About Kathleen
Kathleen Grace is a vocalist, songwriter, and educator whose artistry bridges jazz, folk, and Americana with effortless authenticity. Described by the The Washington Post as an “smart, alluring and evocative,” Grace grew up in the wide-open landscapes of the American West—a backdrop that continues to shape her music.
With roots in jazz, her sound blends tradition with modernity, moving fluidly through blues, folk, and pop with what JazzTimes calls “genre-blurring dexterity.” While her foundation lies in jazz, Grace describes it as a guiding philosophy rather than a check-box classification:
"Jazz is a value system. I may not always be creating music specific to that space, but I try to let its deepest truths—freedom, listening, and trust—shape my path."
Over time, Grace’s evolution has led her to an expansive career, not only as an interpreter of song, but also a respected songwriter in the modern folk and Americana worlds. Her recent and acclaimed album “Tie Me To You” with collaborator and pianist Larry Goldings was an often one-take, intimate portrait of love and letting go. With music borrowing from classical, jazz and french new wave, Pop Matters declared it “a wonderfully restrained moment.” Her prior album, No Place To Fall, was a sun-drenched landscape of music rooted in her desert upbringing. The LA weekly praised: “Grace’s bright, clear voice reflects simple beauty and subtle wisdom.”
In 2024 Grace collaborated on solo film and television projects with composers, FINNEAS and Andrew Bird. She has performed with Portugal the Man at the American Music Awards and the Coachella Music Festival and has recored with Jim James.
Grace has appeared at major festivals across the U.S., Europe, and South America, was a finalist in the Montreux International Jazz Vocal Competition, and participated in the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Residency at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She is currently on faculty at the University of Southern California’s Flora L. Thornton School of Music.
Sing You To Sleep
7.17.24
“Sing You To Sleep” is the first single from the forthcoming album of original music from songwriter Kathleen Grace. The project is sensual and honest in its description of desire, self-love and human connection.
The songs come from a period of frenetic and constant writing from Grace over two years. Based in Los Angeles, Grace has been a pivotal member of a community of artists (many featured on the new project) that have taken the freedom and fluidity of jazz expression and applied them to the folk, ambient and alternative music realms. Collaborating with producer and renowned pedal steel player Rich Hinman, Grace explores both musical and emotional trust of self in her songs and with her band mates who include bassist Anna Butters, saxophonist Josh Johnson, drummer Abe Rounds, keyboardist Tyler Chester and guitarist Tim Young.
The project further represents the re-emergence of Grace back into the music scene that shaped her. After surviving a traumatic brain injury in 2020 at the peak of the COVID pandemic, the music reveals a woman adapting to a life transformed by disability and finding profound strength in her own choice to serve her spirit and her body.