Jazz Parlor: Sharon Jones

Sharon Jones has made her name in clubs and performances across the. U.S. She has been named “Portsmouth’s Gem,” by “Portsmouth Spotlight Magazine” for her many shining performances over the years at The Music Hall, Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club, the Seacoast Jazz Festival, Top of the Hub, and much more! She is admired and loved for her inimitable, energetic, multi-dimensional vocals, whether singing a ballad, a hard jazz tune, a funky blues composition, or a ‘60s rock song. A born performer, she infuses emotion into every song and draws you into the experience with her. Growing up in Portsmouth in a family of 13 children, she launched her career shortly after high school, traveling extensively with world renowned jazz organist, Johnny Hammond Smith and saxophonist Houston Person before settling in Los Angeles where she sang in popular clubs, was a studio backup singer, and studied voice. During the summers she performed at resorts from New York to LA to Boston and Montreal, before returning to New England to make Portsmouth her permanent home. In 2007 during Black History Month, the Portsmouth Postal Service presented Sharon with the “Ella Fitzgerald Commemorative Stamp” honoring Sharon’s community service as well as her tremendous talent.