Jazz singer

Jazz singer gaining popularity Jazz has often been an art form that allows strong female singers to excel. Artists like Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday have entered the halls of legend because of their skill. On Thursday, the SMS community will have the chance to see an up-and-coming performer.

Claudia Acuna, the Chilean-born songstress, will be performing at the Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts.

Acuna, who moved to New York in 1995, got her start in jazz at age 15. Soon she was searching out the jazz community in Santiago and sitting in with major jazz musicians.

Even though she spoke no English, Acuna performed with musicians including pianist Michel Petrucciani, trumpeter/bandleader Wynton Marsalis, tenor saxaphonist Joe Lovano and pianist Danilo Perez.

Eventually, Acuna made the decision to move to New York despite the difficulty of such a move. Having virtually no contacts and no formal musical training made the transition daunting, but her perseverance paid off.

After sitting in with a friend’s band her first week in town, she was introduced to the jam sessions at Smalls, a Greenwich Village jazz club.

Despite being forced to work non-musical jobs such as babysitting, dog walking, and late-night dishwashing to make ends meet, Acuna became a force on the scene. She was becoming a regular in the jam sessions.

She started setting her own dates, and hooked up with Harry Whitaker and Jason Linder. The record label Verve heard her singing, and signed her to a album deal.

Acuna’s debut album, “Wind From the South,” has been out for almost a year, and her new album, “Rhythm of Life,” will be released March 26.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 17.

Tickets are $22, $18 and $16 and can be purchased by phone at 836-SMSU or at the Hammons Hall box office.