Candace Freeman

You will experience a dynamic and eclectic mix of straight ahead jazz, neo soul, classic soul, jazz standards and jazzy takes on soul, pop and classic rock tunes! The ballads will move you, the upbeat tunes will make you want to dance and the tunes that bring you back to a special time and place will make you want to sing along!

Candace Freeman Brown is a unique and dynamic vocalist from Bakersfield whose style is influenced by the music listened to growing up which included jazz, classic soul, classic rock, funk and even classical music. Growing up she loved the music of Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Steely Dan, and various fusion jazz artists such as David Sanborn, Bob James, Weather Report and the Yellowjackets as well as Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie and more. A self described audiophile, growing up she was always found by the stereo spinning records or listening to the radio! Her father played classical music in the home during her early childhood. Inspired by the jazz artists she listened to as a child, she started out playing the alto saxophone at the age of 10 and played through high school. While in college she caught the singing bug and thus began her journey into singing.

In the 90's Candace moved to San Francisco and while there sang with the Oakland Jazz Choir. She performed at Yoshi’s as well as Pete Escobedo’s Mr. E’s. She also performed at several other Bay Area jazz spots in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and Sonoma county as a solo artist during her 4 year stay in San Francisco. Also while in San Francisco she studied voice with Molly Holm, co-leader of Bobby McFerrin’s “Voicestra”. She has also participated in clinics with artists such as Chick Corea, Sunny Wilkinson, Kevin Letteau, Michele Weir and Regina Carter. She worked with John Handy while he was artist in residence at San Francisco State and was well received by neo soul singer, Ledisi in a workshop at Jazz Camp West in Berkeley.

Candace was featured as a participant of “The Best of Kern 2010” from a grant from the Arts Council of Kern.

Candace has performing regularly at venues across Bakersfield as a solo artist and occasionally elsewhere for several years and is a founding member Bakersfield's Premier Steely Dan Tribute band, the Blue Deacons as well as soul and funk projects for top local soul and funk band J2. She is also a studio recording artist and has been hired to record with others on original projects.

Candace has a vast repertoire of music comprising of standards, blues and straight ahead tunes by Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver and others that are not typically sung by your average jazz vocalist. Her current favorite jazz artists are jazz vocalist Nneena Freelon, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard just to name a few. She also sings Soul songs both new and classic and has her own jazzy arrangements of contemporary pop tunes and some classic rock.

Candace resides with her two children in Bakersfield, California.

I bring my own PA or Speaker but will work with in house sound. I prefer to use the house sound person in those circumstances.