Kellylee Evans - Nina
Kellylee Evans (born 7 February 1975 in Scarborough, Ontario) is a Canadian jazz and soul music vocalist. She is the recipient of a 2011 Juno. Her 2010 album Nina won in the category Juno Award for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year.
In 2004 Evans won second place at the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, where Quincy Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Al Jarreau were among the judges. In 2006, she released her debut album Fight or Flight? for which was nominated for a 2007 Juno award.
Her Juno award winning album Nina was inspired by the life and work of Nina Simone and was recorded after the French record label Plus Loin Music, who invited her to spend two days in their recording studio to record whatever she wanted.The record, was released the same year as her album The Good Girl, all while homeschooling her three children under ten years of age[1] On tours she has opened for George Benson, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti, Dianne Reeves, Maceo Parker, Derek Trucks and Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.Notable live appearances have included the Sunfest, the Algoma Fall Festival with Michael Kaeshammer, and in 2012 she will debut at Toronto's Massey Hall and the Imperial Theatre.
In 2013, Evans was struck by lightning while inside her home.Her career has largely been on hiatus since; in 2015, her friend Amanda Martinez launched a successful crowdfunding campaign to help Evans with living and health expenses.
