Meet Yvette Norwood-Tiger | Jazz vocalist/Recording Artist & Founder of Palm Beach International Jazz Festival

We had the good fortune of connecting with Yvette Norwood-Tiger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Yvette, what inspires you?
I was raised in a home filled with music in Detroit, Michigan. My mother played drums and my father played guitar in our church. I have five older sisters who had a singing group in church as well. In addition to being surrounded and influenced by music in my home, the church that we attended was a placed filled with great musical artists, some who have gone on the win Grammys and other music awards. Being raised in Detroit was also a big influence. Detroit was the home of Motown Records, and I was exposed to the great recordings and song writing from that era. I started listening to jazz in my late teens and I fell in love with expressions of music coming not just from lyrics but melodies as well. I am continually inspired by the history of music, especially jazz. I love to study the forefathers of jazz as well as the different sub-genres of jazz, including songs written in foreign languages.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In addition to writing music and lyrics, I enjoy creating for the audience a reminiscence of an era, where jazz music was, for the most part, an innocent and elegant presentation. Giving my testimony of surviving my health crisis to my audience also sets me apart from others. However, I wish more would share their stories. In 2022, I received the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County Artist Innovation Fellowship Award. I used the award to write lyrics to my latest CD, Autumn Sun, which is a tribute to bebop. Thankfully, I had and still have people who encourage me to continue my endeavors in music. It was my faith in God that helped me to overcome stage fright. I have learned to remain humble in all circumstances, whether the circumstances are good or not so good. I want the world to know that through faith I am able to accomplish my dreams of performing, producing and directing a jazz festival.

Next Palm Beach International Jazz Festival is April 28, 2024. www.palmbeachinternationaljazzfestival.org

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Thankfully, I live in south Florida, where many travel to experience our near-tropical paradise. Hopefully, they would visit the last week of April in 2024. First, I would take them to the beach in Lake Worth, to see and swim in the beautiful Atlantic Ocean. After the beach, we would go on the boardwalk and have lunch. I would take them to The Square in West Palm Beach, where there are lots of wonderful shops and restaurants, along with great music being performed by local music artists of varying genres. After visiting the Square, I would take them to the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, which is in a beautiful art deco building in Lake Worth, to see great artwork which was created by local artists in Palm Beach County. While we are in Lake Worth, I would stop by Rudy’s Pub to hear a local music band and to meet the warm and friendly proprietor, Marybeth Sisoian. I would take them to see a polo match in Wellington, which is the home of the United States Polo Association. To end the week, I would take them the 6th Annual Palm Beach International Jazz Festival at the Raymond F. Kravis Center to celebrate UNESCO’S International Jazz Day and to see wonderful jazz bands perform the music of the Great American Book, Bebop, and Latin jazz.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my Shoutout to my husband, Stephen Tiger. He has and continues to support me and encourage me to pursue my endeavors in music. He has helped me to believe in myself and to pursue my desires as an artist and an innovator. I would like to send a Shoutout to Jeff Levine, who taught me music theory, along with how to be prepared to perform with other musicians. I would also like to give a Shoutout to my Heavenly Father because eleven years ago (October 2012) I was diagnosed with a large benign brain tumor. Although, I had surgery and radiation, my doctors could not remove it in its entirety. Because of where it still existed, they surmised that I had very little time to live. After I recovered from the surgery and treatment, I begin to sing again. Before the diagnosis, I would perform/sing as a hobby but because of what I came through, I decided to make singing my sole/soul mission. I now sing internationally, and I am accompanied by great musicians wherever I perform. I share my story on stage to inspire those who may be going through something that seems impossible to overcome. I wanted to perform in jazz festivals but found it difficult to get hired to perform in them without having a booking agent. So, in 2018, I started my own jazz festival, Palm Beach International Jazz Festival, which is held annually in West Palm Beach, Florida. Without my Heavenly Father, I would not have been able to accomplish any of the above.

Website: https://yvettenorwoodtiger.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ynorwoodtiger/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yvettenorwoodtigermusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@yvettenorwood-tiger654/videos

Other: https://palmbeachinternationaljazzfestival.org/

Image Credits
Jacek Gancarz Photography