“Her voice is a well worked instrument that brings
new vitality to classic tunes by the likes of
Cole Porter and Duke Ellington.”
ANTIGRAVITY
ABOUT
New Orleans based vocalist Anna Laura Quinn brings sincerity, humor, and an immutable grace to her craft, leaning into the improvisational essence of the music she sings with astonishing radiance and honesty. Onstage or in the recording studio, she moves with ease between personalized arrangements of American Songbook gems, songs in French and Portuguese, surprising interpretations of popular music from the 1960s to now, and a growing number of her own compositions, beguiling audiences with what Downbeat called “the inherent delight of [her] vocal timbre.”
Raised in San Francisco and educated as a visual artist in New York City, Anna moved to New Orleans in 2010, where she eventually got her master’s in Jazz Studies at University of New Orleans in 2021. She is a dynamic presence on the New Orleans music scene, performing regularly with projects under her own name and with the Unmentionables, a band she founded in 2020 that plays what she likes to call "New Orleans Getdown Music." She can be found performing all around New Orleans – from such venerable jazz venues as Snug Harbor, Dos Jefes Uptown Cigar Bar and the New Orleans Jazz Museum, to some of the city's most well loved barrooms like Saturn Bar, Vaughan's, and BJ's Lounge.
To date, Anna has released two albums– I Feel the Sudden Urge to Sing (2018) and Open the Door (2022)– and both releases demonstrate her expansive palette of influences. Jazz Times observed, “Her selection of tunes is impeccable, as is her arranging.” Since 2018, Anna has worked closely with New Orleans guitarist Ed Barrett, whose soulfulness and versatility on the guitar enable him to join her in any musical realm that she chooses to step into. The duo's forthcoming record, Just… Quinn & Barrett, features 11 lovingly crafted arrangements comprising many styles and moods, from Ella to Joni, Duke Ellington to Queen, and J.S. Bach to Dr. John. Just… Quinn & Barrett is scheduled for release in July 2025.
In recent years, Anna has brought her repertorial melange to clubs and listening rooms on tour in the San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California, as well as in New York City and Eymet, France. She is propelled by her unwavering dedication to creative authenticity and is constantly seeking out new audiences and experiences that will open the door for personal growth, self-understanding, and a deepening sense of community. She hopes that her music may convey a spectrum of emotions and above all a heartfelt expression of her joy.
“The essence of what a good mix of
tradition and moxie can result in."
JAZZ WEEKLY
