Album Notes

"Ellen Robinson is blessed with great pipes." Jazz Improv

The variety of material and moods covered in "On My Way to You" captures the essence of Ellen Robinson. When she sings, she paints with a palette that has a wide variety of colors in terms of her choice of material and also the range of emotions she covers in a performance. She takes us inside the tunes revealing new facets of familiar material and shines a radiant light on rare gems. Ellen is known for her impeccable timing and clever phrasing, her expertise in telling the story with all the warmth and vulnerability she can muster, and her ability to make it all sound oh-so-easy and effortless. This is what Ellen Robinson is all about.

"The urgency with which she delivers each tune is palpable. Her enthusiasm and love of the music is infectious. Her willingness to bare her soul through each song is courageous. We become privy to her journey...a ride through the joy, the pain, the celebration of life. It's all here." Melanie Berzon, KCSM

Backed by the talented pianist Ben Flint, bassist John Schifflet, drummer Andrew Eberhard, and reed man Harvey Wainapel, Ellen produced this CD on her own EMR Music label in collaboration with San Francisco Bay Area legend Bud Spangler.

Ellen's singing is enriched by a firm foundation of education and training: she has studied voice with the legendary Mark Murphy, former Voicestra member Raz Kennedy, jazz vocalist Madeline Eastman, cabaret performer Faith Winthrop, and scat singer extraordinaire Kitty Margolis. She earned a Bachelor of Music degree focusing on piano and voice from Ithaca College, studied music education on the graduate level in New York at C.W. Post, Hofstra University, Bank Street College of Education, and SUNY-Stony Brook.

In addition to her own jazz dates and recording projects, Ellen is currently the Director of the Anything Goes Chorus, a 50 member community chorus for men and women which she founded 25 years ago in the San Francisco Bay Area, and three women’s vocal ensembles: Girlfriendz, Swingshift Singers and Treble Makers. She is also a gifted vocal coach to many private students. Ellen performed with the acclaimed women’s a cappella sextet Vocolot from 1989 - 2005.