifaceted, outreach organization committed to bringing "America's Classical Music"—Jazz—to the largest possible...
Anheuser-Busch Jazz Vocal Competition in 2005.
Biography
Washington is a native New Yorker and has had a career that has taken her across the globe. Her travel has also enabled her to learn to sing in quite a few international languages. Her singing style is heavily rooted in the jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
, and gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
arenas. Lynette began her early professional singing career performing in Russian nightclubs throughout New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. She recorded on the early GRP releases of jazz trumpeter Tom Browne as well with her own R&B/Dance group Touché
Touché
Touché is a fencing term used to acknowledge a hit.Touché may also refer to:* Touché , a German boy band* "Touché" , a song by Godsmack* Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer, a video game* Touché Turtle, a cartoon character...
on Emergency Records.
She has worked with artists such as Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Louise Franklin is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Although known for her soul recordings and referred to as The Queen of Soul, Franklin is also adept at jazz, blues, R&B, gospel music, and rock. Rolling Stone magazine ranked her atop its list of The Greatest Singers of All...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, and Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
and was featured lead singer in New Voices of Freedom appearing in U2's Rattle & Hum, BBC's One World, One Voice, and Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
's "Give Peace A Chance" on Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. Lynette has also recorded radio commercials and appeared in national TV commercials for Roy Rogers, Mercedes Benz, Boy’s Town, Nescafe and Pizza Hut. She has appeared with such jazz notables as drummers Buddy Williams & Anton Fig
Anton Fig
Anton Fig , known as "The Thunder from Down Under" is a session drummer, noted for his work in David Letterman's house band, the CBS Orchestra. Letterman often refers to Fig as "Anton Zip"or "Buddy Rich Jr."...
, saxophonists Clifford Jordan
Clifford Jordan
Clifford Laconia Jordan was a jazz saxophone player. While in Chicago, he performed with Max Roach, Sonny Stitt, and some rhythm and blues groups. He moved to New York City in 1957, after which he recorded three albums for Blue Note. He also recorded with Horace Silver, J.J. Johnson, Kenny...
& Gerry Niewood
Gerry Niewood
Gerry Niewood was an American jazz saxophonist who worked closely with Chuck Mangione. Like Mangione, Niewood was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from the Eastman School of Music located there....
and bassists Alex Blake
Alex Blake
Alex Blake is a post bop jazz double-bassist who began his career with Sun Ra in his band Arkestra. A live performance compilation was released by Bubble Core Records in 2000 titled Now Is the Time: Live at the Knitting Factory...
and Cameron Brown.
Her New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
club appearances include Creole, The River Room, Sweet Rhythm, Azalea, Opa, The Lenox Lounge, and others. In 1999, Lynette completed her first solo project entitled Long, Long Ago (A Jazz Celebration of Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa (1999)) featuring Chuck Mangione
Chuck Mangione
Charles Frank "Chuck" Mangione is an American flugelhorn player and composer who achieved international success in 1977 with his jazz-pop single, "Feels So Good." Mangione has released more than thirty albums since 1960.-Early life and career:...
's reedman Gerry Niewood. Her second solo project, Smoky Dawn was in 2003, and she also joined forces with her Gold/Platinum Award winning producer, pianist Dennis Bell to release a double CD LIVE! at Harlem's Kennedy Center.
Selective discography
| Year | Title | Genre | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Long, Long Ago (A Jazz Celebration of Christmas, Chanukah & Kwanza) | Jazz Gospel | GuavaJamm |
| 2003 | LIVE! At Harlem's Kennedy Center | Jazz | GuavaJamm |
| 2003 | Smoky Dawn | Jazz | GuavaJamm |