bio

 

A torch singer for the 21st century, Celia Chavez creates music that fuses the feel of the seemingly impersonal rhythm of Manhattan with the moody beauty of the Pacific Northwest region she grew up in.

 

 

As there is grace to be found in the greyness of concrete and rain, Celia offers a view into the joy of realizing one’s survival in the face of dicey decisions and hostile conditions. Her songwriting continues to develop using a cinematic descriptiveness and wit like Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, or Joe Henry, but with a melodic, harmonic, and lyric vocabulary that recalls Cole Porter, Dorothy Fields, or Burt Bacharach.  What audiences hear are engaging, nostalgic sounds delivered in a vibrant, assertive new voice.

 

 

As a singer, she leans toward the bluesy, intimate expression typical of singers like Ella Fitzgerald, Dusty Springfield, Billie Holiday. Though at home singing a melodic ballad, Celia can also bring on her own brand of sass, as seen in her funky remake of Sugar Pie DeSanto’s “Soulful Dress”.  And bittersweet Americana is felt in songs like “Call Me from the Road” and “My Love”.

 

 

While surviving by singing for others as a vocalist-for-hire, Celia continues to write new songs and is currently working with up-and-coming producer Marc Copely on her first full-length CD. You can catch her performing live around New York City with a band that usually features Copely on guitar, Daniel Mintseris or David Cook on piano, and Tim Lefebvre or Jim Whitney on acoustic bass.

 

 

 

 

updated 7.16.06