Artists:Esther Haynes

Esther Haynes is a vocalist and guitarist residing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Her vocal styles range from vintage jazz to swing, blues, bossas, and bluegrass.

She has been nominated for several Washington Area Music Awards including Debut Recording, Jazz Vocalist, Big Band Vocalist, and Jazz Duo/Group. In 2003 she received a WAMMIE for Big Band Vocalist, and was nominated for Jazz and Big Band Vocalist in 2004.

Her band affiliations include Hokum Jazz, Martini Red, the Tom Cunningham Orchestra, and several duos and trios. She has performed with local guitarists Phil Mathieu, Justin Lees, Rusty Bogart and others.

In 2001 she recorded a cd of vintage vocal tunes in tribute early jazz vocalists such as Alberta Hunter, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Lil Green, Ella Fitzgerald, Memphis Minnie, and others. This recording is complemented by a numerous D.C. area musicians including Nevada Newman, Akira Otsuka, Tad Marks, J.C. Veve, Seth Kibel and others. The cd has received favorable local and online press as well as airplay on Hot Jazz Saturday Night and Mary Cliff's WETA program.

In 2004 she released a cd of standards, swing, and bossas entitled "Approach Note". The cd features vocals accompanied by the superlative jazz stylings of Justin Lees (who now resides in NYC) and Nick Smiley on acoustic bass.

Originally from Virginia, she learned folk and bluegrass in her youth. Later she attended Berklee College of Music in Boston where she studied voice and professional music. In Boston she worked in the bluegrass/swing group, Boston City Limits, and in a duo with ragtime guitarist Larry Unger. She has also worked with jazz guitarist John Dirac of Boston's Either Orchestra. She spent two years in Israel where she fronted a group called "The Cotton Club Band" featuring jazz guitarist David Matarasso and drummer Ilan Katchke. She also worked in an acoustic blues/country duo called the "Southern Comfort Duo".

In the future, she hopes to continue to record and travel abroad with her music.

Esther teaches guitar, voice and banjo in Takoma Park, MD. She holds a Master of Education Degree from Marymount University in Arlington, VA as well as a Diploma in Professional Music and Voice from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA..