Singer-songwriter and jazz vocalist Jill Seifers Walsh dies at 47, mourned by New York jazz community

Jill Walsh, born Jill Seifers (1965-2012) grew up in Portland, Oregon, studied at Berklee College of Music, started her career in New York City, and lived in Nashville until her untimely death in December 2012.

Jill was a modern songwriter with a gift for beautiful melodies and a voice as pure as the Pacific Northwest. Backed by some of New York's and Nashville's finest musicians, Jill's own compositions brought a sense of musicianship and integrity that is sometimes missing in today's music. A musician since the age of four, Jill shared the stage and studio with Shawn Colvin, Jessica Simpson and she is featured on the top 5 single (BBC Radio 1) "Breathe", which is from the album Nightbird by Erasure. Her debut solo album was produced by Steve Walsh whose credits include productions with Erasure, Fil Izler, and Amy Atchley. Jill's vast parallel career as a jazz vocalist has been documented on recordings with some of today's most established jazz musicians, most notably pianist Mika Pohjola, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, saxophonist Chris Cheek, drummer Jorge Rossy and pianist Michael Kanan. She was in the prestigious faculty of the New School and New York University jazz programs while living in New York City.