Steinway Cabaret
with Emma Lee Aboukasm, vocalist; Cliff Monear, pianist & Jeff Pedraz, bass
Wednesday, February 23, 2022
7:00 PM
General Admission: $20
Steinway Society Members: $15
No reservations necessary
Cash or check, payable at the door
Emma Lee Aboukasm is an award-winning, Detroit-based recording artist, vocalist, pianist, and composer. As a recent 2019 graduate of the Jazz & Contemporary Music at the University of Michigan, she is performing in a variety of venues, ranging from intimate venues like the Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe to expansive stages like the Detroit Jazz Festival. Emma is on the vanguard of contemporary music in the heart of metro-Detroit.
Recently, Emma Lee co-produced her debut album Rise To It (under the alias, Emmalee) with Scott Gwinnell, featuring Gwinnell on piano, Marion Hayden on bass, Sean Dobbins on drums and Tristan Cappel on alto sax. The album features classic jazz standards and original compositions by Emma.
Aboukasm won the Youth Vocal Jazz Competition in Detroit in 2014. In 2015, she made the top 5 finalists out of 2,000 applications worldwide in the International Sarah Vaughan Vocal Jazz Competition. There, she performed for a panel of judges including Christian McBride and Cyrille Aimée and played tracks from her CD on WBGO radio in Newark, NJ.
Currently, Emma Lee Aboukasm resides in southeast Michigan, collaborating with a variety of groups from the National Arab Orchestra to her newest project titled “Something to Live For”, the refined music of Billy Strayhorn. She continues to write original compositions and arrange new versions of old songs, offering a new sound to listeners from all walks of life.