Patty Ascher

In the wake of her celebrated performances at the Blue Not/NYC, Brazilian singer Patty Ascher is now poised as the `Brazilian Jazz Newest Sensation`.

Whether singing in English or her native Portuguese, Patty Ascher brings an alluring quality to bear on every evocative tune. From achingly beautiful interpretations of songs by the likes of Michel Legrand and Burt Bacharach (the latter whom she paid tribute to on the acclaimed album Bacharach Bossa Club) to heartfelt renditions of her own affecting bossa nova and R&B flavored originals, Patty Ascher delivers with the kind of classy sophistication that belies to the great jazz singers.

Born in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Patty Ascher grew up in a musical household. Her father Neno was part of a very successful Brazilian band from the 70s called Os Incríveis (The Incredibles). “My father was a musician, his brother is a very popular arranger and maestro in Brazil and all my cousins play an instrument,” she says. As a singer, she cites Brazilian divas Leny Andrade and Gal Costa along with American jazz divas Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Dinah Washington as important influences. “What they all have in common,” says Patty Ascher, “is personality. When you hear them you do know who is singing.”

Patty Ascher influences

Patty Ascher also lists Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra and Al Jarreau as among her favorite male voices, though her earliest vocal influence may have come from a 1930s icon. “The first song I remember in my life was ‘Ain't Mishbehavin’’ with Fats Waller singing,” she recalls. “I was only three years old and I loved that song. I’d wake up in the morning hearing Fats, and that always stuck with me. Then I discovered Cab Calloway’s ‘Minnie the Moochie’ from a cartoon and I loved that as well. My father then introduced me to Louis Armstrong and I started to listen all the time to his versions of ‘Dream A Little Dream of Me,’ ‘High Society’ and ‘St. James Infirmary.’ I used to love that man singing just to me in my room while I was eating or taking a bath, even when I was sleeping.”

Patty Ascher’s musical horizons eventually expanded to include the Beatles, American Soul and jazz. During her college years while studying for a bachelor's degree in literature at the University of São Paulo, she began immersing herself in Brazilian music while harboring a dream of becoming a professional singer. Patty Ascher recalls her earliest onstage experiences. “My first gig was in a beautiful theater in São Paulo. It was a benefit concert for the Jewish Community Center. The second one I did was in Rio de Janeiro at Bar Do Tom, a Bossa Nova temple...a very fancy night club in Rio.”

In 2007, after earning a master's degree she encountered bossa nova pioneer Roberto Menescal, who invited Patty Ascher to record her first CD, singing Burt Bacharach songs in bossa nova style. “Meeting him was a sign to me,” she says. “It was a chance to go on seriously with a career, working with a great producer and mentor. We released our project one year after our first meeting and it was a dream project. It was an incredible opportunity to sing samba and jazz together. They have a lot in common. Both were born in the ‘new continent’ at the same time from the same mother Africa.”

On her latest recording, Bossa, Jazz ‘n’ Samba, Patty Ascher’s gorgeous voice is surrounded by lush orchestrations from such respected veteran MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) artists and composer-arrangers as Dori Caymmi, Gilson Peranzetta, Amilson Godoy and Cristovao Bastos. This spirited cross-cultural project –recorded at the famous Gravodisc studios in Sao Paolo, Brazil –should put Patty Ascher over the top and she was nominated for a Grammy.

Patty Ascher highlights

-First Brazilian singer to perform at the MDA Jerry Lewis Telethon/2010
-Two tours with the Oscar Winner Michel Legrand/2009 and 2010
-Star of the first Bossa Nova Cruiser with MSC/2011
-Brazilian tour with John Pizzarelli/2012
-Several shows with Orchestra Arte Viva, celebrating 50 years of Bossa Nova/2013
-USA Tour:Sold out shows at the Kennedy Center/DC, Blue Note/NYC, etc 2012
-Grammy Nominee in 2011
-Patty Ascher first album with Burt Bacharach greatest hits is a golden one in Brazil, Japan, France and Mexico
-Monthly Performances at the Container Park /Las Vegas/2014 and 2015
-Executive Production of the show The Next Generation at the M Resort
-Performances at the Label Lounge/The Palazzo
-Las Vegas, Starbright Theater
-Las Vegas, Bootlegger, etc.

To book Patty Ascher, please contact Best Entertainment Inc at [email protected]