Natalie Jacob, a native Angelino, spent her high school summers working as an usher at the Hollywood Bowl, where she first heard many of the jazz greats and immediately fell in love with the music. Her upcoming debut solo album, Sooner or Later, showcases her warm, inviting vocals on jazz standards, bossa nova and selections from the Great American Songbook. Produced by Scotty Barnhart, Director of the Count Basie Orchestra and Associate Professor of Music at Florida State University, the album features pianist Tamir Hendelman, Grammy-winning bassist Carlitos Del Puerto, drummer Clayton Cameron, guitarist Anthony Wilson, and percussionist Kevin Winard.

Natalie launched her solo career in 2010 with the late Larry Feldman serving as her musical director and guitarist. Since then, she has performed at numerous venues, private parties and corporate events across Southern California, including the Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts in Costa Mesa, The Gardenia in Hollywood, Pip’s on La Brea in Los Angeles, The Sky Room in Long Beach, and The World Stage in Leimert Park. Her annual appearance in the Fireside series at The Miles Playhouse in Santa Monica has sold out for four years running.

Natalie has a particular passion for bossa nova, and from 2007 to 2010, she was the lead singer with Bluenova, a jazz quintet playing bossa nova, Latin jazz, blues, and a splash of world music. In 2014, Natalie joined the Long Beach-based Latin jazz band, Along for the Ride, with whom she recorded the album, Jobim and Vinicius Across Languages. Her unmistakable, sultry sound on this album is complimented by world-renowned musicians Abraham Laboriel and Justo Almario. 

In addition to performing with her own ensemble, Natalie has also been the featured vocalist in repeated appearances with the Scotty Barnhart Quintet, the Paul McDonald Big Band, and the bossa nova band Corcovado, and has shared the stage with such illustrious musicians as Clayton Cameron, James Leary, Roy McCurdy and Trevor Ware. 

Natalie holds a bachelor’s degree in History and Art History from UCLA. She honed her vocal technique with Cathy Segal-Garcia and Marilyn Maye and currently studies with triple Grammy-Nominated vocalist Sara Gazarek. Natalie sings in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese. She has also studied sacred music, earning her cantor certification as a leader of song from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2006. She stills sings regularly at Sunday masses, weddings, funerals, and other services at several Catholic churches in Southern California.

Natalie names as her influences Ella Fitzgerald, Natalie Cole, Sara Gazarek, Diana Krall, Carmen McRae, Linda Ronstadt, Eliane Elias and Astrud Gilberto. Her musical roots go deep: She is from the Juneau family for whom the Canadian Juno awards are named!

Followers of Gil Contreras