Karan Chavis appears in Austin regularly, had a long-running weekly gig with The Brew at The Top of the Marc when it was above Katz's, and is a mainstay on the Women in Jazz program. If we were to get really honest, we would have to admit she's not actually from Austin. But she's ours anyway.

Her first CD, pictured above, was titled simply Karan Chavis. It contains some jazz standards, some original songs, and her crowd pleasing imitations of Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. Both. At once. In the same song. She sounds even better when she sings just like herself, and it sure doesn't offend the audience that she is gorgeous.

She's earned some impressive credentials, having shared billing with Aaron Neville and the Neville Brothers, Bo Diddley, Kirk Whallum, Larry Carlton, Joe Diffy, Storyville and Woody Herman. She performanced at the Lincoln Theater with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. The City of Austin declared a "Karan Chavis Day" in recognition of Karan's talent and hard work. And she was voted among the top ten "Best Female Vocalists" in the Austin Chronicle Music Awards.

Check karanchavis.com for schedules, booking information, lots of music clips and some absolutely fabulous photos of Karan.