Helen Gillet, a New Orleans-based cellist, singer and composer, was born in Belgium, Singapore and Chicago. Since her 2002 arrival, Gillet has been a pioneer in the New Orleans cello scene. She has performed all over the United States and Western Europe. Gillet began cello lessons when she was nine years old. She has continued her classical education to a Master’s degree (Beloit College’00, Loyola University New Orleans’04). Gillet began her training as an improviser with North Indian Hindustani vocal Ragas in 1998. This launched her into jazz, funk and French chansons. Gillet performed recently at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Voodoo Festival and Hindsgavl Festival and Copenhagen Jazz Festival and Hindsgavl Festival and Mirano Oltre Festivals in Denmark, Mirano Oltre Festivals in Italy, and at the Kennedy Center Center, Washington D.C. Gillet also has two self-released albums: “Newton Circus”, (2009), by Wazozo’s French chansons all string band, and “Running of the Bells (drums) and Tim Green (saxophonesaxophones) and Doug Garrison (drums), and Doug Garrison (saxophones, guitars, Tim Green (saxophones, Tim Green (saxophone, Tim Green (saxophone, Tim Green (saxophonesaxophonesaxophonesaxophonesaxophonesaxophonesaxophonsaxophones), and Doug Garrison (drums), respectively, Doug Garrison, Doug Garrison, drums), respectively, Doug Garrison, Running of the Bells was given a 4-star review by Downbeat magazine in October 2011. Her solo album is due to be released in May 2012. Gillet recorded with Cassandra Wilson and Marianne Faithful as well as Dr. John, Harold Brown and Marianne Faithful for Mike Judge’s Miramax Comedy film “Extract” in 2009. Gillet also composed, performed, and edited the music for the documentary films “Living with Hurricanes, Katrina”.
