Taking the cello on a joy ride through jazz, funk, electronic, folk, punk, rock, original song and french chanson, Helen Gillet is a true Whirling Dervish of the cello and voice.
Doors 6pm - Music begins at 7pm ~ 2 sets with a brief intermission
$18 adv. / $20 door: https://tickets.venuepilot.com/e/an-evening-with-helen-gillet-2025-07-26-the-rabbit-box-theatre-seattle-40ea0e
Helen Gillet is a world renowned musician, composer, cellist, bilingual singer (Belgian French & English), improviser and looping artist. Her prolific career has won her awards of Offbeat Best of the Beat, Gambit Big Easy Awards, featured artist at New Orleans Jazz Museum and has been nominated three times, most recently in 2023, as a rising star in Downbeat Magazine's Critics Poll.
Born in Belgium, she also grew up in Singapore, Chicago and Wisconsin before moving to New Orleans in 2002. Gillet has a Master's degree in classical cello performance. She also studied with North Indian Hindustani cellist Nancy Lesh which sparked her lifelong pursuit in improvisation and Jazz. After moving to New Orleans, Gillet quickly flourished into one of the most unique, talented, and beloved artists in the Crescent City. As trumpeter Michael Ray (Cool and the Gang, Sun Ra) noted after playing together at a late night jam session at a local coffee shop in 2004, "Helen, you've got big ears."
Helen Gillet now tours worldwide with her solo performance which is known for its enigmatic quality, improvisational versatility and a true mastery of live looping technology. She’s known for her eclectic palette – which includes avant-garde jazz, French chansons, funk, alternative rock, and the bohemian flair of the Velvet Underground.
Gillet has performed at a wide array of venues all over the world including The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Festival International (Lafayette, LA), Copenhagen Jazz Festival and Hindsgavl Festival in Denmark, Nikodemuskirche Festival in Berlin, Mirano Oltre Festival in Italy, the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and MONA Mofo festival in Hobart, Tasmania and Darwin Music Festival in Australia and opened up for Jeff Tweedy with her solo performance at Lincoln Center in NYC.
She has recorded and performed with a wide array of musicians including Jason Marsalis, Kid Koala, Dr. John, Steve Earle, Marianne Faithful, Psychedelic Furs, Bill Summers, Cassandra Wilson, Soul Asylum, Kidd Jordan, Nels Cline, Nikki Glaspie, Johnny Vidacovich etc. and toured Canada and North America with Iron & Wine to name a few.
www.helengillet.com / https://www.instagram.com/helengillet/ / https://helengillet.bandcamp.com/
Gwen Thompkins Music Inside Out Live music + interview with Helen Gillet https://musicinsideout.wwno.org/helen-gillet/ - https://www.nola.com/gambit/events/jazz_fest/jazz-fest-helen-gillet/article_c84887e6-ca2c-11ec-9ed9-e7e024565068.html