Denzal Sinclaire

Born Densil Pinnock in Canada in 1969, the future vocalist grew up in Toronto, Ontario, before pursuing piano studies at McGill University in Montreal. During those years he met guitarist Bill Coon, initiating a partnership that would endure for decades. A 1995 appearance at Vancouver’s Du Maurier Jazz Festival prompted him to settle in that city, and in 1996 he adopted the name Denzal Sinclaire, quickly building a robust local following. That profile rose further when he and Coon presented Unforgettable, a musical tribute to Nat ‘King’ Cole. CBC Radio broadcasts, together with enthusiastic reviews of both the stage production and its album, broadened his audience, while Jazz Report readers named him Male Jazz Vocalist for four straight years. Sinclaire continued extensive work with Coon and the guitarist’s trio, including Cole-tribute tours, and television exposure combined with a Verve Records contract carried his name across Canada; by the early 2000s recognition had begun to reach beyond national borders. A vocalist of understated finesse, Sinclaire brings a relaxed yet polished sensibility to the material he interprets, his velvety baritone drawing listeners well outside conventional jazz circles.