Meryl Zimmerman

Equipped with an ever-expanding catalog of both well-loved and lesser-known jazz standards, an adeptness at scat-singing that draws comparisons to her idol Ella Fitzgerald, and a happy energy that infects everyone in her presence, Meryl Zimmerman sets herself apart as a unique personality and a true musician who isn’t trying to sound like anyone but herself.

Growing up on Long Island, NY to musical parents, Meryl developed a love of singing at a very young age. She discovered jazz in high school and has been hooked ever since. She graduated from Washington University in Saint Louis with a BA in Anthropology and a minor in Jazz Studies, and furthered her music education at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, earning a Masters Degree in Jazz Performance in 2009. After 7 years of living and singing around New York City, she felt called to make a change, so she moved to her father’s hometown, her spiritual home: New Orleans.

A NOLA resident since 2012, Meryl performs all over the city with a rotating cast of the city’s finest jazz musicians. She sings regularly with The Tangiers Combo and is featured on their 2019 album “Tangerine.” Other favorite collaborations include a recording of a Chanukah song with Panorama Jazz Band called “Ocho Kandelikas" in 2017, after which she appeared with the band as a special guest during their set at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival; multiple performances of “Murder,” a genre-defying song cycle in which “two girls go on a killing spree in an old Cadillac with a mix tape full of Johnny Cash, Schubert, Marlene Dietrich, and Jacques Brel” by local award-winning composer Tucker Fuller; and gigs with Colin Davis and Night People, a concept band specializing in classic New Orleans funk and soul music. She regularly hosts the Blues Show on WTUL New Orleans 91.5FM.

Meryl has performed at many beloved spots all over the city, including Buffa’s, The Spotted Cat, Three Muses, Bacchanal, Dos Jefes, Starlight Lounge, The Jazz Playhouse, The Bombay Club, and The Roosevelt Hotel. In the summer of 2017 Meryl was a finalist for Stage Door Idol, a 1940’s themed singing contest at the National World War II Museum. She is currently putting the finishing touches on her debut album, which features Kris Tokarski on piano, Georgi Petrov on guitar, Ted Long on bass, and Aurora Nealand on sax. The first single, “It’s You I Like,” is available for streaming and purchase on all major platforms.

Meryl lives in Mid-City with her chef husband Trey and their two pitties, Snacks and Clementine. Her hair is teal and her soul is black&gold.