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Musician

Bidi Dworkin

Born:

Bidi Dworkin is jazz-folk vocalist whose earliest performances were as a folk singer in coffee houses throughout New England. Intrigued by the dynamic interplay of technique and freedom which exists at the core of modern dance, she attended NYU and received her master’s degree in Dance Education, performing professionally with the Nancy Meehan Dance Company from 1980-1986.

After moving to a quiet valley in rural Vermont, she continued her movement studies, becoming a yoga instructor. Bidi has received advanced certification in New York City and India, skillfully leading classes and retreats since 1993

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Walter Clark

Born:

Born in Brooklyn, New York,

 

Although recordings of his unique voice and arrangement style have just begun to surface with the 2002 release of his first album, "Perfect Love," Walter Clark has been on the music scene, performing for audiences around the world for over 30 years. He has become a fixture at such upscale hotels as The Ritz Carlton in Osaka Japan. With a repertoire of over 500 songs spanning multiple genres and decades he has been able to excite and satisfy listeners of varied backgrounds and maintain a career exclusively as a full-time performing artist since 1980. Unique and non- traditional in his approach to harmony and arrangement Clark also manages to convey an air of spirituality and humility in his music which can be quite appealing. Sometimes called "the singer with the bedroom voice," he covers music that has a positive message timelessness and staying power. Through a wide variety of musical genres and original arrangements Walter imbues every performance with a jazz ambiance delivering relaxing renditions of ballads and love songs. My new CD Night And Day, has an emphasis on love songs. Its a collection of recordings made from 2001-2020, some from old CDs and vintage live recordings, others are more recent, since my rebuilding and relocation of the studio. Although my preference is to make the emotional quality of music more important than technical aspects, I do my best to faithfully serve the original writers of the songs. His CD, "Best Thing to Come," was released early in August of 2011. Blending elements of lounge, new age, ethnic, jazz, rock, pop and gospel music. Featuring new songs and new arrangements of earlier songs. Intimate and laid back, smooth vocals with thoughtful, uplifting lyrics. No pitch shifted vocals. 93% pure analog. 100% Love! "Whatever the genre, my goal is to present music which is healing and uplifting." Born in Brooklyn New York, he studied classical music for 10 years in Philadelphia, but took a U turn in his studies in the mid- sixties and decided to pursue more popular music, learning by ear some of his favorites by such greats as Ramsey Lewis, The Beatles, McCoy Tyner and Quincy Jones. He dabbled in various R&B groups in Philadelphia but had all but given up on a musical career until a fateful meeting with John Lennon in the early 70's. Lennon urged him not to give up on his music, but Philadelphia had little to offer in the way of full time work, and after leaving the city and relocating to the Washington D.C area he decided, immediately upon the death of Lennon to quit his day job, putting all his energy into pursuing a career in music. Detailed Biographical Information: He attended Temple University in Philadelphia, where he formed The Last Musicians, an avante-garde group of poets, actors, and musicians who produced films, soundtracks, concerts, and appeared in radio programs for the university for two years. Walter found Philadelphia a difficult place to find steady work, especially since most of the music which he was writing at the time was what would probably be categorized today as “New Age Music.” He had all but given up on a musical career until a fateful meeting with John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the early 70's at the Drake Hotel in Philadelphia. After talking, drinks, and an impromptu jam session in the lounge John fervently urged him, “Don't give up on your music, man.” But it was a long road back, and he spent most of the 70's surviving by working various jobs: truck driver, taxi driver, construction worker, armed guard, and occasionally finding work on weekends with the local R&B bands. Walter eventually relocated to the Washington, D.C. area in 1979, and decided after the death of Lennon to put all of his energies into becoming a full time musician. “From the moment I made that decision, everything changed. Before that, I had been content to work a day job and gig at night, but now Lennon's words came back to haunt me. I realized that over 7 years had passed since the meeting and I still had not made a firm and complete commitment to my art, and had made no progress. It was time to make a choice. It was very scary to just up and quit my job, but little by little, positive things started happening to me.” During the early 1980's he performed as a lead vocalist, backup vocalist, and multi-keyboard player in a variety of Top 40, Rock, Soul, Reggae, and Jazz groups. In 1983 a talent scout saw him performing in a group, and invited him to become the regular entertainer at former Washington Redskins' quarterback Joe Theismann's Restaurant in Bailey's Crossroads Virginia. There he began his solo career and worked for two years, building up his repertoire, fans, and his confidence as an artist. He then moved on to the Washington, D.C. hotel circuit, first with a full time position entertaining at the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, a 5 Star hotel in Rockville, Maryland, and then at the Olde Towne Holiday Inn, in Alexandria, Virginia, and the Ramada Hotel in Oxon Hill Maryland, where he entertained for a period of three years. On October 3, 1986 he appeared at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. in a noontime concert entitled “Portraits in Jazz” sponsored by the National Portrait Gallery of Washington. In 1989 a friend submitted one of Walter's tapes to Quincy Jones. Although Quincy was reportedly very excited about his fresh and original sound he was too busy with other projects to get involved with Walter, but sent the word back that he should get out of the hotel circuit, and do some traveling, preferably internationally in order to expand his horizons. “ I wasn't expecting to hear anything from Quincy. The fact that one of my idols had actually took the time to listen to my demo, that he liked it and had even offered some advice was a stupendous event to me. I immediately decided to make some international connections and see what would come of it.” And in November 1989, Walter decided to do just that and to try his luck on the road. After several trips to the Far East he settled in Japan. Why Japan? My interest in Japan started at a young age. In my pre-teens I studied judo from a Japanese sensei in Philadelphia. Then later in college I continued judo and also took up an interest in Japanese cooking and adopted their macrobiotic diet. So when the gig in Japan came up, I jumped at the chance to see this country. The Japanese audiences' level of sophistication, respect and knowledge of jazz here was a big surprise to me. The people have been very kind and supportive. Its peaceful, clean, safe and quiet here, and I love the food. Since 1992 it has been his base of operations, and between international engagements, he has worked there in Tokyo, Kobe, Osaka, and Fukuoka in various clubs, restaurants, and 4 star hotel's numerous dinner shows, concerts and special events . He frequently performs nightly at THE BAR in Osaka's Ritz Carlton Hotel. The warm and relaxing quality of his vocal intonation has enabled him to work in a variety of fields, including that of a narrator for Universal Studios, Japan, and Fujitec International. There was also a national television appearance by Mr. Clark on the popular “Ninki Mono” celebrity TV program in Japan. From 2000-2001 Clark also appeared in a TV commercial for Genova jewelry in Japan's Kobe/Osaka area. In the year 2001, in spite of a rigorous performing schedule, he produced and released two CD's which featured live and multitrack recordings. In February 2002 Clark appeared as an actor several times on NHK's TV series “Sono toki rekishi ga ugoita,” roughly translated as “This was a turning point in history.” It was also a turning point for Walter. After that TV project, Clark began to spend more time at home. The focus for the remainder of the year was on research and development of new songs, new techniques of recording, and personal growth. The 2002 year end release of Perfect Love was the product of the years efforts and rewards. It was also the first CD to feature Original songs, and the first CD to be marketed commercially. This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Mary Louise Knutson

