Helen Gillet!

Friday, August 12th - 7 pm (doors at 6 pm)

Helen Gillet, a singer-song-writer and "surrealist-archeologist" exploring both organic and synthesized sounds, texture and rhythm uses an acoustic cello, vocals and loops.  She was born in Belgium, raised in Singapore, Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to the eclectic musical tapestry of New Orleans.  She has won three Gambit Big easy awards: best "Other instrumentalist" "Female Performer" and "Contemporary Jazz Artist", Downbeat Magazine named her a rising star in 2011 and her work was recently featured in the New Orleans Jazz Museum.

Gillet has performed at a wide array of elite venues all over the world including:  The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Lincoln Center in NYC, The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Darwin Music Festival and Museum of Old and New Art (Tasmania) in Australia and Mirano Oltre Festival in Italy.  She has also recorded, toured and performed with a wide array of musicians, notably Smokey Robinson, Arcade Fire, Nels Cline, Cassandra Wilson, Iron and Wine, Dr. John, Marianne Faithful, Johnny Vidacovich, Psychedelic Furs and Kid Koala, Jason Marsalis, and Jeff Coffin to name a few.

In 2021 she received a fellowship at Hambidge Center for Creative Arts and Sciences in Georgia as well as a 2021 Doris Duke Artist Advancement Grant.  Gillet is currently finishing a Tribute Album to Belgian singer, poet, sculptor and humanist Julos Beaucarne.  

She is also planning on releasing three new albums in the coming 12 months under her own improvised music label Tephra Sound Records: Shaking Souls Electronics drums and cello Duo with Swiss drummer Simon Berz,  Tephra Sound (Trio) with Brian Haas on Rhodes and Nikki Glaspie on drums, and a recent acoustic recording of "Improvisations with frogs" recorded in Arnaudville, Louisiana with Rex Gregory on Saxophone and percussion and Doug Garrison on percussion and Gillet on acoustic cello.

We are grateful to have such big talent make a stop at our little occasional venue. Reserve your seat by filling out the form below and sending your donation through one of the methods listed below.

Let's give Helen a warm Asylum welcome!