Since first stepping onstage to sing at age nine, vocalist DIANE SCHUUR has earned the respect and praise of such legendary musicians as Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, and B.B. King. Her interpretive powers have earned her five Grammy nominations, two Grammy awards for Best Jazz Vocalist, and acclaim from critics worldwide. She has headlined many of the world’s most prestigious music venues, including Carnegie Hall, and has performed at the White House.

Born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1953, Schuur grew up listening to records by Duke Ellington and Dinah Washington. Her first break came in 1975, when an informal audition for Doc Severinsen led to her first appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Over the years, Schuur has appeared on the Tonight Show a dozen times and toured Japan, Europe, Malaysia, and South America. In 1996 she performed in Thailand for HM King Bhumibol Adulyadel’s Golden Jubilee.

Schuur signed with Concord Records in 1999. Her latest album, Schuur Fire, was released on the Concord Picante imprint in 2004. On it she teams up with world-renowned Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves as producer and arranger and the Grammy-winning Latin jazz ensemble Caribbean Jazz Project, led by vibraphonist and marimba player Dave Samuels.