Connye Florance

Connye Florance was the youngest of five children in a North Carolina family where music was very important. She was exposed to jazz through her father, who was a professional pianist, and to gospel by her mother and siblings. After graduating from North Carolina University at Greensboro, Florance spent several years doing musicals and cabaret before moving to Nashville in 1986 where four years later she put together her first band. Since then, Florance's career has encompassed virtually every facet of the entertainment industry. She's done commercials, was the voice of WB on a number of Warner Bros. jingles, and has been a background singer for Elton John and Tammy Wynette. Florance has hosted an educational program on PBS and has had an active movie career appearing in such films as The Client, Proud Heart, and Existo. The latter, in which she played Ramona, has become a favorite among the independent film festivals. She has also toured across the U.S. with vocalist Jennifer Holliday in Ain't Got Long to Stay Here. But it is singing which provides this multi-talented performer the greatest professional satisfaction. This comes through on her first album, Turn My Heart, which was released by Waterstone Records in 1999. With a discriminating mix of standards, her own compositions, and pop-oriented tunes, the album reflects Florance's all-embracing attitude toward jazz. Al Jarreau and Gino Vanelli have influenced as much as Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson. Florance has appeared on BET and has worked at Karamu Jazz Festival 2000. She has a regular gig at the Bluewind in Nashville. Blending a variety of singing styles — jazz, pop, new age — Florance brings a contemporary expression to her approach to jazz vocals in an attempt to attract not only the traditional jazz audience, but lovers of all types of music as well.