biography.html

PHOEBE LEGERE is a composer, arranger, songwriter, singer and performer on piano, accordion, guitar, cello, Native American flute, and synthesizer. The New York Times raved: “Legere plays the piano with enormous authority in a style that encompasses Chopin, blues, ragtime, bebop and beyond, and she brings to her vocal delivery a four octave range, and an extraordinary palette of tonal color and meticulous phrasing.” Interview Magazine called her “ a genius.” Where Magazine called her a “brilliant composer.” Studs Terkel (NPR) said, “ She’ s multi-gifted, an American original!” Variety said, “Phoebe Legere is superb!" Liz Smith garlanded her with the ultimate singer-pianist accolade, “Phoebe Legere is the new Bobby Short!” Iman Labedi of RockNYC described Phoebe Legere as “a master writer of startlingly beautiful, heroic songs.” Ron Della Chiesa, host of Music America, told his listeners, “Phoebe Legere is magnificent…Her beautiful voice that will take your breath away!”

In April of this year Phoebe Legere wowed audiences at Lincoln Center when she sang a blues mass in Latin scored for 80 pieces. Her Oh La La Quintet garnered rave reviews during a 6 month sold out run on Broadway at the Iridium Jazz Club. In June she appeared at Resorts International in Atlantic City. Phoebe Legere recently returned from Europe where she starred in TV shows and played festivals for thousands. In August the versatile, multi-lingual virtuoso starred in Lance Tait’s newest film, Diapason, in Paris, France.

Phoebe Legere studied with John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet, studied composition at the Juilliard School; studied composition with Morton Subotnick, jazz arranging with Ira Newborn; studied piano at the New England Conservatory, performance art and piano at Vassar College and Film Scoring at New York University. She was signed to Epic Records, had her Carnegie Hall debut, and opened for David Bowie on his National Tour. In 2000 The Waterclown, about the formative movements of fluid, co-written with Morgan Powell, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in music. In 2001 she won a NYSCA grant to write a Native American opera called The Queen of New England. Her jazz/gospel musical Hello Mrs. President about the first African-American woman President of the United States was presented in 2004. In 2003 Legere developed an assistive device for disabled children.” She recently completed her first symphony, The Mother Symphony no.1 in F# minor for Jazz Sneakers and Orchestra.

