Our newest series, Songbook Salon, kicks off in Starr Theater on Thursday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 pm with From Cole Porter to Bob Dylan featuring Isabella Isherwood.
Chicago-based jazz vocalist, pianist and actor Isabella Isherwood “demonstrates a deep understanding of the lyrics that she sings,” Jersey Jazz writes, “and her voice is a perfect vehicle for her to present each song.”
Isherwood has shared her artistry on stage and screen both across the U.S. and internationally. Notable performances include appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Center and Ravinia, performances with her quartet at the Chicago Jazz Festival and three concert tours throughout Europe.
Critic Neil Tesser writes, “Her range includes thrilling low notes, a middle register that resonates warmth and ghostly obbligatos to enhance an arrangement. In our atmosphere of deep fakes and broken trust, her unadorned reading cuts the fog like a quavering beacon.”
Isherwood is an alumna of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, The Second City and Acting Studio Chicago. Additional studies include the Chicago College of Performing Arts and the Jacobs School of Music. She is a member of the Chicago Federation of Musicians.
Her debut album, The Sweetest Sounds, was released on Sabrina Records in April 2026 and is available on all major streaming platforms. “Most magnetic of all is a mournful version of ‘My Buddy,’” says critic Rob Lester, “each line feels burdened, believable and aching.”
Curated by pianist, singer and Songbook Salon artistic director Champian Fulton (who also helped produce Isherwood’s debut album), this series pays homage to the Great American Songbook performed exclusively by world-class vocalists. Each intimate evening will unfold in an atmosphere of elegance, where notes of Porter, Gershwin, Berlin and Ellington will come alive.
Don’t miss the rest of the Songbook Salon series:
Flying High: Big Band Canaries Who Soared featuring the Champian Fulton Trio | Saturday, Mar. 13, 7:30 pm
Let’s Be Frank: Celebrating the Frank Sinatra Small Group Songbook featuring Sachal Vasandi & The Christian Tamburr Trio | Thursday, May 6, 7:30 pm