ANNA PATTON

Anna Patton is a clarinetist, singer, composer, and educator driven by musical curiosity. Current projects include playing with and writing arrangements for Zara Bode’s Little Big Band, singing with Doozy Jane, directing the Soubrettes, co-directing the Brattleboro Women’s Chorus, and playing dance music with bands such as Topspin, Root System, Anna and the Alphabet, Daybreak Trio, and Murmuration. She lives in Brattleboro VT and enjoys drinking good espresso and playing ping pong.

Contact Anna

anna@annapatton.com
802-275-2142

BANDS

Topspin

Topspin is a new band of long-time collaborators Anna Patton and Owen Morrison (Elixir, The Figments) teaming up with two of their favorite instrumentalists to create a dynamic contra dance experience. Emily Troll’s (Anadama) powerful fiddling compliments Anna Patton’s nimble and inventive clarinet. Owen Morrison’s masterful guitar playing and Stefan Amidon’s (The Sweetback Sisters) superb drumming combine for uniquely danceable rhythmic drive.

Zara Bode’s Little Big Band

Zara Bode’s Little Big Band performs classic American swing to delight the ears, eyes and feet. Inspired by the likes of Duke Ellington, Django Reinhardt and Ella Fitzgerald the Little Big Band features top shelf chanteuse Zara Bode (of Signature Sounds artists The Sweetback Sisters) and a sizzling horn section led by clarinetist and arranger Anna Patton. From chic to cheeky, the Little Big Band digs into the classics with aplomb and affection creating vibrant new takes on the old radio hits.

Doozy Jane

Doozy Jane delivers sophisticated four-part treble harmonies that breathe fresh life into classic sounds through a contemporary feminist lens. They perform a repertoire of originals and original arrangements of lesser-known covers with guitar, bass, twin fiddles, and clarinet. Drawing from modern compositions by primarily female, nonbinary and queer artists (as well as the occasional classic), Doozy Jane draws sonic inspiration from great vocal harmonizers of American popular music from the Andrews Sisters to the McGarrigle sisters. Featuring a repertoire curated, arranged, and sometimes composed by band member Anna Patton (clarinet and tenor guitar), the quartet also features Sarah Hadley Yakir (fiddle), Julia Read (fiddle and guitar) and Haley Anderson (bass).

Root System

Root System is a lively contra dance band that blends the traditional and modern rhythms, creating an energetic and engaging sound for dancers. In the contra dance world, their sound draws from old-time, Celtic, Quebecois, and Swing music, with a mix of familiar and fresh new tunes.

Besides playing for contra dancing, the trio is also happy to play for English Country Dancinng and Waltz/Couple’s Dance events.

Daybreak Trio

The Daybreak Trio is Owen Morrison, Guitar; Naomi Morse, Fiddle and Vocals; and Anna Patton, Clarinet and Vocals. They are a nimble and tight-knit trio of old friends who met in their formative years of studying, absorbing, and endlessly jamming on fiddle-driven dance music. Into their core repertoire of lively and playful New England traditional music, they bring their other influences, including string-band swing, classical music, and harmony singing. Their album “Daybreak” is a collection of Owen Morrison’s wide variety of compositions in waltz time, ranging from folk melodies to driving Latin grooves to soaring film-score-esque compositions.

Anna and the Alphabet

Sarah Hadley Yakir on fiddle, Michael Freeman on Piano and Feet, Anna Patton on Clarinet: bounce, brilliance, drive, and playfulness for your contra dancing pleasure.

Murmuration

Murmuration is the name of Anna’s collaborations with pianist Karen Axelrod. They play music for English Country Dancing with various top-notch fiddlers including Audrey Knuth and Eric Martin, specializing in riding currents of energy and creativity through an improvisatory mind-meld that might remind you of swallows flocking.

RECORDINGS
Elixir albums
Julian Gerstin
Daybreak Trio
Housetop
TEACHING

Anna teaches workshops for harmony singers, dance musicians, any anyone else who has musical curiosity and a wish to grab the reigns and make music their own. She also directs two choruses.

Brattleboro Women’s Chorus

An inclusive, un-auditioned chorus that learns songs by hear and by heart. 2025-2026 will be Anna’s second year as a guest co-leader and mentee of the chorus’s founding director Becky Graber. More info.

The Soubrettes

The Soubrettes are a choir under the umbrella of the Vermont Jazz Center. They sing intricate vocal harmony arrangements of swing and jazz, as well as songs by contemporary songwriters. ‘Soubrette’ is a term from musical theater for the non-leading lady who is usually more worldly, more instrumental in the plot intrigue, and funnier than the lead. These are the kinds of songs the group tends to do– songs with plenty of wit and sass.

The choir is open to anyone who identifies as a woman or nonbinary and whose vocal range comfortably includes the G in the middle of the treble staff. Sessions run from September to early December and from February to early May. Auditions are available for new singers. Here is a link where you can register.

Lessons

Anna teaches private lessons in aural skills, improvisaion, composition, and swing/folk clarinet styles, . Contact you’re interested.

Arrangements and Compositions

Coming soon… I’m hoping to find a way that you can browse and purchase my arrangements and compositions! In the mean time, be in touch if you are interested.

CALENDAR
PRESS

Contact me for links to photos and blurbs for the groups above.