(WXYZ) — She has a voice that will stop you in your musical tracks. Anissa Lea is a local 17-year-old who has an extraordinary love and appreciation for jazz music.
"Ever since I was five, I really introduced myself to all different genres of music. But I came across jazz music and ended up falling in love with the greats like Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington," said Anissa.
She put out her first album when she was 14 years old — and now, just several years later, she will become one of the youngest artists ever picked to perform at the Detroit Jazz Festival, which kicks off on Friday, September 2.
"I was freaking out on the other line. It was amazing ... I'm so excited," she said.
Her set will include about a dozen songs, a mix of some of her favorite covers and originals.
"I usually practice every night. Just so, you know, I get a feel of what it's like to perform all the time and just really going through all my charts and enjoying the journey," said Anissa.
Anissa Lea is scheduled to perform on September 3 at on the Absopure Waterfront Stage in Hart Plaza, bringing a mix of emotions for the young artist.
"The first time I ever really performed was years ago, and I was nervous going up on stage because it was my first huge performance. And it was it was it was a lot of fun. I think like once you get past the first song, it's so enjoyable because you see the crowd's reaction and you're able to match their energy as well," she said.
Chris Collins, the president and artistic director of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation, said he chose Anissa after listening blind to all of the submissions.
"Honestly, this happens every once in awhile. You hear someone that you don't know ... a musician I don't recognize. I've never worked with this person before. And yet there's a real — not only a sense of, you know, craft and ability, but there's, in this case, a natural talent level that I would have guessed that it was somebody much further along in their career, in their life," said Collins.
Detroit Jazz Fest is in its 43rd year, and is the largest free jazz festival in the world, but Chris says it’s so much more.
"We're one of the top rated jazz festivals in North America. I mean ... we're right at the very top couple of jazz festivals as far as notoriety and global recognition," he said.
And it's an incredible opportunity for young artists like Anissa.
"When you perform ... at the Detroit Jazz Festival, you're performing in an important legacy event in Detroit. And you're also now performing for literally one of the largest jazz listening audiences for a single event ever, which is close to 3 million people between the live and the livestream. So just in that, what you do will be introduced to the top of the industry and to other artists," said Chris.
Anissa said she is elated that she will get to take to the stage as she looks forward to her performance in just a few days.
"I'm just so excited. I am overjoyed and very honored to be chosen," she said.
To learn more about the 4-day Detroit Jazz Festival, click here. You can also help to keep the jazz festival free by becoming a donor. To check out more of Anissa's music, click here.
