A musical performance by New Orleans-based cellist, vocalist, songwriter and improviser Helen Gillet
Date: Monday, September 19th
Time: 8:00 PM
Night Two of the New Atlantis 2020 Series

Please join us on Monday September 19 for a return performance by New Orleans-based cellist, vocalist, songwriter and improviser Helen Gillet, whom music critic John Swenson has described as “among the most versatile and creative musicians working in the Crescent City.”

Helen Gillet is a Walloon born in a Flemish hosptial.  Raised in Singapore, Belgium, Illinois and Wisconsin, Helen landed in New Orleans in 2003. Helen threads her tri-continental childhood web into her performance, notably with the instrument she picked up at age 9: The Cello. Recent collaborations have included working with Leroy Jones, Cassandra Wilson, Mark Southerland, Clint Maedgen, Marianne Faithful, Ed Sanders, Georg Graewe to name a few.

Helen Gillet has performed twice at Observatory, eliciting rave reviews.

Helen Gillet (b.1978) grew up in Belgium, Chicago and Singapore before settling in New Orleans. She first studied improvisation in 1998 with North Indian Classical cellist Nancy Lesh. Gillet moved to New Orleans in 2002 and began performing with James Singleton (3now4rkestra), Johnny Vidacovich, Brian Coogan, Rob Wagner, Dave Capello, Jimmy Hobbs, Tim Green and groups such as the Improvisational Arts Council, the Naked Orchestra, Diesel Combustion Orchestra, the Arabic-jazz fusion group Mafouz and New Orleans New Music Ensemble. She performs regularly at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Chaz Fest, The French Quarter Festival, and the New Orleans Noize Fest. She can be heard on a wide variety of recording projects, including the Ed Sanders 2007 “Poems for New Orleans” recorded by the award winning Mark Bingham at Piety Records. Other recent recording projects include James Singleton’s String Quartet “Gold Bug Crawl” (2008) and a ballad recording with the great New Orleans trumpeter Leroy Jones entitled “Sweeter than a Summer Breeze” (spring 2009). Her work was the focus of OffBeat Magazine’s cover story last February; You can hear some or her work at www.myspace.com/helengillet.