An excellent jazz singer with a warm voice and a subtle improvising style, Kendra Shanks 1992 debut recording, Afterglow, is quite appealing, although she has continued to evolve as a vocalist since then. Growing up in San Diego as part of an artistic family, Shank acted with her mother in plays from the age of five. She started playing guitar when she was 13, and was initially inspired by folk music. Shank gained a degree in French literature from the University of Washington and started her career as a folk singer, until she discovered Billie Holidays recordings. Gaining experience playing in France and studying with Jay Clayton in Seattle, WA, she developed quickly. Kendra Shank (no relation to Bud) has since toured the West Coast as a member of the Bob Dorough Quartet, and worked as a solo act in Seattle, France, Japan, and New York. She released a sophomore effort, Wish, in 1998, and quickly followed up with Reflections two years later.