About

Biography

Jazz vocalist and pianist Dawn Lambeth captivates audiences with her effervescent renditions of jazz classics.  She specializes in early jazz and swing, the joyous and romantic melodies of the twenties and thirties.  Her grace and confidence evoke the queens of jazz, eliciting comparisons from jazz aficionados to “the wonderful music of Lee Wiley, Maxine Sullivan, Billie Holiday, Ivie Anderson, and an early Ella Fitzgerald.”

Music has always been the center of Dawn’s existence.  As a young girl she studied voice and piano, and later graduated with a degree in music from Boston University.  After stints with several different bands, she discovered her passion—the music of the Jazz Age and Swing Era.  Old jazz and swing styles fit perfectly with her outlook on life—a love of melody, and of the beauty and integrity of older styles of literature, art and design.  Or, as she put it, “when I heard James P. Johnson, it was all over.”  The relaxed, pure voice of Maxine Sullivan was her first great vocal influence and Maxine’s introduction led to a string of influences, including Lee Wiley, Connie Boswell, Ella Fitzgerald, Mildred Bailey, Billie Holiday and Jo Stafford.  At the same time, she was taken with not only the piano style of James P Johnson, but also Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy and Count Basie (among many others).  For Dawn, the Great American Songbook is the perfect medium, as she says, “these songs are like the stories I love – they’re beautifully constructed little gems”.

Dawn has appeared at more than a dozen renowned jazz festivals nationwide, and performed with many noted bands, including the legendary Bobby Gordon’s Sextet and Clint Baker’s New Orleans Jazz Band, and most recently with the Reynolds Brothers’ Rhythm Rascals.  Residing in Paso Robles, CA she frequently delights Central Coast audiences with her Usonia Jazz Band, performing regularly for private events and at highly regarded hotels, wineries and music venues.  She has made three trips to Osaka, Japan for performances, the most recent being in April 2008.

Dawn has four CD’s to her credit, including her winter 2007 release “Let’s Get Lost”.

    Let’s Get Lost On the Airwaves…
  • As of June 2008, had received airplay on over 100 radio stations and syndicated shows in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe and Japan
  • Was in the Top 10 jazz CD’s of the week for over 12 of those stations, and was #1 CD of the week at 2 of those stations.
  • Was picked up for reissue in Japan and Thailand by the VividSound record label
  • Broke into CMJ Jazz Charts top 40 in July 2008

Seen

At more than a dozen renowned jazz festivals:
  • Arizona Classic Jazz Festival
  • Big Bear Lake’s Festival of Jazz
  • Desert Swingin’ Jazz in Palm Springs
  • Jazz in the Olympics
  • Jazz in the Rockies
  • Mardi Gras in Fresno
  • Medford Jazz Festival
  • Dixieland Monterey Jazz Festival
  • Pismo Beach Jazz Jubilee
  • Pittsburgh Jazz Festival
  • Sacramento Jazz Jubilee
  • San Diego Dixieland Jazz Festival
  • Seaside Jazz Festival
  • Sonoma County DixieJazz Festival
  • Spokane Dixieland Jazz Festival
  • Swing in the Colony, Atascadero
  • Sweet and Hot Jazz Festival, Los Angeles
At historic venues, such as:
  • Avalon Theatre, Maryland
  • Hearst Castle, California
  • New Suntory 5, Osaka, Japan
  • William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Smithsonian Institution, Wash., DC
With many noted bands, including:
  • The Usonia Jazz Band
  • The Reynolds Brothers Rhythm Rascals
  • The Bobby Gordon Sextet
  • Clint Baker’s New Orleans Jazz Band
  • Leon Oakley’s Friends of Jazz
  • The Boilermaker Jazz Band