Debbie Orta

I love jazz because it is free-spirited; it stimulates the brain and arouses the body! I was first exposed to jazz as a child, then bebop as an adult in New York City. I met jazz bassist, Nicky Orta, in the 80s and we hit it off as friends in jazz, (so much so that we're now married). He turned me on to some great jazz. The best show I ever attended was, well, one of the best was Wayne Shorter in NYC. The first jazz record I bought... might have been Weather Report - Heavy Weather. My influences come from a wide spectrum of styles and from other genres too. As a singer, my focus is on the song, the story, the melody, the emotion. Of course, a jazz instrumental piece tells a story, too. Often the story, and even lyrics, seem to be evident in the overtones, the syncopation; (whereas in other genres of today music seems to be nothing more than 'repetitive chanting'). My advice to new listeners: open your mind and your ears, let yourself go.