Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Nina Moffitt was born on March 3, 1987 in Brooklyn, New York and began piano lessons at the age of five. She took up percussion in her father’s church ensemble and finally became a vocalist by leading the church congregation throughout her formative years. Attending the LaGuardia Arts High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, she studied classical music, gospel, jazz, and new music composition. Simultaneously she studied jazz voice privately at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

By 2005 Moffitt was singing with the All City Jazz Band at Lincoln Center, was granted an Honorary Mention from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts in the category of jazz voice, and performed as a backup singer with pop star Josh Groban.

Graduating from Oberlin College with honors for her work in cultural and linguistic anthropology, not only did Nina study with world renowned Oberlin Conservancy professors like Lorraine Manz and Marcus Belgrave, she performed with the Oberlin Jazz Ensemble for four years, led jazz worship services at First Church of Oberlin and Trinity Church in Cleveland.

She cites Joni Mitchell, Sarah Vaughan, Wayne Shorter, and Nina Simone as her influences and has added bossa nova phrasing to her arsenal having studied Portuguese in Brazil. Vocalist Nina Moffitt has recorded her debut album Where I Have Been with her quintet and continues to perform with her band in the New York area.

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