"Your voice is such a treat...
like stealing a piece of candy after
your mama sent you to bed with no dessert!"

Vocalist and trombonist elizabeth! is one of the most in-demand bandleaders and side musicians in New York. Her working band performs her sultry arrangements of jazz standards as well as her catchy original tunes, and this new recording, "hot & silver," shows off her beautiful phrasing and sensitivity. elizabeth!'s musicianship and enthusiasm (and dance moves!) have made her a popular choice for tours and recordings with artists in genres ranging from country to indie rock to hip-hop.

Professional highlights include:

• appearances at Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, and Lincoln Center, and on Good Morning America with the Metro Mass Gospel Choir
• playing the Conan O'Brien Show with Patrick Wolf
• a tour with St. Vincent opening for The Arcade Fire
• performing at the Willisau Jazz Festival in Switzerland with Kenny Wollesen
• performing with Jill Sobule and Cyndi Lauper in a tribute to Bob Dylan at Lincoln Center
• becoming an official Swayette with the Matt Wilson Quartet
• singing backup in the 16-piece disco group Escort
• shows with the Rebirth and Dirty Dozen Brass Bands at the Blue Note, Wetlands, B.B. King's, and the Knitting Factory
• musical cast member of shows by Cynthia Hopkins, Liz Swados, and Barbara Schottenfeld
• playing trombone on stilts (!) with the Shinbone Alley Stilt Band
• radio commercial work and recording with countless artists, including The Mooney Suzuki, Chris Potter, and Money Mark of the Beastie Boys

Before dropping her last name for a mark of punctuation (!), Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen grew up in a very musical family in Vermont, garnering accolades in both music and theater. While at Harvard University, she studied cognitive neuroscience and psychology and immersed herself in the Boston music scene. She played lead trombone with the Harvard Jazz Band, under the direction of Tom Everett, and performed with many of the top names in jazz; a particularly special concert featured Randy Weston and Elizabeth's recreation of Melba Liston's "My Reverie." Other activities included touring with the nutty Hasty Pudding Theatricals, directing the jazz department and spinning records at WHRB, and playing a weekly gig with a drag queen. So much for the typical ivory tower education!

She has studied with Phil Wilson, Sheila Jordan, JD Walter, Michael Philip Mossman, and Antonio Hart - most through the curriculum at Queens College, where she earned a Master's Degree in Jazz Vocal Performance in 2006.

elizabeth! is based in Brooklyn and maintains an active touring and recording schedule.

Recent press:

eJazzNews Review of "hot & silver" is here.
Edward Blanco calls it "a classy entrance into the world of jazz."

Feature piece in the Connecticut Valley Spectator (July 19, 2007) Page 1 · Page 2