Results for "Vocalist"

Sathima Bea Benjamin

Born: October 17, 1936

South African vocalist, composer, and lyricist Sathima Bea Benjamin was born October 17, 1936 in Johannesburg and raised in Cape Town, where she began singing in church. As a youth, she first performed popular music in talent contests held during intermission at the local cinema and by the late 1950s she was singing at various nightclubs, community dances and social events. She built her repertoire watching British and American movies and listening to the radio, where she discovered Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz and pop singers who would influence her early singing style

Andrea Wolper

Born: January 16

Although vocalist, composer, and arranger ANDREA WOLPER started her professional career singing jazz standards, her eclectic tastes and multidisciplinary talents have led her to forge her own path. Her newest recording, WANDERLUST, is an apt title for her peregrinations down the byways of improvisatory vocal jazz.

Working frequently as both leader and side-person, Andrea is "an audacious artist [who] flouts genre limitations, singing songs for the love of it and delivering an inventive, thrilling, appealing musical vision.” One of the singers covered in The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide (Yanow, Backbeat Books), she is “a superb singer” who “brings songs to life, whatever their source,” and “a terrific arranger, taking new paths rather than expected ones.” Cadence Magazine calls her songwriting "easily superior.”

Nicole LeGault

Nicole LeGault, the creator of the Song Savvy Vocal Instruction Program, was born into a house that was always full of music. "My mother was always singing to the radio. My father, after reading us bed time stories, sang at least three songs with my sister and I before bed. We would sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer all year 'round because it was our favourite." Formal musical training began for Nicole at the age of five, and by eleven, she knew what she wanted to be - a professional musician.

Maci Miller

Somewhere near the intersection of Norah Jones and Billie Holiday, you will find Philadelphia’s soulful and stylish singer, Maci Miller. Whether she’s interpreting the Great American Songbook or her own compositions, Maci captivates and entertains audiences around the globe with her unique vocal blend of jazz, pop, and blues.

As a young girl, Maci discovered her grandparent’s vast collection of vinyl, and after studying every great artist from Ella to Ellington, she honed her vocal skills and made her debut in local clubs and at special events.

On recordings and live on stage, Maci has worked with some of the greatest in the business, including trumpeter Steve Jankowski (Nile Rodgers, Chicago), saxophonist Larry McKenna (Woody Herman, Buddy DeFranco), Dean Schneider (former M.D

Ken Slavin

Born: August 27, 1961

JAZZ CROONER EXTRAORDINAIRE! Born in New London, Connecticut, USA, in 1961, jazz and cabaret crooner Ken Slavin grew up a military brat, attending 10 schools in seven states by the time he was 17. After graduating from high school in Alaska, he settled in his father's hometown of San Antonio, Texas, where he enrolled at St. Mary's University, one of the most respected liberal arts institutions in the Southwest, graduating with honors in 1983. Despite being naturally drawn to the stage and deeply in love with all kinds of music, Ken put his show business aspirations on hold for several years while he pursued a successful journalism and public relations career

Jessica Medina

Jessica Medina understands the power of the human voice. The right voice can reinforce solidarity just as the wrong one can destroy it. As someone well aware of this dichotomy, she deeply considers the vocal power that resides within us all. Such awareness has been with her since childhood. Growing up in New York with a Dominican mother and Puerto Rican father, whose voices were the soundtrack of her formative years, she absorbed a lifetime’s worth of music before she could even sing herself. She has carried those sounds over into the lives of her own children, enlivening them with a likeminded blend of tradition and the unknown.

With Spanish and English as her native tongues, and New York City as her home, she quickly developed her talents through keen interests in culture, language, and performing arts

Tony Jones

Born: October 4, 1953

Tony was raised in a musical family (his grandfather was the noted composer Leon René and his father the drummer Rick Jones), and the piano was his first instrument. He took on the drums in high school and is primarily known on that instrument. He has been a vocalist since his teens and has chosen to illustrate that skill on this CD. Tony is also a master of vocal impersonations. His Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong is well known and has a prominent place on this recording. Tony sings two of Leon's tunes: When It's Sleepytime Down South was Satchmo's theme song, and Mr

Sofia Ribeiro

Born: March 18, 1978

Sofia Ribeiro is one of the greatest voices from the country of fado, a magnificent singer who has the ability to immediately attract the listener to her unique musical universe. Well-known for her strong and emotional performances, the multi-awarded singer has captivated audiences all over the world with her charming and powerful sound. Blending elements of jazz, Brazilian and Portuguese music, her new album ‘Ar’ ‘is the result of a powerful combination of this exceptional singer’s talent as a vocalist and composer with the brilliant arrangements and production of Colombian pianist Juan Andrés Ospina. Sofia has a diploma in jazz performance from “Escola Superior de Música e Artes do Espectáculo do Porto”, where she studied with the portuguese singer Maria João and the dutch jazz vocalist Fay Claassen

Vote For Pedro

Born: March 18, 1972

Vote For Pedro is the newest project for Taunia Soderquist, Ben Jackson, and Shah Salmi. All three are award-winning vocalists and arrangers, and have been infuenced by everyone from Clifford Brown to the New York Voices. While heavily jazz influenced, Vote For Pedro strives to create updated contemporary arrangements of old favorites like Summertime and Autumn Leaves, while also writing and arranging their unique originals. In one night, you'll hear everything from bossa nova to campy humor. They fuse comedy and jazz in a way that's creative and energetic, and the audience is often part of their show

Deadra Hart

Born: March 27, 1979

Regarded by fellow jazz singers as a dynamic improviser who interprets a lyric with sincerity and a beautiful sense of style, Deadra has a unique, crystal-clear voice. This New York City-based vocalist has lived and performed all over the world, from Los Angeles to the Midwest and Ecuador to Amsterdam. Deadra is an active performer, leading her own jazz quartet which mixes traditional jazz elements with beautiful, original melodies. Her debut album, Wherever I Go can be heard on jazz radio stations as far away as Indonesia and Australia. Since returning from Ecuador in January 2006, the sounds of South America have made their way into Deadra's compositions