A multiple award-winning jazz singer, pianist, recording artist and educator, Alexis Cole has been cutting a wide swath in the jazz world over the last decade plus. The Queens native notably enlisted in the United States Army in 2009, where she served for six years as the lead vocalist for the West Point’s Jazz Knights Big Band.
Since her return to civilian life, Cole has toured the world and recorded 14 albums (her latest is Taking My Seat: A Musical Inheritance), reflecting musical interests spanning a wide range of styles, from big band to Disney love songs and choral music. As an educator, she has mentored numerous emerging artists, founded JazzVoice.com in 2020, and with Liz Brydge and Zeiders American Dream Theater, the annual Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit.
Now, on four Tuesdays in September— 8, 15, 22, and 29, from 10:00 PM-11:30 PM—Cole will host the Vocal Jam Session, presented by JazzVoice.com and the Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit at downtown’s new club, One Flight Up.
NiteLife Exchange (NLE) asks Alexis Cole (AC) Six Questions:
NLE: As the founder of JazzVoice.com and co-founder of the Virginia Beach Vocal Jazz Summit you’ve created a welcoming space for vocalists of all experience levels to learn and explore. How does that philosophy shape the upcomingVocal Jam Session series?
AC: The jam session IS the JazzVoice.com/VocalJazzSummit jam session, so it’s a direct extension of the welcoming environment we’ve created in those spaces. Many people tell me “I had my first gig or I sat in at a jam for the first time, because I felt empowered by the community at JazzVoice or the Summit. We also have many professional and semipro vocalist members who have leveraged our network to help get the support of the vocal community as they tour or release 
new music. Our educational resource bolsters singers knowledge and this jam will give them a safe place to try things out in a supportive environment. I’m also excited for our community members to have a home base when they travel to NYC throughout the year, to drop in and be welcomed by the community and meet their peeps in person!
NLE: In addition to degrees from William Paterson University and Queens College, you studied Indian classical vocal music at the Jazz India Vocal Institute in Mumbai. How has that experience influenced your approach to singing and teaching?”
AC: It’s an important ingredient in my improvisational style, and I’ve incorporated the techniques I absorbed in that study on my upcoming release Taking My Seat: A Musical Inheritance in the outros of “My Funny Valentine” and “Night and Day.”
NLE: It seems you knew from an early age that music would be central to your life. After studying music and spending years touring and recording professionally, you enlisted in the US Army and served for six years. What inspired that decision, and what did you learn about yourself during your time in the Army?
AC: Even though my career was going well when I joined the Army at 33, I could see it provided an unparalleled opportunity for financial security. Even a moderately successful gig musician doesn’t generally earn anywhere near the 65k salary that I entered in at. I
saved half my paycheck for 6.5 years and was able to create the nest egg of future financial security. As a 50-year-old unmarried woman, I’m very proud that I was able to parlay those years of elevated earning potential into a financial picture that gives me a feeling of freedom and security. I also have lifetime health coverage through the VA. Those are huge advantages to being able to design a life of my choosing.
I encourage all my students to think about their finances and what they can do in their younger years to take care of their older selves. As far as my takeaways from my time in the Army, it got me into fitness, which is also very important as we age, and it helped me learn to work with teams to create things that are bigger than we could create on our own. Hugely important musically was my collaboration with our music director Scott Arcangel, the incredible arranger whose work can be heard on my album Sky Blossom: Songs from My Tour of Duty. His wonderful arrangements can be purchased from his website at ScottArcangel.com and many singers have done his version of “Joy Spring” with big band!
What I learned about myself: I don’t like to go to work at a job, even if it’s a job making music. Being somewhere every day at 9 AM is not the life for me! Also, I learned I can do anything. If I made it through Basic Training, and it was so unimaginably hard, I’m pretty sure there’s nothing I can’t do if I had to. Or at least I can tell myself that, when I face something challenging, which is valuable
NLE: Beyond NYC, where have you most enjoyed living and performing during your travels, and what made it special?
AC: This is a hard question, because I love everywhere I go! But I did find Taiwan especially wonderful. We were there for a month in 2024. Like the US, they’re a multicultural society with a very winding history. The landscape is stunning, and the people are especially kind—and of course the night markets are delicious and festive! They have great hot springs too! If I had to live in another country Taiwan would feel the most at home. We visited Uruguay for 5 weeks in 2025 and that’s a great country, too. I’m studying Spanish for a second year at Borough of Manhattan Community College so I can better communicate with people as we travel. There are many other South and Central American destinations I’d like to go to. I performed in Mexico last year and that was so much fun.
NLE: Could you please tell us more about your upcoming release Taking My Seat: A Musical Inheritance, the debut recording of your trio with bassist David Finck and drummer Kenny Hassler?
AC: We recorded this album in October of 2020. I was heading to South Korea and I didn’t know when I’d be back. I wanted to make sure the special vibe we’d created over the past many years made it on record. I always thought I’d go back and redo some of my piano parts, 
but I decided to stop being so self critical and just release it already. Coming at it with fresh ears gave me a better perspective and I’m feeling really proud of the album, my first where I’m playing piano and where it’s all my own arrangements and compositions. It’s the most ME album I’ve ever released.
NLE: You have a full schedule and travel often, yet you seem tireless in sharing your love of jazz. What other projects are you working on, and what can audiences look forward to next? Do you ever take time off to recharge?
AC: I have a lot of energy because I’m engaged in doing what I love and I have a wonderful partner who’s got my back. My next project is a collection of the writing of NYC vocalist (and my neighbor at Westbeth) Val Hawk. She’s an incredible composer and lyricist—humorous and poignant in the style of Bob Dorough, with whom she sang for many years. As for teaching, I’m starting on the faculty of Manhattan School of Music’s Jazz Vocal Graduate program this semester.
Since you asked: over winter break I’m doing some shows in Vancouver and have planned some ski time at Whistler! I really do try to chill out sometimes, go see a comedy show or have coffee with friends. I like to go to the gym or for a run with the run club on the Hudson. And using the InKind App has helped me enjoy the NYC dining scene at a friendlier price!
The Six Questions column is devised and produced by NLE Team Member Kati Neiheisel, with additional assistance from Tommy Batchelor.
