Jessica Jeza Vautor was born in Martinique, French West Indies. Her father, Robin Vautor was an acclaimed guitar player and composer and her mother Veronique, an accomplished amateur classical singer. By the age of 12, Jessica joined her father’s Caribbean Jazz group “Fal Frett” and sang around the World with them until she was 17. At 17 she went to Paris, France to study Opera at the Ecole Normale Alfred Cortot, and Jazz piano and voice at Le Cim, one the the best jazz school in Europe.
In 1997 she decided to pursue her musical studies in Los Angeles, California at Musicians Institute under the guidance of renowned Piano player Carl Shroeder ( MD for Sarah Vaughan) who taught her improvisation, phrasing, interpretation and gave her a passion for Jazz.
After a few years of performing in local Jazz venues with established musicians such as pianist Otmaro Ruiz, Cho SEUNG, Billy CHILDS, Saxophonist Kamasi Washington, she became part of a Progressive jazz quartet with Vardan Ovsepian( Pn), Artyom Manukyan (Cello), Mike Shapiro ( dm), a blend of Jazz, classical, Armenian influences and modern sounds. She is also part of a band called “ The Brazil you never heard” created by Brazilian guitarist and composer Marcel Camargo along side singer Gretchen Parlato. She was part of French bassist virtuoso Hadrien Feraud band, and VOCE ( Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Ensemble). She sings in English, french, Portuguese, Italian, kreyol fluently.
She is recording her debut Solo album with legendary sound engineer Bill Schnee with some of LA’s most talented musicians, Vardan Ovsepian, Artyom Manukyan, Ron Feuer( pn/organ), Tony Dumas (bass), Darek Oles (upright bass), Larry Koonse (gt). She has toured with legendary Bass player Stanley Clark, and trumpeter Randy Brecker. She recorded a tribute track for the late pianist George Duke on the 2013 Stanley Clark album “UP” called “Brazilian love affair”. She also sang on Stanley Clark’s last album (2018) “ The Message”. She toured in Europe with her Trio and in the US with “The Brazil you Never heard” created by Marcel Camargo and Leo Costa, both International musicians ( Michael Bublé, Sergio Mendes, Jason Mraz)) She is a Sag/Aftra member and recorded commercials for various American, Japanese and European prestigious brands.
You can hear her voice in vintage mickey mouse adventures, a disney production, on a couple movies, and national commercials. She is part of the Vocal Faculty and Los Angeles College of Music( LACM) and the Silverlake Conservatory Of Music( SCM). She is currently focusing her time on composition for her solo album and plans on touring in the US and overseas once the album is released