Lisa Markley

"Markley has more depth control and beauty to her voice in a live concert setting than most vocalists get in a studio. Driving that voice is a soul of wit and intelligence and a heart of gold." --Paul Slavens, KERA Dallas Reared on big band and swing, Lisa Markley started her musical journey as a trombonist, finally laying it down (in favor of a more vocal journey) after graduating from University of North Texas (1989). While at North Texas she majored composition, played trombone in the lab bands and sang in the Jazz Singers. Lisa returned to UNT in 2012 to do graduate work in Jazz Voice. She defies category in pursuit of the perfect song. Though Lisa Markley's career as a songwriter blends folk and jazz influences, her recent projects have brought her home, focusing her finely tuned vocal talents on the jazz genre. Lisa's solo albums "The Sky is Blue and Sometimes Cries" as well as "One Word" feature standards along with compositions by North Texas songwriters whom she wants to share with new audiences, and a few jazz-based original songs. Lisa is signed with the Soona Songs record label, where she has been given the freedom to explore more intimate forms of jazz song, and allowed to step outside of the genre box, as well as record new song along side the jazz "standards". These days Lisa performs locally with her trio (jazz-based original material, select songs by friends and the odd standard), and tours nationally with her partner in crime Bruce Balmer (aka “Markley & Balmer) doing their own twisted take on original songs and standards, (she also hits the road occasionally with the genre-busting folk-ish trio “The Malvinas”).

Dallas, TX