About Jade

Jade Louise Leonard (born March 14, 1981) is an Australian singer and pianist, specialising in original, contemporary and jazz music. She is best known for her lyrical vocal tone and insightful lyrics.

Biography

Jade was born into a musical family in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Her parents were both professional pianists and her grandparents were professional adagio dancers who toured the world in the 1940s.

She began singing at the age of eight in a local childrens choir and refused formal piano tuition in favour of teaching herself. She had her first professional engagement at age fifteen, a four month residency at Jack and Jill’s in Essendon with jazz pianist Tom Hansen.

At seventeen she graduated high school to attend the Victorian College of the Arts studying jazz voice and finally began formal piano training.

Growing up in a music school proved a fruitful childhood for Jade, surrounded by many of Melbourne’s finest performers.

Jade has continued to perform and teach in Melbourne since graduating and is now embarking on an international performance career.

Professional career

In 2001 Jade received a grant from the Southbank Theatre Company to record her first self-titled EP. She recorded with some of Australia’s best musicians including Joe Chindamo, David Jones, Evripides Evripidou and Mark Domoney.

Her second EP recorded in 2004, a collaborative effort with Flipsliders, featured more of Jade’s heartfelt ballads.

Now Jade is only releasing digital downloads of her new music, a move which reflects her commitment to the environment and waste reduction.

Her most recent project, titled Jazz at Your Place started as free in-home performances for residents in Moonee Valley, with Jade's ambition to perform at least once a day for a year. In early 2011 she extended the project for performances to be booked anywhere in Victoria. A lot of local press has been recorded on the project, including a front-page feature in the Moonee Valley Leader newspaper.