Album Notes

"...a first-rate vocalist interpreting some of the most beautiful holiday songs. After one listen of this disc, I could understand why Santa might replace his usual “Ho! Ho! Ho!” with one big “WOW!” Ed Blanco, AllAboutJazz.com

"...five out of five stars! drmike/ radioIOJAZZ.com

"This is singer with a lovely tone, great time, a fine ear, and a solid harmonic & melodic knowledge." George Carroll, ejazznews.com

There is a neon light quality to Cle Thompson. Maybe it's from growing up in Chicago where the frozen winds off Lake Michigan make for strong musicians and even stronger music. Or, maybe it's the rhythm of urban life that comes from living in big cities: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles.

When she sings, it's clear her identity as a performer and recording artist owes an honest debt to the classic American forms: the plaintive call of the blues, the silky echoes of uptown jazz. Cle Thompson's music soars on pure emotion, pure power and pure personality. Her music is not formula, but music infused with honest artistry. It is grownup, soul soaked music - intimate, intense, strong.

An essential part of who Cle Thompson is comes from her extensive background in legitimate theater. But her focus now is on exploring the full scope of her musical talent. She has worked with legendary film composer/arranger Elmer Bernstein, sung in clubs from New York to Los Angeles.

Her journey has led her back to the music she intuitively understands the best. Her newest CD' Tis the Season secures her place as a first rate singer who can make even classic holiday favorites sound new. Her debut CD, "I Want To Be With You," is filled with lush ballads and jazz standards - a collection of tasty chestnuts sprinkled with her own originals. Cle's voice - dramatic, passionate and polished - always fuels the fire, whether in the studio or on stage. When Cle is singing her song you cannot help but feel that she is singing your song too.

Currently Cle divides her time between Los Angeles and Winston-Salem, NC where her husband, writer, producer, and director, Ron Stacker Thompson, teaches screenwriting at the Film School of the North Carolina School of the Arts.