Marie-Paule Franke

Marie-Paule Franke is a versatile Belgian jazz vocalist and songwriter with a distinctive, multi-layered sound. Her musical identity resides at the crossroads of jazz, classical music, and poetic singer-songwriter traditions, making her work stand out for its deeply narrative and personal character.

Musical Roots and Education

Raised in a highly musical household as the daughter of a cellist with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Marie-Paule was immersed in classical music from an early age. Alongside her early piano studies, she sang constantly. As a child, she performed with her brothers, later gaining her first live experience in local cafes. Her musical journey led her through pop, rock, funk, and chanson before she ultimately found her true home in jazz.She studied at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent during the pioneering years of its jazz department, training under Freddie Sunder. She further refined her technique through vocal lessons with David Linx and masterclasses with Judy Niemack. Later stays in New York allowed her to attend a masterclass with the legendary jazz vocalist Sheila Jordan. Her deep interest in the impact of music also led to a Bachelor’s degree in Orthopedagogics in 2007 (VSPW), featuring a highly acclaimed thesis on the influence of rhythm and music on the brain's hemispheres.

Projects and Releases

Over the years, Franke has built rich stage experience across various ensembles, including an early radio recording with the prestigious BRT Big Band. Her career is defined by strong, individualistic projects:

New York Albums: Following an encounter in the New York jazz scene in 2018, she launched an intensive collaboration with multi-Grammy-winning bassist and producer John Benitez, leading to the 2019 album Clouds (recorded at New York’s Mozart Studio). This American connection continues to thrive: as a prelude to her upcoming work, her brand-new single 'Tis Yours was released on May 26th. The album features a stellar New York quartet including Amir Mankovski (tenor saxophone), Dongfeng Liu (piano), Marcos Varela (double bass), and Matthias Künzli (drums and various percussion). It was completely recorded, mixed, and mastered by three-time Grammy winner Marc Urselli at Audio Confidential studio in New York, delivering fragile, deeply emotional jazz compositions.

Marie-Paule Franke & Her Dreamband: Formed in 2010 to bring her own musical vision to life. Together with renowned Belgian musicians Erik Vermeulen (piano) and Jouni Isoherranen (bass guitar), she released the atmospheric debut album Tales from a Lonely Room in 2014.

International Soundtracks: Her cinematographic composition 'Bleu la réunion' was selected for the official soundtrack of the Canadian feature film 'Another Kind of Wedding' (2017), directed by Pat Kiely. The song serves as a prominent, attention-grabbing background theme in a key scene starring Hollywood icons Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathleen Turner.

Style and Influences

Her ambitious compositions reflect a powerful personal testimony while touching upon universal, relatable themes of transformation and resilience. Great icons such as Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Laurie Anderson and Joni Mitchell (to whom she dedicates the tribute song "Twilight Whispers" on her upcoming album) have left unmistakable marks on her work. Alongside these traditional roots, Franke incorporates contemporary, experimental textures and a bold sense of improvisational freedom into her arrangements. Franke's voice serves as the emotional anchor of her music: clear, evocative, and effortlessly shifting between intimate tenderness and dreamy, avant-garde intensity.