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Camille Thurman

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Camille Thurman
Headshot of Camille Thurman
Camille Thurman in 2013
Background information
Born (1986-12-22) December 22, 1986 (age 38)
Queens, New York
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Saxophone, flute, vocals
Years active2008–present
LabelsChesky
Websitecamillethurmanmusic.com

Camille Thurman (born December 22, 1986) is an American jazz saxophonist, singer, composer, and member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.[1][2] Her first two albums, released by Chesky Records in 2018 and 2017, peaked at #3 and #25 respectively on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart.[3] She has performed at the Kennedy Center, and was a runner up for the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.[2][4]

Early life

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Thurman took up music at a young age, as she grew up in the St. Albans section of Queens, New York, practicing vocals, piano, and flute before attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts.[5][6][2] She first picked up the tenor saxophone, the instrument she is best known for playing, at the age of 15.[7] She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in geological & environmental science from Binghamton University.[2][5]

Musical career

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Thurman moved back to New York City following her graduation, and played with a wide array of jazz musicians, particularly crediting saxophone player Tia Fuller and vocalist/bassist Mimi Jones with helping her in those early years.[5] Thurman went on to place as a finalist in the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, garnering much attention, and leading to her first record deal.[5]

Later in 2013, Thurman released her first album, Origins, on Jones' label, Hot Tone Music.[2] She followed up with her second album on Hot Tone, Spirit Child, in 2014.[2]

Over December 2014 to January 2015 Thurman appeared alongside Charenee Wade, Cyrille Aimée, Allan Harris and an eight-piece band including bassist Mimi Jones in Alex Webb (musician)'s jazz theatre show Cafe Society Swing, at New York's 59E59 Theaters, which received a Critic's Pick from The New York Times.[8]

Thurman later signed to Chesky Records, and released her third album, Inside the Moment, on May 19, 2017, which debuted at #25 on the Billboard Jazz Albums Chart.[2][3]

Thurman released her fourth album, Waiting for the Sunrise, through Chesky Records on August 24, 2018, and the album debuted at #2 on the Billboard Traditional Jazz Albums Chart.[2][3]

Awards and honors

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  • 16th Independent Music Award Nominated - Jazz Song with Vocals "Cherokee"[9]
  • 17th Independent Music Award - Jazz Album with Vocals - Waiting for the Sunrise[10]
  • 17th Independent Music Award - Jazz Song with Vocals - "The Nearness of You"[10]
  • NAACP 50th Image Awards Nominated - Outstanding Jazz Album[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ Jazz, All About. "Camille Thurman @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz Musicians. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Camille Thurman | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  3. ^ a b c "Camille Thurman Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-11-17.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Camille Thurman". www.kennedy-center.org. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  5. ^ a b c d "Camille Thurman Finds Her Voice on 'Waiting For The Sunrise'". DownBeat Magazine. 2018-10-30. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  6. ^ "Watch: Camille Thurman – Live at The Jazz Gallery". Jazz Speaks. Archived from the original on 2018-12-29. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  7. ^ "Camille Thurman Is A Rare Jazz Double Threat". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  8. ^ "Rich Songs Tell a Jazz Club's Bittersweet Story". nytimes.com/. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 2015-06-22.
  9. ^ "The 16th Independent Music Awards Nominees Announced". Independent Music Awards. 2018-02-13. Retrieved 2019-11-18.
  10. ^ a b "The 17th Independent Music Awards Winners". Independent Music Awards. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  11. ^ "NAACP | WINNERS OF THE 50th NAACP IMAGE AWARDS ANNOUNCED LAST NIGHT DURING NON-TELEVISED AWARDS DINNER AT THE BEVERLY HILTON". NAACP. 2019-03-30. Archived from the original on 2019-11-17. Retrieved 2019-11-17.
  12. ^ "Camille Thurman attends the 50th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles". UPI. Retrieved 2019-11-17.