Karen Monté - Jazz Vocalist

Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Karen has been living in the San Francisco Bay Area for the last 25 years. Karen is an artist whose voice captivates, from the first note until the last. Her pure, soothing voice, infectious smile, and smooth stage presence are like a mesmerizing journey where rhythm and poetry join hands. She is not afraid to embrace the deepest vulnerabilities of life, and shares them with grace, riveting clarity, and remarkable control. To hear and see Karen Monté perform is an experience that is unique with its honesty and sincerity as she connects with the listener.

Karen grew up singing with her father, an avid musician, and shared his love of music. Playing the guitar and singing with him from the age of 9, brings fond memories of various performances, including church concerts. “My father was the gateway for my passion. We would sing and play guitars together. We loved to re-arrange music from many different genres like Blues, Jazz, Country and Pop – all in an effort to touch the audience in creatively new and meaningful ways.”

As a teen, Karen and her family moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she fell in love with the Latin sounds of Menudo (Ricky Martin), Brazil 66, and Sergio Mendez. “Music is such a significant part of life in Puerto Rico. It’s like breathing. I loved the intensity of the beats and the passion with which it was played. I usually have some songs that reflect that feel. It’s as elemental as my heartbeat.” Drawing from diverse genres, Karen blurs the line between Jazz, R&B, Latin and Soul. While she often performs in modern Jazz settings, she shows classic affinity for meaningful music with song choices that are personal and emotionally charged.

Upon relocating to San Francisco, she took time off to raise her daughter Ashley, while never abandoning her love of singing and her growing interest in Jazz. Karen studied voice and music at the Jazz School in Berkeley. She also studied under vocal coach Raz Kennedy (Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Loggins, Rancid, Counting Crows, Disney, Todd Rungren), in addition to attending workshops with legends like Jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, and Brazilian Jazz vocalist and composer Tom Lellis.

Karen’s debut Smooth Jazz studio album ‘Close Your Eyes,’ is co-produced and arranged by award-winning pianist, composer, arranger and producer John Mackay, and showcases her innate feeling for melody and rhythm. Her pure voice, laid-back phrasing, impeccable diction, and heartfelt delivery have invited favorable comparisons to Karen Carpenter and Sarah McLachlan.

The Ivan Lins tune, ‘You Moved Me To This,’ features a duet with special guest vocalist Joey Blake (SoVoSo, Dianne Reeves, Bobby McFerrin, Kenny Loggins, Gladys Knight), and is upbeat, while the melodic ‘You Show Me’ is a beautiful heartfelt ballad written by Harry Garfield and Michael MacDonald. ‘Close Your Eyes’ is distributed internationally, and has, to date, received significant radio airplay in more than 20 countries.

Karen has recorded or performed with Jim Zimmerman, Seward McCain, Alan Hall, Taylor Cutcomb, Yolanda Nickel, Barry Finnerty, Jimi Fischer, and Kendrick Freeman and many top San Francisco Bay Area musicians.

Karen is also a songwriter, composer, arranger and producer. She performs regularly in the Bay Area.