Born:

Minneapolis-based pianist and composer, Mary Louise Knutson, has been called "one of the most exciting and innovative artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time." Her warm, inviting tone, broad range of emotional expression, and distinctive compositions have brought her much recognition on the national music scene. Knutson's long-awaited new jazz trio CD, In the Bubble, ranked in JazzWeek's Top 10 and remained on the chart for 19 weeks straight. Six standards and four originals - which range from a swinging Oscar Peterson Trio-style "It Could Happen to You” to a smooth jazz version of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” to a Keith Jarrett style "You Are My Sunshine" - complete this highly accessible mainstream-to-modern collection.

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Richard Andersson

Born:

Richard Andersson (b. Oct. 1982) is a Danish/Faroese/Icelandic bass player and composer based in Copenhagen where he is known as “one of the most interesting characters of the Danish jazz scene” (Ivan Rod/Gaffa Music Magazine.). Andersson grew up in a musical family but never showed much interest in music until the age of 14 when his life was turned upside down after a fireworks accident that cost him his sight. Now, around 20 years later, Richard Andersson has gained great recognition for his work as a composer and bass player in the modern jazz field. He has released several albums as a bandleader with Danish and international musicians such as Oskar Gudjonsson (IS), Rudi Mahall (DE), Kasper Tranberg (DK), Jerry Bergonzi (US), Ra-Kalam Bob Moses (US), Tony Malaby (US) and Bill McHenry (US). Also Andersson can be found in collaborations with musicians such as Jeff “Tain” Watts (US), Tomas Franck (S), Kresten Osgood (DK), Henrik Walsdorff (DE), , Sigurdur Flossason (IS) … Education: Diploma Degree

