VERONNEAU
ACOUSTIC JAZZ WITH A GLOBAL TWIST
Award-winning Washington DC based VERONNEAU defy categorization. At the core, the husband-and-wife duo - Quebecoise vocalist Lynn Veronneau and UK guitarist Ken Avis - translate the themes of their musical journeys into captivating multilingual performances with spirited, jazzy, retro, soulful original songs and classics from the worlds of bossa nova, French chanson, folk, blues and pop.
VERONNEAU delights through Lynn’s spectacular voice, her heartfelt and artful delivery of the lyrics and through Ken’s brilliant and vibrant playfulness on the guitar. They play off one another, carefully choosing songs for their powerful melodies and imagery.
VERONNEAU have built a devoted following through constant performances and recordings. Since their 2011 debut album “Joie De Vivre/Joy of Living,” which includes their hit “La Mer”, streamed over a million times on Spotify, they have released three Top 10 charting studio albums, two acclaimed live full length albums and several singles with a variety of collaborators.
From international festivals to legendary clubs and intimate theaters VERONNEAU performs with a wide range of artists. Constantly exploring they delight in working across disciplines from dance, theater and cinema alongside jazz and world musicians. They tell stories that inspire and unite. VERONNEAU is fresh, fun and undoubtedly beautiful.
In 2021 they were invited to reopen the legendary Blues Alley over a 4 night period, resulting in their “Live at Blues Alley” album, and a 2023 Artists in Residence stint at the club. They continued the year performing alongside headliners like Samara Joy and Gregory Porter at DC Jazz Festival, before taking another twist to release a stripped-back, bossa nova inspired version of “Friday I’m in Love” the ‘90’s hit by British indie band The Cure. The video of the single racked up almost 50K YouTube views with just a couple of months.
VERONNEAU have toured Europe, the USA and Canada, appearing live on BBC radio, on festival stages, and clubs, and at prestige venues such as Kennedy Center, Strathmore, The Hamilton, and many more. In the USA mid-Atlantic area they've earned 7 WAMMIE awards for Best Vocals, Band and Recording Artists, and their original compositions have been recognized at the MASC songwriting competition. Their live performances have included cross-genre collaborations in theater, and with contemporary dance troupe Company Danzante. Most recently they have been presenting their “Blue Tapestry” show celebrating, in story and song, the milestone albums by Joni Mitchell and Carol King to rave reviews.
"Inspiring & joyful...excellent performers" Washington Post
"Welcome to the land of rhythm and groove...the jazz vocal version of the sexy little black dress." Critical Jazz
"Satisfying and bewitching...one of the best voices in the business." Canadian Audiophile
"The kind of thoughtful artistry one can expect from masters of the music." Washingtonian Magazine
" Veronneau could easily fit on jazz, world and pop radio... a kaleidoscope of internationally flavored tunes and varied textures delivered by a gorgeous voice." All About Jazz
VERONNEAU
New 2023 Release
Recorded live at DC's legendary Club. Click the link to listen at Spotify, Apple, Amazon, etc, or to buy at BandsinTown.com
"Veronneau Live at Blues Alley is a remarkable gem that deserves to be in your collection of live recordings." Sounds of Timeless Jazz
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BIO
& PRESS KIT
With awards for Best Jazz Group, Best Jazz Vocals, and Best Jazz Recording and three chart topping, critically acclaimed albums under their belt, VERONNEAU have captivated audiences in , concert halls, festivals and jazz clubs all over the world. VERONNEAU’s repertoire, performed in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, includes samba, bossa nova, swing, jazz and French chanson blended with their original compositions.
French Canadian vocalist Lynn Veronneau lights up the stage with her engaging presence and moving interpretations framed by the band's acoustic guitars and rhythmic energy. Currently based in Washington, DC, VERONNEAU draw capacity crowds at major venues such as Blues Alley, Strathmore Music Center, and the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage. They’ve participated in the DC Jazz Festival and Takoma Park Jazz Festivals in addition to the UK’s Beat Herder festival.
Their releases Joie de Vivre, Jazz Samba Project and Love & Surrender all enjoyed US top 10 chart success for World and Jazz music. This multi-talented group produced a two week Brazilian music festival, a documentary movie, and a theatrical play building on the release of their Jazz Samba Project CD which celebrated the 1962 album of the same name. The band worked with contemporary dance Company Danzante to present a live music and dance performance commissioned for Atlas Performing Arts Intersections festival. In 2021, Lynn and Ken composed and performed for a commissioned production for Washington Performing Arts.
Lynn Veronneau (vocals) was raised close to Montreal, and completed voice studies in France. Her classical training helped her develop a seemingly effortless technique which Lynn has used to great effect in singing classical, folk, blues and funk before settling on her jazz and pop repertoire with VERONNEAU. As a member of the French/Swiss band The Cernettes – an all-female vocal group – she made headlines around the world when the band featured in the first ever photograph circulated on the web. Lynn met her husband and band-mate Ken in Switzerland where the two started to perform together. Lynn is an in-demand session vocalist recording and performing regularly with artists in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Ken Avis (guitar and vocals) explored a wide range of roots music, and performed as vocalist with WC Handy Award winning Otis Grand Blues Band. He is an Artist Ambassador for Cordoba Guitars. Ken is also a published music journalist. He co-produced the documentary film Bossa Nova – The Brazilian Music That Charmed the World (2014), and is currently co-producing Anacostia Delta (2019) which celebrates the legend and legacy of Washington DC guitarists Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan. Ken co-curated the NEA award-winning Strathmore Jazz Samba Project Festival. His play Bossa Fever was commissioned for performance at Atlas Arts Intersections Festival in 2015. As a solo guitarist/songwriter/vocalist Ken has been recognized with awards from Emergent Seed, The Acoustic Guitar Project and SAW Songwriters Association.
In addition to performing and recording, Lynn and Ken created and co-host a weekly radio show, The Antidote on WERA.FM. They also curate the annual Passport to the World music festival and other music events and festivals in the DC area.
Dave Kline British violinist Dave Kline has played on stage with musicians as diverse as Dwight Yoakum and Chick Corea. Dave has been a close friend and collaborator since appearing on their debut CD Joie de Vivre-Joy of Living. His own Dave Kline Band, performs his high-energy, violin-led, jazz-fusion compositions.
ABOUT VERONNEAU
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PHOTO 2
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