Singer Rachel Beausoleil has been entertaining Ottawa audiences with her warm and sultry interpretations for over 15 years. She has played at private parties, large corporate functions, and cultural events such as the Ottawa International Jazz Festival and the Feast of Fields.  Her favourite club settings include Le Casino du lac Leamy, Café Paradiso and the Branch Restaurant in Kemptville.  Her most notable venues have included Molson Stage at Harbourfront in Toronto, the NAC’s 4th Stage, and the Prime Minister’s residence.

Currently, Rachel is promoting her new album, The Dawning, which features her powerful and dynamic voice against an intimate backdrop of piano and bass.  This eclectic collection includes not only jazz standards, but also songs from diverse ethnic traditions (ranging from Acadia to Latin America, with a detour through Russia) and a new arrangement of a familiar number from the Sound of Music.  “What brings these songs together for me,” says Rachel, “is the sense of intense love and obsessive passion that they convey through themes of nature, hope and inspiration.”

The Dawning is the follow-up to Rachel’s first recording, Close to My Heart, released in 2002. That earlier CD is a rich collection of ballads—all especially arranged by Roddy Ellias, who is the featured guitarist and producer of the album.

Over the years, Rachel has performed with numerous ensembles, including mainstream, Latin, and a cappella jazz combos, as well as a classic rock band.  Rachel sings in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and Russian.

Along with her extensive experience in the jazz realm, Rachel has training in classical vocal technique.  Her master’s thesis, focusing on Montreal jazz vocalists, allowed her to gather insights from some of Canada’s top performers, specifically Ranee Lee, Jeri Brown, Karen Young, Ernie Nelson, Lorraine Desmarais and Roddy Ellias.

Rachel’s influences include Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Jeri Brown, Maria Callas and other great voices of the 20th century. Rachel studied vocal improvisation with Montreal diva Jeri Brown and Toronto's Julie Michels.  Like these singers, Rachel actively cultivates the uniqueness of her own sound.  With a deep understanding of the lyric of each song in her repertoire, she touches the listener to the core with her depth of conviction.

The late Seattle trumpeter and vocalist Floyd Standifer Jr.  called her “a great talent.”

“Her love for song is palpable.”—Joisanne Haspeck, La Rotonde newspaper

A sampling of audience comments: “You made our evening!” “Your voice is captivating!” “…you had them eating out of your hands...”