Jessi Teich

Jessi Teich has spent the duration of her young life submerged in the soulful world of jazz and blues music. Even before she learned how to speak, Jessi sang. Raised in a household where rooms were stacked with records and the hi-fi was always blaring the likes of Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughan, Jessi began singing short songs of her own, the first sign of her nurtured ability to create music. 5

Inspired by her love for the sounds of a vibraphone, Jessi began taking piano lessons at age eight. Although her lessons were primarily based around classical styles, Jessi began singing and recording songs with blues-based progressions, singing lyrics and rhythms that were elementary yet still reminiscent of her strongest influences.

As a young teenager, Jessi had the privilege of checking out performances by renowned jazz and blues musicians in New York City. At age fourteen, her songwriting began to develop and mature into more complete compositions. Interest in the recent music of her generation (Fiona Apple, Ani DiFranco, Sade) combined with the prominent influence of classic vocalists (Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Carole King) yielded a unique and powerful presence in Jessi’s vocal style.

Jessi chose to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA where she would soon realize the extent of her talent and her potential as an educator in music. While attending Berklee, Jessi sang with the Afro-Pop Ensemble and also led a five-piece vocal section in the sensational Tower of Power Ensemble. At age twenty, Jessi was invited to sing at Harlem’s renowned Apollo Theatre for Amateur Night. Delivering a soulful version of Gershwin’s “Summertime”, Jessi finished second and was invited back for another performance that aired as part of the Apollo’s TV series in March of 2005.

Jessi graduated from Berklee in May of 2006 with a BA in Music Education and moved down to Philadelphia to pursue her teaching career. While teaching, Jessi discovered Ortliebs Jazzhaus, a place where she could sing jazz with the likes of Sid Simmons, Mike Boone, and Byron Landon for the Tuesday open mic. Having gotten to know the musicians and owner, Jessi was able to book her own gigs there, which eventually turned into a small TV appearance on "The Rachel Ray Show."

Most recently, Jessi has teamed up with Dan Marino, a class-act producer, who has been working diligently with her to release her debut album of original music in 2010.