Zurich Jazz Orchestra plays Ella Fitzgerald featuring Brandy Butler (voc)
The “First Lady of Song” with her unmistakable, eternally youthful voice is considered one of the most important jazz singers of all time. At 17, she won an amateur competition at the Apollo Theater in Harlem and was hired by Chick Webb for his orchestra shortly afterwards. With her positive charisma and musical skills, especially her scat singing, she quickly won a large audience. We celebrate Ella’s music with a traditional program and a singer who has internalized Ella and fortunately found a new home in Switzerland: Brandy Butler. Brandy grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania (USA) and moved to Philadelphia in 1997, where she studied music. She was already very interested in jazz, but during her studies she initially experienced it as “instrumental music in a male domain”. This changed abruptly when she discovered Ella Fitzgerald and songs such as “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”, “Blue Skies” and “Flying Home”: “Ella’s music has something familiar to me, I also see many parallels when it comes to musical expression,” says Brandy Butler. She is also inspired by Fitzgerald’s fun-loving, playful approach to music.
Brandy Butler is originally from Reading, Pennslyvania. In 1997 Brandy moved to Philadelphia to pursue their love of Jazz Music at the University of the Arts. Brandy graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor’s in Jazz Performance: Jazz Flute, Minor Jazz Tuba. They spent the following years teaching Elementary Music in the Philadelphia School District.
In 2003, on a whim, Brandy decided to take a break from music and life in Philadelphia by moving to Switzerland and working as an au-pair for a family outside of Zürich. Within months after arriving, Brandy began to work as a singer and musician in the local Zürich scene.
Over the last 20 years, Brandy has made appearances with almost every major Swiss Artist including Sophie Hunger, Erika Stucky, Sina, Stress, Steff La Cheffe, Phenomden and Philipp Fankhauser, to name just a few. In 2012 Brandy appeared on The Voice of Switzerland capturing the hearts and minds of many in what was dubberd “the most watched moment of the entire series” in their Battle to Nicole Bernegger.
She completed her Master’s degree in “Vokalmusikpädagogik” in 2010. She completed a complimentary certification in Elementary Music in 2022. From 2011 – 2014 she grew and successfully ran one of the largest KindermusikTM programs in the world.
Since 2015, Butler’s career has has expanded immensely. Their current professional practice includes being a resident guest performer at Theater Neumarkt (2019 – present) which broadened their professionial capabilities,and bringing them to their more current title of Contemporary Arts Performer. Butler is also an esteemed activist and has worked for several local and national organizations consulting on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion projects.
