gabrielle stravelli quartet
Saturday, August 29, 2026 - 6:15 pm - 7:45 pm
This event features the WNY debut performance of the sensational Gabrielle Stravelli. Known for her tremendous swing feel and unparalleled gift for lyric interpretation, Gabrielle is a true masterful interpreter of jazz standards and the Great American Songbook. She has earned a reputable stature as one of the world's leading interpreters of the American Songbook, celebrated for her driving swing and sophisticated, lyrical readings of love songs. Residing in New York City, Stravelli performs not just well-known classics but lesser-known gems from the vaults of the canon.
"Ms. Stravelli’s emotional intelligence coincides with a phenomenal voice that she wields with an easygoing confidence and impeccable taste." - The New York Times
Stravelli performances are a celebration of the enduring magic of jazz and the Great American Songbook.
“As a performer, Ms. Stravelli is a remarkable package, with an engaging voice, an ineffable sense of swing, and a superior musical intelligence, which comes out in her choice of songs as well as the specific interpretations thereof.” - The New York Sun
Gabrielle's accomplishments speak for themselves. In the past year, she made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops Orchestra and released her fifth album, Beautiful Moons Ago. Beautiful Moons Ago beautifully encapsulates the idea of cherished memories that stand the test of time—each phase of the moon symbolizes a unique moment in our lives. Much like the recurring lunar cycles that light up our nights, the phrase reminds us of the enduring and radiant memories we create with our loved ones.
“Dream Ago,” her 2017 release, which consists primarily of original material, received a rare 5-star review from Downbeat Magazine, and her 2019 release “Pick Up My Pieces: Gabrielle Stravelli Sings Willie Nelson” was featured by noted music critic Will Friedwald in the WSJ and awarded the 2020 Bistro Award for Outstanding Recording.
Stravelli regularly leads her trio or quartet at the country’s finest jazz clubs and performing arts centers and has headlined prestigious domestic and international festivals such as the Delaware Water Gap COTA Festival (2023 & 2024), Cape Cod Jazz Festival (2023), Cayman Arts Festival (2023), WBGO Jazz on the Mountain Festival (2024, ’21, ’18), Providencia Jazz Festival in Chile (2019), and the Eleuthera Jazz Festival in the Bahamas (2016). In 2022, she sold out Birdland’s main room with the New York debut of “Mel & Ella Swing!”, her new show with pianist/singer Billy Stritch.
“Listening to the jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli is like imbibing a potent cocktail whose flavor changes as you drain the glass….she dipped and swooped, twirling notes and phrases with a confidence and playfulness that recalled Ella Fitzgerald in her prime…” -The New York Times
Her star power extends to remarkable collaborations with world-renowned jazz pianist Fred Hersch—premiering his song cycle Rooms of Light, filming an online masterclass for OpenStudio.com, and recording a new song cycle set for release this month. Gabrielle has also toured the U.S., premiering Abyssinian with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. As a U.S. State Department "Jazz Ambassador" since 2015, she has shared her artistry across Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and South America.
