Results for "Vocalist"

Barbara Blair

“Music is my life. My voice is my soul. It’s all and everything I am.” Vocalist, educator, and jazz messenger Barbara Blair counts herself among the fortunate few who spend their life following their passion. With a deep, rich voice, Barbara’s interpretive approach comes from the giants and innovators of mainstream jazz including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Carmen McRae. Following a career in the classical music scene, Barbara returned to her first love • jazz • studying with luminaries Kurt Elling, Ellis Marsalis, Sheila Jordan, Paul Horn, Nancy King and Jay Clayton. Nearly two decades of performing and touring add polish and depth to her performances. Barbara’s education program The School of Cool • An Introduction to Jazz has played to more than 30,000 students in primary and secondary schools

Dennis Jeter

Born: May 10, 1969

Dennis Jeter began playing the trumpet at the age of 16 after attending a Wynton Marsalis concert in Washington, DC. Soon after, he was accepted into the Peabody Preparatory program in Baltimore, MD to study with Wayne Cameron. In the spring of 1987, he graduated from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC with honors and later was enrolled as a computer science major at the University of Florida on a full merit scholarship. While attending the University, he participated in their marching band and held the principal trumpet chair in the symphony orchestra. In the Summer of 1987, Mr

Voice Trek

Voice Trek has been thrilling listeners with their impeccable vocal skills since 1987. Their astonishing adaptability and inventive arrangements have defined this vocal quintet as one of the topmost in their genre. Though jazz is the group’s foundation, their house is “the house that harmony built.” Based in Minnesota, the all-original members of Voice Trek are Shelley, Vicki, and Rae Plaster - three sisters who are known for their dazzling vocal mix; the group’s tenor, Denis Allaire, specialist in vocal percussion and vocal instrumental sounds; and bringing up the bass is the dynamic Kevin Smith • the irreplaceable bottom line. A multitalented and prolific group with numerous CD’s in their catalog, Voice Trek has appeared with renowned artists Rosemary Clooney, Janis Segal (Manhattan Transfer), and the New York Voices, to name a few, and have appeared in performance venues around the globe

Gerri DiMaggio

Gerri DiMaggio’s take on jazz is as original as it is enticing. Her 2005 release Comes Love is a sultry mix of Brazilian music along with a fresh blend of Jazz standards. The Latin sounds invite the audience into her own creative and colorful world. Throughout the album Gerri displays an emotional intelligence and musical sophistication that honors the traditions of Jazz and Latin rhythms telling stories with tones of sadness and bittersweet joy. The exquisite performances of Paul Hastil, Piano, John Mesoloras, Bass, John Becker, drums and percussion, and Dave Cooper, Trumpet add to the lush feel of the recording. Gerri’s 2001 release In Summer received glowing reviews nationally

Ms. Sharon Bailey

Born: August 2, 1967

Sharon Bailey is a Buffalo, NY based canary whose amazing natural talent is equally matched with her beauty. Sharon is the premier female jazz and R&B vocalist in Buffalo and has been honored with The Buffalo Music Award for 'Top R&B Female Vocalist" in 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2005. Sharon has also performed with numerous jazz and blues musicians throughout Canada, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Some of the venues and performances in her resume include The Ellicottville Jazz Festival, The Pine Grill Reunion, The Hamilton Jazz Festival, The Buffalo Blues Festival, Nick Veltri's R&B Review, The Colored Musician's Club, The Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok and The Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. Buffalo News Reviewer Toni Ruberto deemed her "Rhythm Queen" and wrote, "Sharon Bailey knows how to shake up a classic

