Singer & Songwriter

Young singer CLEO is one of the most exciting newcomers to explode onto the jazz scene in Hamburg (GE), with her music truly capturing the depth and emotional intensity of Blues and Jazz. 

When she was just 8 years old, she started singing in a gospel choir. Her dad, who's a guitar player, exposed her to the blues early on in her life. As a teenager, Cleo moved to New Orleans for six months where she immersed herself in traditional New Orleans Jazz and studied with musicians like Donald Harrison jr., Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah and Derek Douget. In 2014, she won first prize in the German music contest "Jugend jazzt" as well as the "Ingolf Burkhardt" award for outstanding solo performance. In addition to concerts in Germany, she has performed in various clubs in New Orleans and at several festivals in Switzerland (JazzAscona, Davos Sounds). She was the first ever European singer to feature at the opening gala of the prestigious Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans. Her debut album „Let Them Talk“ was the winner of the German Schallplattenkritik prize in 2017. Her second album „Celebrating Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass“, a collaboration with her long-standing duo partner and guitarist David Grabowski was released in October 2020 and also was nominated for the German Schallplattenkritik prize in 2020. CLEO has played with national and international jazz greats such as Michaël Valeanu (FR/USA), Doug Weiss (USA), Ryan Carniaux (USA) and Gabriel Coburger (D) as well as the NDR - Big Band.

CLEO is currently at work on a new album which will be her first release of original material.

 

"Cleo and David, Vocals and Guitar, "The Great American Songbook", duo Jazz, recorded live.

A fresh new tribute to the heroes of the duet: Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass. Cleo's singing is always on point, with timbre, feeling and time, David accompanies her brilliantly and drives the whole thing forward virtuosically, without forcing himself into the spotlight.

Hamburg Saxophone legend Gabriel Coburger adds his wonderful tenor and flute sound as special guest. Duo doesn't get better than this!"

Review of "Celebrating Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass" by Ingolf Burkhardt, member of NDR-Bigband Hamburg.