Legere has released eleven CDs and has appeared on NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, PBSs City Arts, and Charlie Rose. She records for Einstein Records, and ESPDisk. Phoebe Legere has played with Warren Vache, John Zorn, Don Cherry, Cecil Payne, Charles ‘Bo Bo’ Shaw, Frank Vignola, Earl May, Jim Thirwell, Steve Bernstein, Dennis Charles, Greg Haynes, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Rufus Thomas, John Hartford, Ikue Morie, Morgan Powell, Howie Smith, Jim Staley, Larry Rivers and David Bowie. The New York Times noted: "Phoebe Legere is a charismatic showman who works the audience with the razor edged skill of a veteran comic poking, teasing, and caressing it with clever turns of phrase both musical and verbal.” Legere is also a prize-winning accordionist. The “multi-keyboard, vocal wizard” has been compared to“Beethoven” (Joey Arias, Paper Magazine) “Edith Piaf” (Stephen Holden, NY Times) Dorothy Donegan (John Wilson, NY Times) “Frank Zappa” (Roman Kozack, Billboard) and “Dorothy Parker” (Ruddy Cheeks, The Phoenix.) After the success of “Marilyn Monroe” (Island Records), Legere played concerts and jazz festivals. Her Blue Curtain (Einstein Records) was nominated as a Top 10 CD of the decade; and she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her work with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony. Legere’s just released CD, Ooh la la Coq Tail, is available at iTunes. It features 16 tracks, mixing original songs and standards by Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Ellington, Porter, and Charles Trenet. “Do not let her stunning beauty fool you. Singer, composer, painter, poet, filmmaker, pianist, Legere is a multi-talented woman….Legere studied music with jazz master John Lewis, studied composition at Julliard and piano at the New England Conservatory. Her new release, Ooh La La Coqtail is an exquisite mix of jazz standards and Legere originals. Legere’s voice echoes the sound of the great Edith Piaf.” – Jazz Times "Legere is an expressive and versatile singer whose voice ranges from a dark and earthy alto to a gorgeous dazzling high soprano.... she combines intelligent lyrics and a fusion of French musette, Cajun, pop, rock and jazz into a stew she calls, "roots alternative."- John Pitcher, Washington Post ""Gorgeous, blonde bombshell with a dynamite body, a magnificent voice, a wild sense of humor...(She is) an extremely intelligent Vassar graduate who can play four or five instruments and challenge every premise you might have about her as she zips through her set - her song selections are impeccably chosen. (She has) a dazzling voice - a superb singer miles above most of the rock stars of today ...a comic mind...She turns excess and extravagance into an art form and anchors it with stunning simplicity. " New York Post "Musically Phoebe is as tremendous at the grand piano as she is on guitar and accordion...Her voice is rich and warm, she draws her audience in...We feel as if we get to know her quickly, ending the evening as firm fans if not friends..." Sydney Morning Herald "Perfection's name is Phoebe. She is beautiful, talented and sexy. A great singer whose voice knows few limits...her band is excellent..." Dan Aquilante, New York Post" "Legere is clearly ready for mainstream success. Legere's fine, four-octave voice easily goes from horn like contralto to crystal soprano. There's a winsome sweetness...and an aching, longing...rare originality and vitality..." Variety Ooh la la Coq Tail is an album not to miss, Phoebe's voice is absolutely delightful and complements this collection of jazz melodies perfectly . . . this album is both fun, modern and timeless. . . Phoebe’s piano playing is captivating.” Million Watts of Sound This leggy, legendary denizen of downtown new York City weaves a magical, mystical spell with her hauntingly beautiful voice and exquisite jazz pianism…” –Seth Rogovoy, “Berkshire Magazine“ “ The many talented Legere provides great entertainment… she is so open-hearted, so filled with songs, you feel as though you've been on a journey. Phoebe's set was self-contained excellence; within the confines of time and space, she presented a vision of her artistry. From her paintings projected on the wall, to her heroic current song mastery, she is a complete original and she is playing every Tuesday at Iridium. $25 and worth it” – Rock NYC, Iman Labedi "Phoebe Legere is one of the most, inspired and talented creative-supernovas on the planet...One of those rare luminous souls... beautiful, wickedly funny, anointed with wisdom, and her music possesses Native American mystical and healing qualities. like Billie Holiday or Jimi Hendrix or Miles Davis or Sun Ra..." Dimitri Monroe, Hits Magazine “Phoebe Legere is a magnificent musician who is about much more than music and art. She is a very special human being and her radiance is instantly recognizable when she steps on stage.”