Melanie J-B Charles

With a tone reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan, melodic lines inspired by John Coltrane and Miles Davis coupled with soulful yet funky vibes, Melanie Charles is the quintessence of soulful Jazz. Along with her band, The Journey, she transports her listeners back in time to the Harlem jazz clubs of the twenties while at simultaneously breathing a fresh new life into the popular neo-soul sounds of today. In order to truly understand her music you have to experience it live.
A Brooklyn native, Melanie Charles grew up listening to Jazz, R&B, Classical, Kompas, and Gospel Music. She attended LaGuardia High School for Performing Arts (the Fame School), where she discovered her talent for writing and composition. She has performed with Jazz legends such as Clark Terry and Wynton Marsalis, the late Michael Jackson, and many others. She has also worked with the Classical Theatre of Harlem, and renowned actor, Andre DeShields in "Dream on Monkey Mountain." Melanie recently graduated from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music where she studied under the tutelage of jazz masters such as Reggie Workman, Charles Tolliver, Carla Cook and others. These days she is busy as the back-up singer for Atlantic Recording artist, Laura Izibor. She has played shows all around NYC with her band "The Journey" and has recently released her debut album: "Introducing Melanie Charles & The Journey." She is currently cast in the Off-Broadway production of Black Nativity Now running from Dec 3, 2010 to Jan. 2, 2011.