Ella Dair Ensemble

Ella Dair is a NYC-based jazz vocalist. Originally from San Francisco, she started singing at a young age, performing with many Bay Area legends in her aunt’s swing band “Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers.”

Ella continued her education in music and performance with SFArtsEd, falling in love with the songs of Harold Arlen and Kander & Ebb, among other classics of the Great American Songbook. As a teenager she was a vocal soloist with the youth choir at Glide Memorial, the renowned non-denominational church presided over by civil rights leader Cecil Williams.

Ella earned her bachelor’s degree from Bard College, studying anthropology and Latin American studies with a particular interest in ethnomusicology. Her studies broadened her musical tastes and sent her to Mexico City, where she lived post-grad. Ella then moved to New York City, joining the staff at Dizzy’s Club at Jazz At Lincoln Center, where she has been exposed to many of the greatest jazz musicians in the world.

On her regular trips to the West Coast Ella performs at The Royal Cuckoo Organ Lounge in San Francisco, an iconic institution that has received rave reviews from the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. At the Royal Cuckoo, Ella has sung with Etta James’ trumpet player Mike Olmos, Lyle Lovett’s alto player Brad Leali, and tenor saxophonist Howard Wiley, a resident Artistic Director at the SFJAZZ Center.

Ella covers a range of material, including jazz standards, soul, country and folk tunes. She has a keen eye for unique and beautiful songs, and she continues to work tirelessly on expanding her repertoire, always on the lookout for obscure gems in addition to timeless classics.