"I am a jazz inspired storyteller," Clairdee says. "I choose songs that have some relevance to my life experiences and to human vulnerabilities. I want the music I sing to stir emotions, to make a connection, to be accessible." It was her finely honed jazz sensibility and old-school attitude about the importance of communicating with audiences that attracted legendary manager John Levy to the San Francisco-based singer. For Levy, who has worked with many of jazz’s greatest artists, Clairdee’s gift for putting her own stamp on a song while capturing its essence has broad appeal.

Clairdee's stylistically encompassing approach is beautifully documented on her latest CD, “Music Moves" which was recorded live at Yoshi’s. The album captures her soulinfused sound with a version of “Summertime” inspired by her love of Donny Hathaway and Al Green. Her knack for pairing songs that enhance each other is perfectly embodied in a mash up of the Joe Williams/Count Basie hit, “All Right, Okay, You Win,” with the lean instrumental funk of Les McCann and Eddie Harris’s, “Cold Duck Time.” It’s a fascinating counterpoint to her previous release, “Destination Moon” a luminous collection of beloved standards, such as “Star Eyes,” “I’ve Got the World On A String” and “Time After Time,” which she delivers with casual intimacy, turning each piece into an incisive emotional journey.

Part of what makes Clairdee so distinctive is that she’s also closely studied male masters like Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Billy Eckstine and Nat “King” Cole. Though she draws on those influences, Clairdee stresses that she is not interested in impersonating or imitating other artists. “Listening to a lot of different vocalists and instrumentalists in various styles of music has helped me hone my craft. But learning about who I am outside the music has been just as important, and has helped me find my voice within the music.”