Gayle Wilhelm
Alto “Singing never fails to bring me joy, and whenever I can use it to draw out a smile from an audience, it’s truly a treasure”. Gayle has been a member of the OJC since 2012. She is grateful for the bond and creative connection she gets when singing with her choir mates, and especially […]
Eugenie Hsu
Alto Starting with studying classical piano from ages 8-18 and being a member of a choirs since age 10, Eugenie considers music a lifelong passion. Eugenie joined the Oakland Jazz Choir for the first time in the 90’s when it was a 40-member choir then left after several years to sing in smaller jazz ensembles. […]
Laura Blanton
Alto Born and raised in NYC, Laura was influenced by the jazz music her parents played when she was growing up, like tunes from Ella, Sarah, and Nina Simone. She joined OJC in 1995. Her most memorable performances include the IAJE convention in Long Beach in 2002, and the OJC’s tribute to Duke Ellington at […]
Sarah O’Brien
Soprano Sarah has loved to sing for as long as she can remember; participating in choirs, acapella groups, musical theater (and her fair share of singing in the shower) ever since kindergarten. Growing up listening to Ella and Louis CDs inspired a lifelong love for vocal jazz, and she delights in acting on that love […]
Marissa Matthews
Soprano Marissa’s family knew she loved music when at age 6 she was so happy to receive her first (purple) tape player that she hugged it close and danced with it around the house. She has been singing ever since! From choirs of all kinds throughout high school and college (including the SF Symphony Chorus), […]
Jocelyn Elisa
Soprano I’m a ” Newyorican,” raised with the Latin beats of Puerto Rican music and singing the songs from Broadway musicals. I started choral music in church as a child and graduated to studying Modern, Jazz, African, Middle Eastern and Latin dance in my teens and twenties. I began studying Jazz vocals in 1993 with […]
Valorie de Leña
Soprano “There’s a gift of connection to people through music and harmonies that transcends any language.” Music has been a part of Valorie’s life since she was a little girl. She has sung in choruses, quartets and choirs. Patti of the Tuck and Patti duo told her to “get singing and never stop”. And that’s […]
Deborah Blackburn
Soprano Deborah has been singing all of her life. Her family knew she was destined to sing when she memorized the entire soundtrack of “Bye Bye Birdie” when she was just two years old! Deborah’s musical artistry has been recognized with several solo and ensemble competition awards. She has performed in numerous venues throughout the […]
Heather Fong
Alto / Managing Director “Jazz is not just music, it’s a way of life, it’s a way of being, a way of thinking. . . . the new inventive phrases we make up to describe things – all that to me is jazz just as much as the music we play.” Nina Simone Heather, an […]
Walter Bankovitch
Pianist/Band Leader Walter grew up in Burlingame, California, and studied with Anna Mears in Pacifica, California; Walter Rudolph, San Francisco; Walter grew up in Burlingame, California, studying classical piano privately and learning to play jazz in bands in high school and college. At Stanford University Walter was the pianist for the college Jazz Band, playing […]