Janet Evra
{{short description|Jazz musician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Janet_Evra_Photo.png
| name = Janet Evra
| background =
| birth_name = Janet Kimberley Irvine
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1988|7|4}}
| origin = Gloucester, England
| genre = Latin jazz, samba, jazz, indie jazz, French jazz, bossa nova
| occupation = Jazz singer/bassist
| years_active =
| label = Lotown, Plum Jazz
| associated_acts =
| website = {{url|https://janetevra.com|janetevra.com}}
}}
Janet Irvine Buchanan, (born 4 July 1988) popularly known as Janet Evra, is an English-born vocalist, bassist, guitarist, songwriter and bandleader. Evra sings in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French and performs in jazz, indie jazz, French jazz, bossa nova, samba, and Latin jazz styles.{{Cite web |last=Leftridge |first=Steve |title=British-Born Janet Evra Is Making Glorious Jazz in St. Louis |url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/music/british-born-janet-evra-is-making-glorious-jazz-in-st-louis-41156503 |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=Riverfront Times |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Kevin C. |date=2021-12-01 |title=Janet Evra delivers a fresh, romantic jazz spin to St. Louis' music scene |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/janet-evra-delivers-a-fresh-romantic-jazz-spin-to-st-louis-music-scene/article_8e2e69b9-2c09-5e67-afc4-6f3ba3590d64.html |access-date=2023-11-10 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}}
Early life
Janet Irvine was born in Gloucester, England. She grew up in a musical household and learned the piano, cello, and guitar as a child.
She was a member of Cheltenham indie rock band Knave in 2006, performing on vocals and rhythm guitar.
She received a B.A. from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, and a M.S. from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability in Ann Arbor, Michigan.{{Cite web|title=Janet Buchanan {{!}} Center for Sustainable Systems|url=https://css.umich.edu/person/janet-buchanan|access-date=2021-08-19|website=css.umich.edu}} She then lived in Alton, Illinois and worked in the sustainability field for an environmental non-profit. She then moved to St. Louis, Missouri.
Career
Evra performs at music festivals and concerts in the US and Europe. She has performed shows in Sweden and Switzerland and at the 2019 Deva Jazz Festival in Romania, the 2021 Linna Jazz Festival in Finland, and the 2023 Brecon Jazz Festival in the United Kingdom.{{Cite web|title=Janet Evra tours in Finland in August - Jazz Finland|url=http://jazzfinland.fi/news/janet-evra-tours-in-finland-in-august|access-date=2021-08-19|website=jazzfinland.fi|language=en}}
Evra released her debut album Ask Her to Dance in 2018.{{Cite web|last=Schaeffer|first=Christian|title=The Bon Bon Plot's Janet Evra Takes Center Stage with Her Solo Debut|url=https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/the-bon-bon-plots-janet-evra-takes-center-stage-with-her-solo-debut/Content?oid=24543801|access-date=2020-12-31|website=Riverfront Times|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Jazz|first=All About|title=Janet Evra: Ask Her to Dance album review @ All About Jazz|url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ask-her-to-dance-janet-evra-n-a|access-date=2021-07-22|website=All About Jazz|date=17 May 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite web|date=2019-04-02|title=Reviews: Janet Evra - Ask Her To Dance|url=http://www.gessomagazine.com/2019/04/reviews-janet-evra-ask-her-to-dance/|access-date=2020-12-31|website=Gesso Magazine|language=en}} In 2019 Evra released 'Wish You Were Here', a single, and in 2020 she released singles 'Summer Love Song', 'Floating on Life', and 'I'd Rather Be Lonely With You'.