February 18, 2022. Article and interview by Sherri Murray, MAC’s Communications Producer.

Join us as we chat with Jazz Vocalist from Mississauga, Denise Leslie as a part of our HUB Highlights Artist Spotlight Interview Series. She shares with us her passion for jazz music starting at a young age and her connection to it, advice for starting a musical career later in life, the process for her latest album One Fine Morning, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, her return to live performances, and exciting projects she has planned for the future.

Catch her as our special guest in MAC Arts Cafe – Online Open Mic – Love Songs edition that premiered on Thursday, February 17th, click here to watch the show.

About Denise Leslie

Denise Leslie is a jazz vocalist from Mississauga. She has a sound that seamlessly blends jazz with elements of pop and R&B. She devotes herself to jazz because of her love of improvisation. Denise released her debut recording One Fine Morning in January, 2020. The album features well-crafted jazz renditions of cherished pop songs from 1970 and 3 tracks remain in rotation at Toronto’s JazzFM91. George Harris from Jazz Weekly describes Denise Leslie’s work as “…a sound that is fresh and personal yet still keeps a sense of the jazz tradition. Canadian vocalist Denise Leslie straddles the world of balancing art and songbook with a sense of street pulse savvy along with a finger-snapping accessibility.”

Denise has enjoyed six years as lead vocalist with the Mississauga Big Band Jazz Ensemble and has performed for thousands on main-stages including the Jack Singer Concert Hall (Calgary, AB), Mississauga’s Celebration Square, and Living Arts Centre. She lives in Clarkson, Mississauga with her husband John, 3 children, and dog Desi.