ELAINE QUARLES

Jazz vocalist, arranger, and composer Elaine Quarles is an up-and-coming artist in the New England music scene and a current student at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School of Music. Originally from the town of Hudson, New Hampshire, Elaine grew up right outside of the Boston Area surrounded by music. With a commanding voice and wide dynamic range, Quarles has a classic sound rooted in the jazz tradition with a modern twist.

Join My Newsletter!

ABOUT

Jazz vocalist, arranger, and composer Elaine Quarles is an up-and-coming artist in the New England music scene and a current student at the Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz at the Hartt School of Music. Originally from the little town of Hudson, New Hampshire, Elaine grew up right outside of the Boston Area surrounded by music. With a commanding voice and wide dynamic range, she has a classic sound, rooted in the jazz tradition with a modern twist.Growing up, Quarles was classically trained on piano, trumpet, and tuba, but always had a longing to really dig into the jazz idiom. For many years, she played trumpet in the school jazz band, but ended up switching to bass. Self-taught on the instrument, the bass really taught her the fundamentals and structure of jazz harmony leading to a strong ear for improvisation. Vocals were always something she was interested in, though, and after earning the top score in the state of New Hampshire on the 2021 NHMEA Vocal Jazz All State auditions, singing became a priority.A student at the Jackie McLean institute of jazz, Elaine’s training is largely coming from bebop, hard bop, and swing styles. Being a student of both Karrin Allyson and Leala Cyr, however, the art of bossa nova and samba have not been ignored. With all of these influences, Quarles’s repertoire is a wide, varied one with over 300 pieces spanning across the jazz idiom and counting!Having been the primary vocalist for the Connecticut-based String of Pearls Big Band for over 3 years, Elaine’s voice proves itself capable of carrying over both small and large ensembles alike as well as exemplifying its ability to truly command a room no matter the orchestration.You can find Elaine playing more than just jazz, though, as she has been a member of country music ensembles like the Granite Mountain Band as well as featured on electronic producer Kyle Cahill’s singles Kill It With Fire! and Kusama.

Take A Listen!

Looking for VGM?

If retro's your style - I've got you covered!With influences like Nobuo Uematsu, Shoji Meguro, Yoko Shimomura, and Koichi Sugiyama, my VGM composition style is reminiscent of (and uses instruments from) the SNES-PS1 era!

Upcoming Events

For lessons, booking, collabs, inquiries and more, reach out here!

...or find me on socials!