(Chloe Youtsey is on fire in local jazz circles. Photography by Danielle Blevins)
By Jeff Maisey
On Saturday, September 19, Virginia Beach jazz artist Chloe Youtsey, who won the 2026 Best Jazz category at the Veer Music Awards, will present an intriguing conceptual concert experience at Zeiders American Dream Theater.
A Normal Day Divine, billed as an evening of live jazz and original music, real-time paintings, and curated samples of Virginia wine, is the brainchild of Youtsey. Admission will be free to all.
During Youtsey’s musical performance on stage live fusion painter Gerome Meminger will be creating an original new painting inspired by the music and vibe he’s feeling in the moment.
The impressionist painter, like most in the audience, will be hearing songs from Chloe Youtsey’s new 5-song EP titled “What You Came From” for the first time.
The tracks were written and produced by Youtsey; mixed/mastered by Dave Darlington; and recorded at Soul Haven Studios by sound engineers Trae King and Johnny Terrel.
The studio recording features Chloe Youtsey as lead vocalist and on keyboards with a supporting cast that includes Josh Gatling (bass), Daron Roberts (drums), Trae King (guitar), and Sam Howden (horns).
Stylistically, Youtsey describes the music as “jazz, singer-songwriter” in style, and certainly not smooth jazz.
“This EP is way more energetic and tone-forward with a lot of emphasis on the horns as a melodic counter-play to what I’m doing,” Youtsey said, “so it kind of has a feeling of an old school soul album without it being a template from that time. It’s definitely a modern sound and a little more evolved harmonically.”
The song “1960” opens the EP and definitely captures that jazz-meets-pop vibe of the 1960s with a Salsa-like shuffling beat, punchy bass line, and retro horn melody that’ll feel instantly familiar and yet fresh. Chloe’s voice rides above with playful passion.
Where “Good Men” — the clear single screaming for radio play —gets its groove going from note one and showcases Youtsey’s voice in a decidedly 1970s, feel-good dance pop way, “Barcelona Bike,” while still riding on a funky bass, shifts gears for a more complex appeal.
Chloe Youtsey’s soulful jazz side shines on the melancholy “Song Bird.” The sassy, uptempo title track closes the EP with its pumping rhythm and engaging horns. The track ends like the rousing notes of a live grande finale.
In all, “What You Came For” is even more than you might expect. It’s that impressive.
For the Zeiders show, the five EP songs will be performed by the full band so as to replicate the material as heard on the recording. The live horn section will have three players, and local jazz piano legend John Toomey will also make an appearance on stage.
Beyond the new material, Chloe Youtsey and her band will play songs from her previous recordings as well as jazz standards and R&B covers by Chaka Khan, Al Jarreau, and others.
“It’s an opportunity for me to run the full gamut, where in most instances its preferable to play one specific genre or the other,” said Youtsey during our phone conversation.
Youtsey is mom to three young daughters and has begun teaching as an adjunct professor of music at Old Dominion University. She says she’s “never alone,” and writes bits and pieces of songs as the ideas come to her. How does she find time for it all?
“Well, first of all you should see my house,” she said with a laugh. “It’s very lived in. And the kids are taught very early on to pick up a shovel, so to speak, and help keep it clean and functional.”
She also gets a lot of help from her husband and local family members.
On the night of the Veer Music Awards, Chloe Youtsey was parked outside of the venue with her family waiting for a call of when the her category was announced.
“I couldn’t go into to the building and just wait,” she explained. “I had my three girlfriends in the car with my infant. Then I got a text saying you won so I rushed in late.”