Whether it's jazz, blues, or R&B, Ozark native Liv Cordray sings stories, not songs. Embodying the unique character of each piece, she faces her audience and confides, laments, demands. She spills the tea. Backed by Jamison Jeffries on guitar and Bennett Howe on bass, Liv's broad vocal range, dynamic improvisations, and splendid tone create a lush atmosphere for her audience, even in the most intimate space.Born in 1988, Liv grew up in a rural Missouri community, surrounded by a family and church that deeply valued musical education. She started learning to read music as a child by following along in a hymnal during worship. At 13, she began teaching herself guitar. Inspired by the 2000 film "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", she and her siblings started exploring folk and Americana and learned to harmonize together. At 14, she joined her church worship ensemble, where she would perform every Sunday until she went to university. To pay for school books, she sold copies of an album of hymns she recorded in her attic.Liv continued to serve in music ministry at her college church from 2010 to 2019. In 2016, realizing a long-held dream with her band the Reliquaries, she wrote and recorded The Juniper Tree, an Americana concept album inspired by the Grimms' fairy tale of the same name. Using the story of infanticide, cannibalism and revenge as a frame, the album mythologizes a childhood of alienation and neglect and envisions a sweeter future after the conflagration of "the end." The band debuted at the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, MO in 2017. Their single "This Is My Design" enjoyed moderate success on Spotify.Seeking new challenges, she turned her attention to jazz. In 2024, she led the Franzel-Cordray Trio, with Sean Franzel on piano and her father-in-law Kerry Cordray on alto sax and clarinet. In 2025, her vocal coach Loyd Warden introduced her to guitarist Jamison Jeffries and bassist Bennett Howe. The three are currently working on an EP to be released before the end of 2025.For booking inquiries, please send an email with the subject line "Booking inquiry."