Kim Nalley

Born: November 14, 1971

Awarded "Most Influential African American in the Bay Area" in 2005 and "Best Jazz Group" in 2013, vocalist Dr. Kim Nalley is already being called "legendary" and "San Francisco institution.  Nalley was discovered by Michael Tilson Thomas singing to packed audiences live with no amplification. MTT recorded her singing live with no amplification and invited her to sing with the San Francisco Symphony. Subsequently she became a Rounder Records recording artist and went on a worldwide tour gracing concert halls from Moscow to Lincoln Center and festivals from Umbria Jazz to Monterey Jazz garnering effusive international press, awards and ranking high on the Jazz charts and Gavin Report for her many albums. Nalley had a solid background in classical music before switching to Jazz for the freedom it provided.  A true Renaissance woman, Kim Nalley has been a featured writer for JazzWest and SF Chronicle's City Brights, shortlisted for a Grammy nomination, a produced playwright, an avid Lindy Hop & blues dancer. and the former jazz club owner of Jazz at Pearl’s. She earned her Ph.D. in history at UC Berkeley and is a published scholar.  She was shortlisted by Downbeat Critics Poll in 2017 as a "Rising Star" (Deserving Wider Recognition). Nalley's many philanthropic endeavors include founding the Kim Nalley Black Youth Jazz Scholarship, fundraising for Richmond-Ermet Aids Foundation, BLM, Next Village, SF-Marin Food Bank, and Department of Economic and Covid relief sponsored in part by Community Development/Connecticut Office of the Arts as part of their 2020 Artists Respond grant program.

Jenny Davis

Redefining the art of singing, award-winning vocalist, composer, and bandleader Radebaugh, she has found the balance of songs and styles that showcase their collective talents, blending beautiful arrangements and soulful compositions, while adding new freshness to favorite jazz standards. In this adventurous recording, Jenny’s vocals fuse with inspired solos by Easton, Radegaugh and Willy Ingersoll, creating improvisations that make her voice sound, in the words of one of her fans, “like an instrument among instruments." Her voice invites the listener inside the music in recordings of vibrant bebop standards that are usually performed instrumentally such as Clifford Brown’s "Joy Spring" and Charlie Parker’s "Scrapple from the Apple"

Sara Gazarek

By definition, any journey involves motion, from one point to the next. By that measure alone, Sara Gazarek’s artistic journey has been thrilling – and she’s just getting started. 

That may seem like an odd assessment, since Gazarek has already tasted stardom, and since she  turned 40 this past year. But in 2019, she took a giant leap in confidence and purpose with her twice GRAMMY-nominated album Thirsty Ghost, on which she unveiled previously shrouded layers of emotion and experience. Now she builds on that foundation with an arresting EP, Vanity. The title track harks back to Sarah Vaughan’s original 1951 recording, offering unusually stark nuance and introspection – qualities fit right into Gazarek’s game plan.

To put it simply, some singers concentrate on singing pretty, as Gazarek once did

Nina Michelle

Born: May 1, 1968

Nina Michelle is a Canadian vocalist, currently living in Munich, Germany. Since 1994 she's been touring Europe with some of the finest musicians. When at home in her native Vancouver, she regularly performed with Linton Garner at Rossinis jazz club. Her many tours to Switzerland included association with drummer Charly Antolini and his Jazz Power. Nina has performed with several big bands, including SWR Big Band in charge of Max Greger, featuring among other solo artists Benny Bailey and Hugo Strasser. In 1998 Nina recorded a soundtrack with the Billy Gorldt Orchestra as well as acted in a Süddeutsche-Rundfunk film production directed by Oliver Storz, "Against the End of the Night". Nina's current work includes a live big band recording with the Munich Swing Orchestra for the Bayerischer Rundfunk as well as "Swinging Christmas" CD produced by Max Greger Jr

Barbara Morrison

Born: September 10, 1949

Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan and raised in Romulus, Michigan, Barbara Morrison recorded her first appearance for radio in Detroit at the age of 10. Well known in the Los Angeles area for her duo and trio dates Ms. Morrison also tours extensively, blazing a trail as a Jazz and Blues legend in her own right across the Continental United States, Western Europe the Far East and "Down Under," wowing audiences with her band.

Fresh off a 33 US City tour, co-headlining in an all-star tribute to legendary composer Harold Arlen (most recognizable for his genius behind the music for the classic film, The Wizard of Oz), Barbara now celebrates her 30th year in the music industry