Dee Dee Bridgewater

The Profile

Dee Dee Bridgewater (born 1950) is an American jazz singer and actress from Memphis, Tennessee. A Grammy- and Tony-winning performer, she is celebrated for her powerful voice, scat and vocalese, and acclaimed tribute albums to figures like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Horace Silver, and Duke Ellington. She lived in France for many years and continues to record and tour.

American jazz vocalist and actress; active since the 1970s; noted for scat/vocalese and high-energy live shows; spent significant years living in France; widely recognized for albums such as Dear Ella, Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee Bridgewater, Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver, and This Is New.

A single, glowing review spotlights Dee Dee Bridgewater’s 1989 Live in Paris, praising her powerful, in‑tune voice and jazz authority. It highlights dynamic vocalese and scat, comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald, and a crack French-based trio: Dedè Ciccarelli, Antoine Bonfils, Hervé Sellin. Tracks like All Blues, Misty, and Cherokee showcase her range across swing and blues. The reviewer deems it an essential gateway to jazz.