– Ruddy Cheeks, The Phoenix " "Check out Phoebe Legere ...resembling Brigitte Bardot, and with a body of death - she doesn't so much sing a song as inhabit it.... with a pure, remarkable four and a half-octave range..." New York Daily News Legere restores, resists, deflects and reflects the caricature of women. With a gorgeous body, and enormous wit, she easily absorbs you into her unique brand of transcendence.... she is royalty in the clubs of Downtown NYC." Lynne Lynn, Downtown Magazine “Marilyn Monroe meets Edith Piaf meets Dorothy Parker.” – The Phoenix "She is arresting... we like Phoebe" - The New Yorker "Phoebe Legere, a name to conjure with.... She is an American original, she's fun, she's funny, she's smart, She's a beauty, almost like a Carole Lombard, but the main thing about her is SHE"S GOOD" - Studs Terkel, National Public Radio "Like Marylou Williams, she can maintain a rollicking left hand that segues easily from stride to boogie - woogie while tickling the piano's upper register into sublime submission. Similarities to Jerry Lee Lewis are probably not impertinent either..." New York Times “ Beyond the obvious attributes, it's Legere's warmth and exuberance that will prompt us to watch for her return." Linda Ellingsworth, Saratoga Chronicle "An evocative blend of sexpot glamour, French insouciance, Bourbon St. bawdiness, and East Village hipness - she's got both body and soul. " Harper's Bazaar “The Female Beethoven...a musical genius" Joey Arias, Paper Magazine "Phoebe Legere's latest recording is an incisive critique of the role of contemporary culture in America in the form of a post modern, urban opera. A dazzling, dizzying sound collage of soundtracks, vocal and keyboard improvisations, it's a shimmering soundscape of a night spent downtown with Legere as tour guide...A tribute as much to the composer/vocalist/keyboardist's virtuosic talent as to her keen wit and intelligence, "Blue Curtain" surprises, shocks and entertains at every jagged turn. Simply put, it's as important a piece of music as you're likely to hear all year, or any year- Seth Rogovoy, The Berkshire Eagle "Her beautiful voice, with its dazzling range and rich tones can take your breath away... she runs the gamut of music like a Marx brother crossing to stage left...She's solidly based in her art and is a superb musician. " New York Post "Genius" Glenn O'Brian, Interview Magazine "The sexiest accordionist on the planet..." TImeOut "A serious gifted musician" The Music Paper "Effortless versatility...refreshing...a crystalline empathy. " South China Morning Post "Fascinating...almost Sandy Dennyish,...spellbinding" Steve Morse, Boston Globe " Phoebe Legere is loaded with charisma."...Stephen Holden "Phoebe Legere's brand of articulate genius will have it's day - the time is ripe for a legitimate, American original who has it all - beauty, brains, talent, sex appeal, and a giving heart... A brilliant songwriter.." - Where Magazine Best Concert of 2004…A leggy, fiery, versatile, denizen of downtown New York…Legere weaves a magical, mystical, sensual spell.” – Seth Rogavoy, Berkshire Eagle "Legere is a larger-than-life character in shining silver sequins— a real singer. Legere does songs from “The Great American Songbook” plus her own songs like “Texting in the Dark.” Large in stature, large in voice, large in persona, huge in talent, she’s brash, funny with a real musicality in her strong voice, and beautiful. AND-she sings in French and plays the accordion. Once again Iridium gives us a major talent-- this one is a real star- a stage dynamo with the dimensions of a Carol Channing. They don’t make performers more entertaining than Phoebe Legere. She has a great combo with her: trumpet: Warren Vache, guitar and vocal: Sir George Leonard, bass: Jon Burr, Aaron Weinstein, violin: drums: Ray Marchiko. It’s uplifting-- a privilege to be at a performance by Legere…" - Richmond Shepard, Performing Arts INSIDER “Legere is the real deal – a combination of operatic precision and range with a blues-jazz expressive ability that’s stunning.” – Rick Massimo, Providence Journal "Just when we thought the Universe couldn't possibly pack more talent into the Smart*Sexy*Spiritual Brand that is Phoebe Legere, we were treated to Phoebe's starring role in Will Todd’s demanding and beautiful jazz/gospel Mass in Blue at Avery Fisher Hall on April 18, 2011. "Known for her belief in the healing power of acoustic, unprocessed sound, Phoebe Legere is, in addition, a technical computer music expert. She invented a wearable computer instrument for disabled children called the 'Sneakers of Samothrace.' Phoebe Legere is a Marketer's Dream Come True." Susie Rakowski, Editor, Small Business Opportunities magazine, the leading newsstand publication on entrepreneurship. “A LIVING, BREATHING EXAMPLE OF BRIGITTE BARDOT IN THE FILM… AND GOD CREATED WOMAN...A DEEPLY SERIOUS ARTIST…AN AMAZING MUSICAL INTELLECT” – WHITE HOT MAGAZINE OF CONTEMPORARY ART, KOFI FORSON

PHOTOGRAPHS of the ARTIST

Legere was still a teenager when she became the resident composer for the Wooster Group, which included Spaulding Grey and Willem Defoe. She was signed to Epic Records, had her Carnegie Hall debut as a composer and studied jazz with John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Legere graduated from Vassar College, studied composition at the Juilliard School, studied piano at the New England Conservatory, and film scoring, orchestration and jazz arranging at the NYU Graduate School of Music Composition. Legere studied composition with Morton Subotnick, Wayne Oquin and Dinu Gezzo. Phoebe Legere opened for David Bowie on his National Tour in 1991. She led highly influential downtown bands, from Monad, to Ultra Monad To Blond Fox, Swingalicious. She has 10 CD's available for download on ITUNES. Her newest CD, a jazzaret mix of French Musette and original compositions, will be released internationally on ESPDisk in the Fall.