Glennis Houston
Bio:
Winnipeg-born Calgary Jazz vocalist Glennis Houston grew up listening to jazz and swing music. Although her parents weren’t musical in that they played any instruments, they had great appreciation of the rhythms of the swing/big band era of music, typically playing Duke Ellington, the Dorsey brothers, and Glen Miller albums when they taught ballroom dancing. The seed was planted!
She was always involved in music in some fashion though, with classical piano lessons in her childhood and teens. But, she really wanted to sing, and remembers being five years old and her mother asking her what she wanted to be when she grew up. "A singer!" she replied! Despite this desire, she came to singing as a late-bloomer–she finally took her first lesson at the advanced age of 22 (seriously, in singing, to start at 22 is late!)—and despite her wait, her passion never dimmed. Glennis continued with voice, eventually studying opera at the University of Calgary, where she earned her B.Mus, and a Masters of Music from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
She eventually realized, though, that after throwing her heart and soul into classical voice, her true voice and passion lay elsewhere. Thus, her move back into the music she was introduced to as a child–jazz and swing, with one of her first successes being the forming of an a cappella women's quartet. The group has since disbanded, but Glennis carries on as one of Calgary’s busiest jazz/blues/soul/pop band leaders and vocalists.
Since returning from her Masters, Glennis has continued her studies with Calgary's own Viviane Cardinal, as well as with Cheryl Fisher. She also attended the Vocal Jazz camp at the internationally renowned Banff Centre of Fine Arts, where she studied with Jay Clayton and Sheila Jordan. She has also had the good fortune to study with Kate Hammett-Vaughn and Jennifer Scott, both of Vancouver.
Glennis has appeared at many Calgary venues, including BeatNiq Jazz & Social Club, PiqNiq, Murrietta’s in Canmore, Diva’s Lounge at the Rimrock Hotel in Banff, and has performed at both the International Jazz Festival and the CJazz Festival at Olympic Plaza in downtown Calgary, wowing the audience with her powerful voice and her capacity to inject passion and emotion into soulful ballads. She has also played, with her duo partner Keith Smith, in Saskatoon, Edmonton & Medicine Hat.
She recorded her debut CD, “Lies of Handsome Men,” with Michael Creber (piano), Miles Hill (bass) and Craig Scott (drums), Keith Bennett (harmonica), and John Reid (sax, flute, producer) in Vancouver in July 2003. The CD was officially launched at the BeatNiq Jazz & Social Club in Calgary on January 30, 2004 to a capacity crowd, with many people turned away at the door. Reviews have been stellar, and she has received airplay on CBC, CJSW & CKUA, and other Western Canadian, U.S. & European radio stations.
Song List
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