Brianna

Born and raised in Peoria Illinois, Brianna grew up surrounded by music. Her father, Charlie Thomas, influenced her with his own unique talents as a vocalist and percussionist, At age six, Brianna made her singing debut performing a duet rendition of the jazz classic, “What A Wonderful World” with her father. Just shy of her teens, Brianna’s talents were discovered by distinguished jazz educator Mary Jo Papich. Soon after, she toured Europe with the Peoria Jazz All-Stars, a big band under Ms. Papich’s direction. This was the beginning of Brianna’s career as a jazz vocalist.Brianna’s talents have propelled her to many successes including performances at the Montreux, North Sea, and Umbria Jazz Festivals and in venues ranging from the Bahamas to Geneva, Switzerland. Brianna was a resident in both the 2001 and 2002 Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Programs – an international artist-in-residence program that assembles a select group of jazz musicians to perform their original compositions at the Kennedy Center. At “Jazz Ahead” she worked with a host of premier jazz educators and performers including renowned vocalist Carmen Lundy, drummer Winard Harper and saxophonist Nathan Davis. Brianna’s extensive list of stateside performances includes appearances with Fred Anderson, Houston Person and the Barber Brothers. In 2001, Thomas was awarded "High School Jazz Vocalist of the Year" by Down Beat magazine. Notably, Thomas is the youngest person ever to be inducted into Peoria Illinois’ African-American Hall of Fame (1996). In recognition of her successes and accomplishments, Thomas has recieved a certificate of excellence from the state of Illinois.The words of legendary trombonist Curtis Fuller best illustrate Brianna Thomas’ abilities - “a marvelous new artist who has all it takes to reach the top of the jazz profession and music in general.”
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