A B O U T

Camilla Sanders’ true passion is the love of the lyric. It is the most prevalent force behind her quickly ascending career. With her second album set for release this spring, a four-year residence as the featured artist in Times Square’s hot spot Langan’s, and a whirlwind history of performances with internationally acclaimed jazz practitioners, Camilla is one of the most promising young vocalists in the New York jazz scene today.

Coming from an intensely musical family, it is no wonder that Camilla was drawn to a life of performance. “Everyone in my family sings and plays an instrument,” she explains. “My Mom plays piano, my Dad and my sister play guitar and my brother plays trumpet. It was the perfect training ground for the career I imagined.” Classical piano scholarships eventually led her to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville where she continued her training and met her soon-to-be husband and collaborator, pianist Kevin Sanders. She further expanded her horizons by directing a broad spectrum of musicals including productions of “Guys and Dolls”, “Mother Courage”, and “The Tempest”, while working as a freelance pianist and church accompanist.

Camilla’s vocal career would become the focus of her efforts only after she and Kevin moved to New York City in 1999. Within weeks of arriving, she managed to slate her first vocal performance with world-renowned bassist Ben Wolfe at the Metronome. “It was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. I guess we decided that if we were going to move to the world’s most competitive Jazz scene, then we would work our way down from the top.” She never had the chance to work her way down. Since day one, she has been swinging thousands in the historical jazz gems of Manhattan and at her weekly Langan’s gig. Her continuous performance agenda has given her the opportunity to share the stage with some of the best musicians the world has to offer, such as Greg Tardy, Vicente Archer, George Caldwell, Dave Gibson, Vincent Gardner, Greg Williams, Quincy Davis and Otis Brown. Most recently she had the pleasure to record with Grammy-Nominated Altoist Brad Leali and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra trumpeter Marcus Printup.

In addition to her busy singing schedule, Camilla and Kevin are hard at work on a series of clinics and seminars aimed at enlightening young people about the history and performance of jazz. “If we don’t assume our natural responsibility of reaching young audiences, who is going to listen to Jazz in the future? We have to cultivate the next generation of musicians and listeners.” She also encourages families with small children to attend Sunday Jazz at Langan’s so that everyone can experience live music in a friendly setting. With the help of her band, she encourages the children to sit with the musicians and sing with her.

Camilla’s highly-praised album, “That Which Speaks of Love” is available through her website and all major online retailers, including Apple I-Tunes for individual track downloading. Her distinguished ensemble consists of Kevin Sanders on piano, Greg Williams on bass and Quincy Davis on drums.