Biography
Born the youngest of five siblings into a North Carolina household where music held central importance, Connye Florance first encountered jazz via her father, a professional pianist, and absorbed gospel through her mother and siblings. After earning her degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she devoted several years to musical theater and cabaret performances before relocating to Nashville in 1986. Four years later she formed her debut ensemble. Since that time her work has extended across nearly every corner of the entertainment business. She has recorded commercials, supplied the voice of WB for multiple Warner Bros. jingles, and served as a background singer for Elton John and Tammy Wynette. She hosted an educational PBS series and maintained an active screen career that includes appearances in The Client, Proud Heart, and Existo; in the last of these she portrayed Ramona, a role that has gained favor at independent film festivals. She also joined vocalist Jennifer Holliday for a national tour of Ain't Got Long to Stay Here. Singing nonetheless remains the source of her greatest professional reward, a quality evident on her debut album, Turn My Heart, issued by Waterstone Records in 1999. A carefully chosen array of standards, original compositions, and pop-oriented material embodies her inclusive outlook on jazz, reflecting the equal influence of Al Jarreau and Gino Vanelli alongside Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson. She has appeared on BET and performed at the Karamu Jazz Festival 2000 while holding a regular engagement at the Bluewind in Nashville. By merging jazz, pop, and new age elements she lends a contemporary voice to jazz singing, aiming to reach both longstanding jazz listeners and fans of varied musical styles.
Albums
Singles
