Térez Montcalm possesses a voice that sounds like it has lived several lifetimes. It is a distinctive, gravelly instrument that brings a raw, tactile edge to the often-polished world of vocal jazz. While her foundations are in the Great American Songbook and French chanson, she approaches every track with what she calls a 'rock attitude,' injecting a sense of urgency and rhythmic bite that sets her apart from her more traditional peers.
What makes her truly unique is the way she bridges the gap between the elegance of Shirley Horn and the grit of Janis Joplin. Her guitar playing is percussive and assertive, often driving the ensemble forward with a folk-rock energy that contrasts beautifully with the sophisticated jazz arrangements. Whether she is singing in French or English, her phrasing is intuitive and deeply soulful, making even the most familiar covers feel like personal confessions.
Start with her breakthrough album 'Voodoo' to hear her transformative take on pop and rock classics, or dive into 'Here's To You' for a masterclass in how to honor a jazz legend without losing your own edge. It is music for people who like their jazz with a little bit of dirt under its fingernails and a lot of heart.
Térez Montcalm (born Thérèse Montcalm in 1963) is a Canadian jazz singer and songwriter. She sings and plays acoustic guitar, which she has played since a young age, as well as double bass. She describes herself as "a jazz singer with a very 'rock' attitude". Her influences include Jimi Hendrix, Elvis Presley, and Billie Holiday, and her music has been compared to that of Edith Piaf and Janis Joplin. Her career started in 1981. During her early years as a musician, she performed as a warm-up act for the Cowboy Junkies. Her first album, Risque, was released in 1994 and she was nominated for five ADISQ awards in 1995. The tour following the release of the album consisted of over 100 shows in Canada and around Europe. Her second album, Parle Pas Si Fort, was brought out in 1997 and this was followed by an eponymous album in 2002. In 2006, she released the album Voodoo, her first sung in the English language. The album achieved a peak position of No. 43 in the French albums chart, and was on the chart for 30 weeks. Her 2009 album, Connection, fared even better in France, reaching a top position of No. 37 on 3 October 2009.
Shares vocal jazz, soul, upright bass, soulful (subgenre)
Cassette uses generative AI to enrich its catalog. How we use AI →