Laura Ellis was born and raised in the great jazz town of Kansas City and now calls Los Angeles her home. Her broadcast credits include History Channel’s Route 66 and Modern Marvels documentaries, the HBO series Carnivale , a commercial appearance with Della Reese, and ABC’s Modern Family. 

 

Protégé of Alan Paul from the Grammy-award winning vocal ensemble, The Manhattan Transfer, Laura Ellis has performed for concert, festival, and cabaret audiences across the country. Her specialty is America’s favorite music, from decades past to the present. In a four-year, critically acclaimed, run of The Vintage Voice, she sang the songs of America’s Greatest Generation. On tour with The Wonderelles, she and her co-stars channeled the music and moods of the famous “girl groups.” She currently tours the nation as the star of several retro-music productions. Femme Fatale: Music, Movies, and Mayhem brings film noir, its seedy characters, and memorable music to life and to the stage. Cinema Sweethearts offers songs of the American “girl next door” starlets. Full-cast production, Kit and the Kats – Remember when? celebrates the days of teen idols and first romance, petticoats and pompadours, with music, dance, and cool retro film clips from the late 50’s and early 60’s. 

 

In concert and cabaret venues, Laura Ellis' velvety voice transports the listener back to the time when one note could change the whole mood of a song. Accompanied by master pianist, John Rodby, and ensemble, Ms. Ellis brings nuanced song-styling to the sultry and sassy songs of the past, as well as a new jazz sound to melodies of more recent vintage. She has performed her blend of jazz and nostalgia at the renowned Jazz Alley in Seattle, Feinstein's in San Francisco, the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista, CA, and many other venues across the country. 

 

An ardent fan of classic noir movies of the 40's and 50's and their music, Ms. Ellis has been delighted to perform for the famed Noir City Film Festival at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. Her noir vocals are featured, as she sings the character of Kat, on the video game Contrast, released in 2013 by Compulsion Games and down-loaded nearly 2 million times. 

 

Laura Ellis has recorded two CD’s. Contemporary vocal jazz album, Here Lies Love, was produced by Alan Paul. Her 2011 release, Femme Fatale, features the classic songs from the dangerous dames of film noir. Her 2016 release, Broken Lovely, with musical direction by John Rodby, features Laura Ellis at her creative best, singing songs of the heart – broken, mending, and free.

 

SAG/AFTRA, AGVA, BMI, LAWIM