Leah Kline

A fine American jazz singer based in the Netherlands, Leah Kline performs an eclectic variety of music that ranges from straight-ahead jazz to original groove-oriented singer/songwriter material. She was born in Japan when her father was stationed there in the military, but grew up in the United States. Kline played piano, congas, and hand bells as a child. She graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1991 with a Modern Dance degree. She worked in the Washington D.C. area for the next four years as a dancer, actress, choreographer, and singer. In 1995 she moved to Los Angeles, performing in a wide variety of situations. A fall off a balcony disabled her for a period, and a six-month USO tour of Europe convinced her to become a jazz singer.Kline became part of the Los Angeles jazz community, sometimes using Tamir Hendelman or John Rangel as her pianist. After working on Seabourn Cruise Lines and performing in shows in the Far East, in 2000 she moved to Amsterdam. Since then, she has performed in There's No Business Like Show Business (a musical based on the life of Irving Berlin), was part of a tribute to Ann Burton, appeared in 42nd Street and Musicals in Ahoy, and performed as a jazz singer in Holland, Germany, and France. She has also co-hosted a radio show, written articles, and taught performance skills, dance, and yoga. Kline has thus far recorded two CDs: a standards album for Stemra (Playground), and her original lyrics written to pianist Dirk Balthaus' music on Juzz Flirtin, recorded for Theatrics Productions. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide