Kristen Lee Sergeant

Kristen Lee Sergeant combines a jazz musician’s daring musicianship, an actor’s storytelling aplomb and a cabaret chanteuse’s charisma to become a one -of-a-kind artist. Her songs and performance are an experience as much as they are sound, prompting BroadwayWorld to describe her work as “the musical equivalent to a Martha Graham dance concert… it’s kind of like being on a really good boutique drug and seeing your life mapped out, right before your own eyes.” As a songwriter, she’s been alikened to “Tom Waits minus the growl” (Midwest Jazz Record) and her theatrical leanings shine through her choice of material, be it mythology or simply mistakes well made. While her accomplishments as a vocalist and improviser infuse her first two albums, in “Falling” she fully embraces her talents as a songwriter.

In “Falling” we hear all of her influences — from the music of theater to 70’s rock, from the Great American Songbook to chamber music, prompting press to remark on her “sophisticated songs worthy of a stage musical…” (AllAboutJazz) and the “…strong sense of story to her vocal jazz performances…The music provides the visceral context for Sergeant’s smart lyrics…and gorgeous legit vocals.” (DownBeat.)

Her talents have brought her to stages at Birdland, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Zinc Bar, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, L.A.’s The Blue Whale, and Joe’s Pub for the premiere of this new work — and she is poised to travel farther as the music broadens its reach to the world.

Early in her career, her passion for music and theater led her to work professionally as an actor and singer on the dramatic stage, until she fell in love with jazz while singing with a big band regularly in NYC. She found inspiration from performers current and past such as Marilyn Maye, Dianne Reeves, Mark Murphy and Judy Garland. After finding her voice in jazz, she began writing her own songs and creating her own arrangements — finding both a freedom and a control that no other art form could offer.

In addition to her musical work, Kristen has a deep love and knowledge of fine wine which she shares in her series Jazz & Juice, and produces a bottle, Two Notes, with partner and Grammy winner Ted Nash.