Carol Welsman

Carol Welsman (singer, pianist) was born into a musical family on September 29, 1960 in Toronto, Ontario. (Her grandfather, Frank S. Welsman, was the founder and first conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.) Her passion for jazz led her to studies at the the Berklee College of Music in Boston in the 1980s. She later traveled to Europe where she studied voice with Christiane Legrand (sister of Michel) and in Paris, met Romano Musumarra, producer/songwriter for Celine Dion and Pavarotti, soon becoming the English lyricist for Musumarra’s compositions, including two #1 hits in France and Sweden.

In 1990, armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience, Welsman returned to Toronto where she started her own music production company and record label (Welcar Music) and launched a serious career as a performer. Since then, she has become internationally acclaimed for her expressive vocal stylings and dynamic stage presence, performing all over the world. Fluent in French and Italian in addition to her native English, Welsman blends languages and rhythms entertaining and recording with a versatile repertoire including Jazz, Latin, R & B, Pop, and Swing.

She has appeared on tour, on television, and on recordings with music industry legends, co-hosted and performed with the great jazz pianist Herbie Hancock at the 2000 Billboard Jazz Awards, performed on ‘Larry King Live’ for the 9/11/04 Commemoration, entertained at events attended by U.S. presidents and governors, written lyrics for musical lions, and her life and career were chronicled in a 2004 television documentary which has aired across Canada on the CBC Network several times.

Carol Welsman and her Quartet appeared in concert during the “Sound of Toronto Jazz” Series at the Ontario Science Centre on January 22, 1990. Carol’s latest release (2009) is entitled “I Like Men” – Reflections of Miss Peggy Lee, which she also co-produced.

Awards:
1996 – JUNO Nominee for ‘Lucky to be Me’ CD
1996 – Named ‘Female Jazz Vocalist of the Year by ‘Jazz Report’ Magazine
JUNO Nominee for her second album, ‘Inclined’
2000 – JUNO Nomination as ‘Best Female Jazz Vocalist’ for ‘Swing Ladies Swing: a Tribute to singers of the Swing Era’ CD
2002 – National Jazz Awards’ Winner as “Jazz Vocalist of the Year’
2003 – Accorded the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Berklee College of Music
2006 – Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards nomination in the ‘Album of the Year’ Category for ‘What’cha Got Cookin’
2008 – Award Winner as “Album of the Year” at the 2008 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards
2008 – Nominee as ‘Best Female Vocalist at the at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards

 

Video Clips

“Do I Love You?”   with Jake Langley(g), Mark Rogers(b), Jimmy Branly(d) -( 2010)

 

“I Love Being Here With You”  (Tokyo)

 

“I’m Gonna Go Fishin'”  with Jake Langley(g), Mark Rogers(b), Jimmy Branly(d) – (2010)

 

“Estate”  with The Sicilian Jazz Orchestra

 

“Duet With Herbie Hancock – Cantalope Island”