About
Karen’s Jazz Journey
It began later in life when she discovered that singing along to jazz icon Ella Fitzgerald helped her deal with the heartbreak of a failing love affair. The romance, alas, ended but her love of singing has been going strong ever since. After developing a serious interest in 2002, Karen began performing at local jazz venues and developed a dedicated following. Karen also performed for private and corporate functions in Canada and the United States and has appeared in concert at the National Arts Centre Fourth Stage, the TD Ottawa Jazz Festival, Merrickville’s Jazz Fest, GigSpace, Music@MillRoad and the Ottawa Grassroots Festival as well as at the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the Canadian War Museum.
Noted jazz historian the late Ron Sweetman described Karen’s singing as having “real feeling and a subtle swing in a deep, rich voice.” The late Jacques Emond, founding artistic director of the Ottawa Jazz Festival, had the following comments: “Talented and versatile Karen Oxorn is a very interesting vocalist. She has a warm and swinging straightforward voice skilled with ballads as well as upbeat songs.” Karen was a co-host of the jazz program "Swing Is In The Air" on CKCU-FM for a couple of years. She has been actively involved in producing jazz concerts and working as a volunteer in support of individual musical artists, organizations and venues, and helping with various music events and fundraisers in the Ottawa area and beyond.