Genevieve Brown is a vocalist, musician and vocal educator working with students of all ages. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Performance) from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, majoring in Jazz Voice. In 2012 and 2019 she travelled to New York City to receive training from educators at The New School in Manhattan, and while there, performed at Smalls Jazz Club.
Barry O’Sullivan poses five questions to Genevieve about her musical career.
When did singing and jazz music first enter your life, and can you name some of the artists who have influenced your style?
While I was growing up there was always music around the house. I have very early memories of singing harmonies to Beatles records in the car and being that kid who would put on an impromptu performance when family friends came over. The first jazz standard I learnt was Hoagy Carmichael’s Stardust, from an AMEB book at age 13. That opened the f floodgates! Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Julie London and Kay Starr made a big impression initially. These days, I keep returning to Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn and Irene Kral.
Their tone, phrasing, and delivery are identifiable, and they state the text so clearly.
What are your current musical projects?
The most recent project was recording my debut EP, Spring Is Here, accompanied by Sam Rollings (guitar) and Lauren White (bass). It’s a collection of standards that tell stories of love and yearning. I am hoping to tour the project early next year. I’m also crafting my first full album containing some reimagined standards and original compositions.
Tell us about some of the challenges that have confronted you as a vocalist, and how you have overcome them.
One that springs to mind is making sure I am a vocalist who is prepared and informed. I’ve made it a priority to ‘walk the walk and talk the talk’. This can mean anything from explaining to my band the key, tempo and structure of a tune, to deepening my harmonic knowledge and researching the history of the music. By being confident in all those areas, I feel I can create much more agency for myself to be part of the conversation both musically and socially.
What are your other interests outside of your musical career?
I have a beautiful rescue dog who is always a big part of my downtime. I get so much enjoyment from taking her on long walks and introducing her to new places. I also love to connect over food with my friends. Being a part of a community like the Australian jazz scene is great, but I also love to catch up with folks in other areas of work as they keep me grounded and my mind open. You’re home alone on a Sunday evening and want to chill listening to some music.
What would you choose and why?
I’m always ‘on’ when listening to jazz, so chill listening takes me back to those long car rides with a mix of Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Debussy and Bach.
Genevieve Brown was a studio guest of Barry O’Sullivan on A Jazz Hour