San Francisco Jazz Singer 1

This San Francisco Jazz Singer recent set at the Catalina Jazz Club featured some of Los Angeles top jazz musicians including Theo Saunders, John B. Williams, Steve Cotter and Tony Austin.

After catching this San Francisco Jazz Singer Catalina concert veteran jazz promoter Dick LaPalm had this to say: “She has perfect intonation, can float a lyric without losing her grip on it, and is always completely locked into the spirit of the song. She made every song fresh, full-faced, and personal, as if she was telling me a story. I believed every word! Whatever you call this rare and special quality, she has it - big time.” That kind of compliment doesn’t come easily from a hard core radio man who has spent 50 years in the business promoting singers from Nat King Cole all the way to Diana Krall.

“I spent six wonderful, difficult, successful and challenging years learning the ropes in San Francisco,” this San Francisco Jazz Singer explains. “I started out by busking at Pier 39. After a while I had a great fan base and was playing Yoshi’s, the Plush Room, Jazz at Pearl’s, the Rrazz Room and all of the Bay Area clubs. Then I began to get gigs in Asia and NYC, etc. I felt ready to take the next step.” The stellar music scene in Los Angeles was a powerful magnet for her. “In order to keep bringing my game up to the next level I knew I had to work with the best musicians and producers in the world, and many of them live here in Los Angeles.”

San Francisco Jazz Singer recording

This San Francisco Jazz Singer is currently working on a demo project at the home studio of engineer Gary Griffin, in between his tours with the Beach Boy’s. Additional tracks are also being cut at the studio of jazz trumpet maven Nolan Shaheed. “I’m very excited about the recording,” she reveals. “It is a simple demo. We've included new original material, standards and some very special contemporary songs that I’ve been flirting with. These songs will help define what I do and who I am.” Pulling together all of the diverse influences that have shaped her has been a challenge. “I am finally happy with where I am artistically,” she says. “I’ve loved to sing all of my life, but it takes more than that to be an artist.”

This San Francisco Jazz Singer started singing at her Dad’s little Protestant church in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota. “My mom is a coloratura and we always had music in the house,” she recalls. In her teens she took voice lessons and sang Italian Arias. She continued with voice studies until the end of her first year at Concordia College when she joined a traveling rock band. She laughs about it now. “I wanted to rock out, have a good time and forget about classical music for a while.”

But a funny thing happened as she saw more of the world. She was heavily drawn to the sophistication of jazz and the Great American Songbook. “I fell in love…that’s the best way to put it. I fell in love with Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Cole Porter, Harry Warren, etc… Sometimes I feel as if I was born out of time.” This San Francisco Jazz Singer went through a phase of emulating her favorite performers. “I wasn’t very good when I started. Playing in jazz combos is very different than being part of a choir or a rock band. The ground is always shifting beneath your feet…But after thousands of gigs from grungy to glamorous I can really be myself on stage now. I know my own voice and what emotions I can wring out of a song. I feel like I can sing a standard, a Dylan song or an original and bring enough of the same qualities to them to hold a set together really well.”

San Francisco Jazz Singer partner

It has helped this San Francisco Jazz Singer on her journey to have a musical confidante in her husband, guitarist/composer Jerry. “Contrary to what people may think, the most wonderful thing Jerry does for me is to tell me what’s not working and where he thinks I can improve.” Jerry has had his own successes as a staff songwriter for Warner/Chappell Music and Mike Curb Music in Nashville. His song “Friends” was a #1 Billboard Country Hit for Atlantic recording artist Jon Michael Montgomery and was also Music Row Magazine Song Of The Year. The couple frequently performs as a duo.

Though this San Francisco Jazz Singer has released three critically acclaimed independent CDs she believes that her best work lies ahead of her. She gives no credence to praise or criticism in the press even if most of it has been extremely favorable. Dr. Mike Metheny of Radio IO Jazz says, “This singer delivers passion and elegance through every phrase... The voice is warm... full, and engaging. She is becoming a favorite request from our world wide listening audience..." Paul Freeman of the Daily News Group adds, "If there were any justice, she would be enjoying the same sort of international acclaim accorded Diana Krall and Michael Buble."

“When it’s good I don’t believe it and when it’s bad I ignore it. I give 100% and then try to top it. Thanks to Jerry I get critical reviews after every performance and/or recording. We are the first ones to tear up what we’ve done, but it’s because we know we’ve got something more in us. If we ever stop feeling that way we’ll be finished.”