Center for Colorado Women’s History Summer Night Series

Emily is a multi instrumental from Colorado. She plays mandolin and fiddle with the group Roadside Distraction. She plays both locally and nationally.

Megan Burtt is an international touring singer/songwriter decorated with national recognition. She is the winner of the Kerrville NewFolk, Rocky Mountain Folk Festival and Westword Music Award and a finalist in Mountain NewSong, Songwriter Serenade and Great American Song Contest.

In 2010 she released “It Ain’t Love”, a 12-song collection she made with bandmates, among them, Louis Cato (of Jon Batiste and Stay Human, house band for Stephen Colbert, Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy, and Bobby McFerrin). She worked with the same group for her 2015 release “The Bargain” which charts her recovery from a serious illness with songs that move from darkness to light. In 2013 she released “In Good Company: The Colorado Sessions” a collaborative album of co-writes with Colorado bands including SHEL and Covenhoven. December 2019 marked the 10th year Megan performed throughout the Pennsylvania state maximum security prison system with her band.

Megan has toured as a headlining artist, and as support for acts including Gregory Alan Isakov, Mark Cohen, Brett Dennen, Glenn Phillips of Toad The Wet Sprocket, Lissie, Stephen Kellogg and Leanne Rimes. In 2015 she collaborated with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra as a featured artist

Downbeat award-winning vocalist Kelsey Wallner charms audiences with inventive interpretations of jazz touchstones while placing the history of the music front and center.

In homage to such vocal titans as Sarah Vaughan and Sheila Jordan, Kelsey’s performances showcase the conversational aspect of the music, which is all the more personal and exposed in a duo setting.

As a highly versatile performer, she has worked as a guide singer for the forthcoming Carmen McRae tribute album Carmen Sings Carmen!, featuring Carmen Bradford and the Compass Jazz Orchestra, and she enjoys performing her own jazz projects throughout the Denver metro area.

Nina de Freitas is a singer-songwriter currently based in Denver, CO. Born in Salvador, Brazil to musician parents, she embraced her artistic inheritance from an early age. Her musical upbringing is echoed throughout her intimate songwriting that drips with as much honesty as it does complexity. Her rich voice, luxurious melodies and evocative lyrics envelops and halts listeners in a visceral sheet of warmth. Nina is currently working on new releases.

Lauren was born from the fresh waters of Lake Michigan and raised in the windy mountain ranges of Wyoming. The natural world surrounded her, teaching Lauren to listen to the songs the trees sang and how to sing along. Meanwhile, The need to write her own stories grew inside her chest, blooming and expanding in her lungs. With the spell of escapism at work, flowers grew from her eyes, and stories sprouted from Lauren’s fingertips. Since then, she has traveled through snow, wind, and sun to share her stories with those willing to listen.

Samantha Erin is a passionate singer-songwriter based in Northern Colorado. From starting her roots in choirs, musical theatre performances and jazz groups, Samantha has always had a deep love for performance and connecting with her community.

Since her journey began Samantha has won the Northern Colorado Songwriters Series in 2023, collaborated with other local artists, started working on her EP (to be released in 2024), and has partnered with organizations uplifting women in the music industry.

With her upcoming release, of personal stories of love, friendship, lust and heartache Samantha Erin’s lyrics and melodies are relatable, heartfelt and honest.

La Paloma is a jazz musical collection that is influenced by the mysticism and color of the American Southwest. It paints with Indigenous, Spanish, and Anglo roots. Drawing musical inspiration from the Indigenous languages of the Americas, the moodiness of swinging jazz, and the movement of Latin culture. Paloma is a jazz vocalist and bassist that grew up in both Colorado and New Mexico and comes from a long line of rebels, mystics, and artists. She brings mystery and encourages each listener to dig deeper within themselves with every performance.

Jesse Maclaine is an incredibly versatile singer, pianist, songwriter, and bandleader with decades of experience as a professional musician; she excels at delivering the perfect music for any event!

Often compared to Tori Amos and Regina Spektor, Jesse Maclaine performs a variety of original songs and classics from the last 100 years of popular music. Her piano and mezzo soprano centered pop-rock, cool jazz, edgy folk, and soulful New Orleans influences are a powerful combination of familiar yet unique sounds. Listeners are delighted by her radiant presence, earthy authenticity, innovative approach and passionate concerts.

“LISTEN IF YOU LIKE SARA BAREILLES… SURE TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY WITH THE UPBEAT PIANO, MACLAINE’S INFECTIOUS SMILE, SOFT AND JAZZ-FOLK VOICE…”