- Madeleine Peyroux
- Thursday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m.
- Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Seattle
For over three decades, jazz virtuoso Peyroux has travelled the world and graced the grandest concert halls to do just that - “share the magic of music with audiences, connect with people and uplift their spirits.” From entertaining passersby as a busker on the streets of Paris, to captivating thousands on sold out world tours - singular Peyroux has channeled the power of music to bring people together, dialogue with audiences and build a community.
“I am part of this great Jazz story, a long tradition of music greats” she explains, “from Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday to Allen Toussaint and countless others, the incredible innovators who built a beautiful legacy and created a new musical language - Jazz is one of the greatest things that America has brought to the world; and I am here to continue the story.”
When she was 12 her parents divorced and Peyroux moved to Paris with her mother - it was a turbulent time but that is how she found music to be her calling. The rebellious teen skipped school to play guitar in the city’s Latin Quarters, breathing in the colorful life and discovering the magic of Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and other jazz greats from listening to other buskers. At 15, The fearless teenager joined The Lost Wandering Blues and Jazz Band with whom she toured Europe. Here, young Peyroux “witnessed the power of music to stop people in their tracks”, learned the art of connecting with the audience, understood that music is a shared experience, and that “a great song can wield powerful magic and inspire the best in any type of crowd.”
Peyroux was spotted by Atlantic’s A&R man Yves Beauvais, and in 1996 her debut album Dreamland was born. The striking vocalist gained instant recognition as a classic talent with an unmistakable staying power, and her smokey-crooning voice was likened to Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald. Dreamland delivered sweeping renditions of Fats Waller’s “I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” Bessie Smith’s “Lovesick Blues”, Billie Holiday’s “Gettin' Some Fun Out of Life”, Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight”, and Piaf’s “Romantic La Vie En Rose“, all delivered by some of the finest musicians around including Cyrus Chestnut, Greg Cohen, Vernon Reid, James Carter and Leon Parker to name but a few.
Entry deadline is February 16, 2026.
