Dee Dee Bridgewater, a three-time Grammy Award, as well as Tony Award - winning jazz singer, is to appear with her solo concert at the Heydar Aliyev Center on February 12, 2014.
One of the leading lights in modern jazz vocal art, Dee Dee Bridgewater, shall present highly popular compositions including pieces from Abby Lincoln’s and Billie Holiday’s repertoire.
Born Denise Eileen Garrett in 1950 in Memphis, Tenessee (the US), the featured singer and actress started her career in the US. Her starlit hour occurred in France though.
Dee Dee Bridgewater’s first steps as lead vocalist were with the iconic Thad Johnes - Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. In the 1970’s, she performed with many of the great jazz musicians of the time, such as Max Roach, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Dizzie Gillespi, just to mention a few.
After moving to France in 1980, Dee Dee Bridgewater appeared at all jazz festivals in Europe for a number of years and succeeded in creating a band of her own.
Her tribute album Dear Ella to her long-time idol Ella Fitzgerald won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. One more Grammy was awarded to her Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie with Love from Dee Dee albom dedicated to Billie Holiday, another jazz icon.
Meanwhile, Dee Dee Bridgewater is a highly recognized figure in musical genre. Her role as Glinda the Good Witch in The Wiz won her a Tony Award in 1975 as Best Featured Actress.