Chicago jazz singer Elaine Dame sings – and people stop and listen. Since 1996, the woman Time Out Chicago calls “a jazz dynamo” and “a gem in the city’s vocal jazz scene” has been turning heads and capturing attention at the nation’s finest clubs and venues. From her multiple appearances at the world-famous Rainbow Room, Michael Feinstein’s 54 Below, The Triad Theater and The Metropolitan Room in New York City to her performances at the 2015 and 2017 Chicago Jazz Festivals, to headlining venerable jazz venues across the country, Elaine brings her virtuosic interpretations to vintage vocal gems and modern standards alike.
It’s the joy she exudes with every note that makes Elaine’s performances unforgettable. A graduate of The Theater Repertory Program at California State Northridge, Elaine worked for years in Chicago’s theater scene before turning her whole focus to jazz. She’s a singer who understands the importance of stage presence. It’s no wonder the Chicago Reader wrote, “Ms. Dame has a winning stage presence and chameleon-like vocal flexibility.”