{{Cite web|last=Miserez|first=Laura|date=2020-07-18|title=Behind the scenes of Janet Evra's new single, "Summer Love Song"|url=https://www.stlmag.com/api/content/7f267a76-c1fc-11ea-93d7-1244d5f7c7c6/|access-date=2020-12-31|website=www.stlmag.com|language=en-us}} Evra signed with Lotown Records in 2020. In 2021 Evra released her second album, Janet Evra & Ptah Williams: New Friends, Old Favorites. In 2022 Evra signed with Plum Jazz and released her third album, Hello Indie Bossa.{{Cite web|title=Plum Jazz|url=https://plumjazz.com/home|access-date=2022-02-22|website=plumjazz.com}} In 2023 Evra released a single 'Almost True' featuring Randy Brecker; also in 2023 Evra released her fourth album, Meet Me in Paris, a French jazz-themed record which JAZZIZ awarded "Album of the Week".{{Cite web |date=2023-10-15 |title=Album of the Week: Janet Evra, 'Meet Me in Paris' - JAZZIZ Magazine |work=JAZZIZ Magazine |url=https://www.jazziz.com/album-of-the-week-janet-evra-meet-me-in-paris/ |access-date=2023-11-10 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Jazz |first=All About |date=2023-12-16 |title=Janet Evra: Meet Me in Paris album review @ All About Jazz |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/meet-me-in-paris-janet-evra-plum-jazz |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=All About Jazz |language=en}} In 2024 Evra released singles 'Summer Nights are for Loving' featuring Taylor Eigsti, 'Tenderly' featuring Diego Figueiredo, and 'Kiss Me and You'll Find Out' featuring Jeff Coffin.
Evra is an Artist in Residence at The Sheldon in St. Louis.{{Cite web |last=Allen |first=Heather |date=2024-12-03 |title=The Sheldon Welcomes Janet Evra as Artist-in-Residence |url=https://classic1073.org/the-sheldon-janet-evra-2024/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=Classic 107.3 |language=en-US}} Evra was a 2019-2020 Artist in Residence at the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, also in St. Louis.{{Cite web |title=Music Artists-in-Residence Archives |url=https://www.kranzbergartsfoundation.org/tag/music-artists-in-residence/ |access-date=2020-12-31 |website=Kranzberg Arts Foundation |language=en-US}}
Evra has collaborated with Randy Brecker, Taylor Eigsti, Marcus Miller, Veronica Swift, Andrea Motis, Wycliffe Gordon, Tracy Silverman, Bob Reynolds, Dave Weckl, Sara Gazarek, Mohini Dey, Severi Pyysalo, Yusa, Jeff Coffin, Roy Wooten, Eric Marienthal, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown, Diego Figueiredo, Gregory Hutchinson, and Alex Hutchings, among other musicians.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Kevin C. |date=2023-05-17 |title=Janet Evra, Anita Jackson, Ptah Williams usher in St. Louis record label Plum Jazz |url=https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/column/the-blender/janet-evra-anita-jackson-ptah-williams-usher-in-st-louis-record-label-plum-jazz/article_9248a230-f351-11ed-b65b-db6b07e95b60.html |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}}
Evra is the co-creator of St. Louis Music Box, a social media music video series.{{Cite web|last=Miserez|first=Laura|date=2021-08-17|title=With the St. Louis Music Box Series, musicians Janet Evra and Will Buchanan find a new passion project|url=https://www.stlmag.com/api/content/5c6dd790-feaf-11eb-8f7b-1244d5f7c7c6/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=www.stlmag.com|language=en-us}}{{Cite web |last=Osby |first=Jasmine |date=2024-12-04 |title=St. Louis Music Box brings jazz musicians together online |url=https://www.stltoday.com/life-entertainment/local/music/st-louis-music-box-brings-jazz-musicians-together-online/article_a2f27cfe-b1c4-11ef-abf3-3b3296a1c401.html |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=STLtoday.com |language=en}}
Evra also leads the musical group The Bon Bon Plot performing French jazz music.
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evra, Janet}}
Category:British emigrants to the United States
Category:English jazz musicians
Category:Musicians from Gloucester
Category:English women singer-songwriters
Category:English singer-songwriters
Category:Principia College alumni
Category:Jazz musicians from St. Louis
Category:People from Alton, Illinois
Category:British women jazz singers
Category:British women jazz musicians