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Ron Jackson

Born:

Versatile and sophisticated jazz guitarist Ron Jackson has performed, recorded and taught music in over 30 countries. With a varied career as a performer, composer and arranger, Highlights include shows and tours with artists such as Taj Mahal, Jimmy McGriff, Larry Coryell, Benny Golson, Oliver Lake, Russell Malone and Mulgrew Miller. Ron has been featured as a leader in jazz festivals all over the world, including the North Sea Jazz Festival, Edinburgh Jazz Festivals and Winter Jazzfest, NYC. Born in the Philippines, lived in many states as a kid, then settled in Harvard, Massachusetts, west of Boston, Ron was initially influenced by rock guitar greats like Jimmy Page, before falling under the spell of jazz and following the style and career of jazz guitar luminaries like Pat Metheny and George Benson

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Karl Nerenberg

Born:

Karl Nerenberg is en enthusiastic amateur player, who has played keyboard with the Ottawa bands "Verona Katz", "Peter Liu and the Jazz Mutants", and "Stay Tuned/Restez-à-l'écoute". He enjoys playing blues, standards, Latin tunes and jazz treatments of folk and country tunes. Currently he plays with singers Michèle Castonguay and Ferline Regis, trumpeter Ron Ferguson, bassist Neil Sealy and drummer Dan Quinlan. The players bring a variety of cultural backgrounds to the group, which all add to the musical mix. Their aim is bring the fun back into jazz. They play accessible and spirited music, that includes some soul and gospel, as well as lots of well-known and lesser-known standards, and material in French and Spanish

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Mike Thornton

Born:

Mike Thornton blends traditional classic jazz standards with a passion for performing works by live, contemporary composers. Mike is following the footsteps of giants of vocal jazz by interpreting a new generation of jazz artists. Performing on stages across the U.S. over his career, Mike has dedicated his life to being an ever-evolving musician. Mike is a vocalist, musical director, actor, nationally-known political satirist, director and producer. Before launching his professional career as a singer (and actor), he attended Hartt School of Music, where he studied voice and music education and had the opportunity to study with the great Jackie McLean. During his days in NYC, Mike’s Jazz Quartet played clubs like the 55 Bar, Arthur’s Tavern, Cleopatra’s Needle, The Garage, Red Blazer, Augie’s, and Torch. In the Washington D.C

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Alexis Tcholakian

Born:

Alexis, born in Paris in 1969, is a pianist currently residing in France where he has enjoyed a fair amount of notoriety over the past decade. He studied classical piano, until his teen years, with Huguette Agédérian (concert pianist / first prize of the Académie Marguerite Long). In 1990, he won a scholarship to study jazz at the famous « Berklee College of Music » in Boston. Back in France, he developed his jazz playing with the well known jazz master Bernard Maury, friend of Bill Evans and Michel Petrucciani. Alexis Tcholakian has played in many venues in France, England, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco, Algéria, Ukraine, Armenia... and often plays in Parisians jazz clubs (Petit Opportun, Sunset, Sunside, Petit Journal Montparnasse, Jazz Act, Caveau des Légendes, 7 Lézards, Opus Café, Franc-Pinot, Archipel …) Alexis is also a sideman for many jazz singers in France. Under his own name he has recorded 14 different trio and solo CD's and 2 DVD's ​ New recording Alexis Tcholakian Duo " DIALOGOS " issued may 12, 2023 on Camille Productions Label.

Results for pages tagged "Originals & Standards"...

Musician

Dan Andersen

Born:

Dan Andersen is an Austin, Texas based guitarist who performs with the Temple Jazz Orchestra. Some of the Austin venues which he has worked include The Elephant Room, Brass House, One-2-One Bar, and Central Market North. Additionally, he has performed at the Brownsville Latin Jazz Festival, and Houston’s premier jazz club, Cezanne. As a leader, he recorded the album The Spark and appears as co-leader with trombonist Marco Katz on the EP entitled In New Orleans, the 2022 Composer’s Collective’s The Heights Life, and as a side musician on Julia LaShae’s album Introducing… which was voted the #3 album of 2003 in New Orleans by the Times-Picayune


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