wowing Questlove, Betty Wright, and a crew of R&B legends along the way. She melds fiery passion and sophistication with just a hint of sandpaper grit to in a
voice that could only belong to a star, no matter the era or genre.
With her father hailing from Chicago (home of Chess Records), and grandfather an established drummer and trumpeter in the 1950’s jazz scene, LeGrow first became obsessed with music at an early age. By her teen years, she was working her way through the American songbook, channeling influences from Whitney Houston to Nina Simone as she performed in her native city of Toronto.
When her voice reached the ears of S-Curve Records founder Steve Greenberg, R&B legend Betty Wright, and studio wizard Mike Mangini, they understood at once that they'd landed on something special. "Elise possesses a flair for crafting a timeless song into her own," says Wright. "She's got voice filled with emotion, strength, and credibility.”
Elise LeGrow’s debut album, Playing Chess, draws from the catalog of Chicago's iconic Chess Records, home to pioneers like Muddy Waters, Etta James, Bo Diddley, and Chuck Berry. Rather than faithfully recreate such revered material, LeGrow's interpretations completely transport these classic tracks to a world where the past and present are inextricably intertwined.