Jazz vocalist, entertainer and native New Yorker, Lesley Mitchell-Clarke was born into a show business family. Her father is the late veteran jazz bassist and Emmy Award winning comedy writer and producer, Gordon “Whitey” Mitchell, and her late Uncle was the jazz bass legend, Red Mitchell. Since the age of sixteen, Lesley has worked as a busy singer/dancer/actor, and traveled internationally with musical theatre productions, as well as with a number of name acts. She also toured the Orient extensively with her own L.A.-based musical group, “Main Squeeze”, often appearing at the famed Tokyo venues “The Latin Quarter” and “Pepe LaMoco”. Since Lesley has returned to the boards, she has been bringing her entertaining mix of humour, show-biz tales and tasty vocal jazz to the city’s finest jazz venues, including “The 120 Diner”, “The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar”, “Jazz Bistro”, “Hirut”, “The Homesmith Bar”, Kensington Sound’s “Jazz Salon” Series and noted College St. eatery and jazz boite, “The Emmet Ray”! Lesley is a graduate of the famed “Second City’s” Improv Programme, and with her love of spontaneity, she often serves as Mistress of Ceremonies at prominent jazz events and festivals, including numerous jazz concerts and events at The TD Niagara Jazz Festival and The Kensington Market Jazz Festival.
At “The Emmet Ray” on Sunday, September 6 at 5:30 PM, Lesley will be performing her usual mash-up of humerous anecdotes from her show-biz career and tasty vocal jazz – featuring unusual and rarely performed jazz standards and contemporary tunes. She will be joined at the ER by her musical companions, “The Fabulous Melo-Tonins”: Musical Director, Tom Szczesniak on piano and accordion, Jordan O’Connor on bass, Frank Botos on drums and Tim Hamel on trumpet.
- Tom Szczesniak on piano/accordion
- Jordan O’Connor on bass
- Frank Botos on drums
- Tim Hamel on trumpet
- Lesley Mitchell-Clarke on vocals
Photo: Ori Dagan
