CaswellSisters.com | Rachel Caswell & Sara Caswell

Caswell Sisters

Sara Caswell is an award-winning violinist who spent her formative years under the tutelage of internationally-renowned violin teacher, Josef Gingold. She began her violin studies at age 5 and has become a "brilliant world-class violinist...one of the very best of the present
generation of emerging young jazz stars," according to David Baker, music professor at Indiana University and director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra.

www.saracaswell.com/sara

Rachel Caswell is an award-winning jazz vocalist with a unique style combining extraordinary scatting ability and sensitive song interpretation. She has performed with The Glenn Miller Orchestra, John Blake, Jr., Ingrid Jensen, the Billy Taylor Trio and Curtis Fuller and was selected as one of two vocalists for the 1997 Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Colony at Jazz Aspen/Snowmass.

www.rachelcaswell.com/rachel

Sara Caswell's New CD
"But Beautiful"

Now available

"A gifted starbright talent of the first magnitude, Sara is a top tier member of the young generation of major voices - regardless of instrument. As a formidable, arresting violin soloist in both classical and jazz idioms, she has sealed her membership in that echelon with incandescent brilliance. Her prodigious technique permits beautiful intonation begetting a beautiful sound and shaded emotions. But Beautiful - an exquisite recording where every single golden note from front to back is simply ...beautiful."

- Dr. Herb Wong

Rachel Caswell's Debut CD
"Some Other Time"

Now available

"There are singers who show evidence of jazz influences and there are singers who choose to sing material from the jazz canon, but Rachel Caswell is that rara avis who is truly a jazz vocalist. Her intonation is impeccable, her diction precise, her jazz sensibilities above reproach, and she swings like mad!…Few improvisers – vocal or instrumental – have better ears than she possesses and she has an exceptional instrument that is immediately identifiable among a sea of other vocalists."

- David Baker

THE CASWELL SISTERS

The riveting performances of the Caswell Sisters, vocalist Rachel and violinist Sara, are the culmination of years of working together. Their seamless sound combined with tight arrangements of repertoire ranging from the "Great American Songbook" to Bebop to contemporary jazz is propelled by arresting improvisation.

These talented siblings share much in common: both studied jazz from an early age with Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Distinguished Professor David Baker, both attended IU on full scholarship as Wells Scholars and graduated with High Distinction in Classical Performance and Jazz Studies, both went on to earn Masters Degrees in Jazz Performance (Rachel at New England Conservatory in Boston and Sara at Manhattan School of Music in New York), and both were invited to participate in the Thelonious Monk Institute's Summer Residency Program in Aspen/Snowmass, CO, where they worked with major jazz artists.

Rachel has performed with Billy Taylor, Curtis Fuller, Ingrid Jensen and the Glenn Miller Orchestra and was selected along with bassist Jeremy Allen (IU faculty) to perform a duo concert at the 2006 IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) Annual Conference in New York City. In addition to winning the Hilton Head Jazz Society Scholarship and placing in the top ten of 150 contestants in the 2005 jazzconnect.com annual vocal competition, Rachel has won many awards as a classical cellist and jazz musician. She can be heard on her debut CD Some Other Time which has received excellent reviews.

Sara has performed with Skitch Henderson, Bucky Pizzarelli, Charlie Byrd, John Clayton and many of today's top jazz violinists. She has also soloed in Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops Orchestra and Jazz Allstars and performed at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York. Her most recent CD But Beautiful (Arbors Records) has received top rankings from Dr. Herb Wong in the Jazz Education Journal, Bill Falconer in Coda magazine, and Bob Parlocha, nationally-syndicated jazz radio host, who included it on his "Top 40 New Releases" for nine consecutive weeks, including a week at #1. Sara tours as a soloist with violinist Mark O'Connor's American String Celebration, performs with the New York Pops Orchestra, and teaches jazz violin. She studied classical violin with the legendary Josef Gingold and has won over 100 awards and first-place prizes in the jazz and classical competition worlds including several DownBeat awards. In addition to But Beautiful, Sara can be heard on her debut CD First Song (DoubleTime Records).

The Caswell Sisters have given concerts nationwide and continue to provide audiences with electrifying performances through their unique combination of sound and artistry.