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Sari Kessler

To say that Sari Kessler has traveled a long way in her shoes is more than a metaphor. The New York-based jazz singer, songwriter, and arranger is also an avid runner, and it was only after finishing her first half-marathon that she knew anything was possible. Trading in her hard earned career as a clinical psychologist to be a full- time musician, Kessler has pursued jazz singing with like-minded persistence, achieving a deeply personal and soulful sound.

A compelling storyteller and tasteful improviser, Sari exudes warmth and a joyful spirit both on and off the stage. She says, "I know my stories and I know myself. Being an effective jazz singer means finding myself in the lyric and investing each word with meaning." Looking at a list of Kessler´s influences—including Carmen McRae, Nina Simone, and Ray Charles—highlights a tradition of great storytellers, each of whom carved an unbeaten path across the landscape of the Great American Songbook. While Sari´s background in pop and soul gave her the foundation to use her voice as an expressive tool, it was Grammy-nominated singer and educator Kate McGarry who helped her investigate rhythmic and harmonic aspects of the jazz tradition in service of telling the story.

Kessler has shared the stage with the legendary talents of Houston Person, Gene Bertoncini, and Phoebe Snow. She has also recorded or performed with eminent jazzmen Howard Alden, Tootie Heath, Harvie S, John di Martino, and Freddie Bryant, among others. Kessler has appeared in the San Francisco Bay Area and at leading Manhattan venues such as 55 Bar, Somethin´ Jazz Club, Zeb´s, and The Rainbow Room. In the Hamptons, she´s been featured at Shelter Island Jazzfest, LI Winterfest, and The Art of Song Parlor Jazz Concert Series. Sari´s wide-ranging resume also includes studio work, providing lead and background vocals for Miramax, public radio, and other corporate marketing ventures.

All of these experiences have nourished her appropriately titled debut, Do Right, to be released in May 2016- an album that celebrates Kessler's contemporary spirit while acknowledging the greats who inspire her.

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8
Live Review

Sari Kessler: Live At The Kitano

Read "Sari Kessler: Live At The Kitano" reviewed by Tyran Grillo


Sari Kessler The Kitano New York May 5, 2016 On May 5, 2016, Sari Kessler led a multitalented ensemble at the Kitano in celebration of her first album, Do Right. Yet from the way the New York-based singer carried herself, one would've thought it was her fifth. Slowly but surely, Kessler has been carving a name into the pantheon of great jazz vocalists, from whom she has gathered apparent inspiration. And if her debut project ...

8
Album Review

Sari Kessler: Do Right

Read "Do Right" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


In just under five minutes--the running time for producer/percussionist James Shipp's album-opening arrangement of “Walk On By"--Sari Kessler successfully makes the case that jazz singing is her real métier. That particular truth may not have materialized until recent times, as Kessler walked away from a career as a clinical psychologist to pursue a life in music only a short while ago, but it's as clear as day now. And with no less an authority on the art of vocal jazz ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Do Right

Ruby Street Music
2016

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