New York-based vocalist Jaana Narsipur presents swing tunes, bluesy groove, and reinterpretations of ballads with equal fluidity and beautiful expression. Jaana recently released her debut album, Better Than Anything (June 2022) which features her unique arrangements of bebop and hard bop classics.

The concept for the album Better Than Anything originated with Jaana’s love of Bob Dorough’s witty, adventurous bebop and her lifelong admiration of Horace Silver’s funky, mightily swinging hard bop. “Their music is perennially hip and fun, yet grounded in complex harmonic traditions. Swinging tunes with joy and playfulness – as well as intimate ballads that reach deep inside us. Dorough and Silver’s music has these melodies that you can’t stop humming and singing. Playful, adventurous, deeply joyful music even when Dorough was whispering his wry observations; even when Silver would bring a tear with his plaintive melodies.”

Jaana Narsipur was born in India and immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was a baby. She graduated from Northwestern University’s prestigious School of Music with a classical voice degree, though she had already begun her journey towards jazz. During her undergraduate years, Jaana began sitting in on jam sessions in Chicago, listening to and learning from Chicago greats Judy Roberts and Jackie Allen. Later after her move to New York, Jaana studied with legendary Sheila Jordan and vocal virtuoso JD Walter. In 2013, Jaana graduated from The Aaron Copland School of Music in NYC with her Masters in Jazz Performance. She has performed at jazz clubs in Chicago, Washington DC, Amsterdam, and performs regularly in NYC, Westchester, and Connecticut.