BONNIE BRETT (vocalist) appeared as leader of her own group in two separate “Sound of Toronto Jazz” Concerts at the Ontario Science Centre, appearing as ‘Bonnie Brett and Trio’ (Mark Eisenman on piano, bassist Steve Wallace, and drummer John Summer) on January 13, 1997, and ‘Bonnie Brett in Concert’ on December 16, 2003.
Brett began her professional musical career as a member of CBC Television’s Hymn Sing Chorus while she was a student of Music and English Literature at the University of Winnipeg. She abandoned her classical music studies soon after the Hymn Sing stint in favor of exploring the intricacies of jazz singing. She landed a spot in Ron Paley’s Big Band where she apprenticed for two years before moving to Toronto where she began a successful collaboration with The Mark Eisenman Trio.
She has become one of Toronto’s most respected jazz vocalists admired as a singer of power and finesse who swings hard. Brett has headlined many concerts and club venues, and has appeared frequently at the Toronto Jazz Festival, the Port Hope All Canadian Jazz Festival and the Festival International de Jazz du Montreal.
Bonnie Brett has been the featured vocalist with bassist Steve Wallace’s Lesterdays, and appeared with many of the other best jazz musicians in the country including Guido Basso, Richard Whiteman, Mike Murley, and Rob McConnell. She has performed with vocalist Melissa Stylianou in their comical duet “tour de force” Bosom Buddies, and has released two recordings — Live At The Montreal Bistro and The Elvis Costello Song Book. She has also recorded for CBC Radio’s Jazz Beat.
She is on the Jazz Studies Faculty at York University as a Vocal Teacher.