STACEY KENT

Stacey Kent is an American jazz singer in the mould of the greats, with a legion of fans, a host of honors and awards including a Grammy nomination, album sales in excess of 2 million, more than half a billion streams, Platinum, Double-Gold and Gold-selling albums that have reached a series of chart-topping positions.

Her worldwide fan base is testimony to her ability to cut to the emotional heart of her songs with delicately nuanced interpretations that transcend borders and defy categorization. Her unique multi-lingual repertoire includes originals written by Jim Tomlinson, her saxophonist / producer / composer / arranger husband in collaboration with the Nobel Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro with whom they have worked since 2006. She has also recorded with Brazilian legends, Marcos Valle, Roberto Menescal and Danilo Caymmi, and the celebrated French string quartet, the Quatuor Ébène.

Stacey’s new studio album, Summer Me, Winter Me, released on Naïve Records is a collection of requests from her as yet unrecorded concert repertoire, Summer Me, Winter Me entered the French jazz charts at number 1 and has quickly established itself as a new highlight in her discography.

Cover: $45.76 ~ $56.06

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CHRIS BOTTI

Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti has been one of the most popular instrumentalists in the world for nearly three decades; he’s collaborated with some of the biggest superstars on the planet, including Sting, Paul Simon, Barbra Streisand, Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Joni Mitchell, Steven Tyler, Andrea Bocelli, Herbie Hancock, Yo-Yo Ma, and others; he’s topped the jazz charts with numerous albums, earned multiple Gold and Platinum records, performed with symphony orchestras and on prestigious stages from Carnegie Hall to the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House.

In short, Chris Botti really needs no introduction. Yet with his Blue Note Records debut, he’s offering one anyway. Vol.1 is in many ways a fresh start for the trumpeter. Having successfully crossed over from jazz renown to pop stardom, Botti’s first album in more than a decade finds him crossing back, with a small group project focused on acoustic jazz and classic standards.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Dannie Richmond was born Charles Daniel Richmond on December 15, 1931 in New York City and grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. He started playing tenor saxophone at the age of thirteen, and went on to play R&B with the Paul Williams band in 1955.

His career took off when he transferred his talents to the drums, which he had taught himself to play in his early twenties, through the formation of what was to be a 21-year friendship and an  indispensable ingredient of the Mingus sound. Upon Mingus’ death Richmond became the first musical director of the group Mingus Dynasty in 1980.

Drummer Dannie Richmond, best known for his work with Charles Mingus, died of a heart attack in Harlem, New York on March 16, 1988, at the age of 56.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Anna Maria Jopek was born on December 14, 1970 in Warsaw, Poland, the daughter of Mazowsze singer Stanisław Jopek, known as the First Coachman of Poland.

Representing her country in the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest with the song Ale jestem, she finished 11th out of 25 competitors. By 2002 she was collaborating on an album with jazz guitarist Pat Metheny. She has received numerous awards for her music, including Michel Legrand’s Personal Award in Vitebsk, Belarus in 1994.

Anna has sung with Polish musicians Marek Grechuta, Jeremi Przybora and Wojciech Młynarski as well as abroad with Youssu’n Dour, Bobby McFerrin, Ivan Linz, Branford Marsalis, Nigel Kennedy, Richard Bona, Oscar Castro-Neves, Makoto Ozone, Sting and Gonzalo Rubalcaba among others.

In 2015, Jopek received the Knight’s Cross Order of Polonia Restituta conferred by President Bronisław Komorowski for promoting Polish art worldwide.

Vocalist, songwriter and improviser Anna Maria Jopek, who has recorded twelve studio and two live albums as a leader, continues to pursue beyond the boundaries of her musical range.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Róbert Rátonyi was born December 13, 1953 in Budapest, Hungary. At the age of six he started to learn solfeggio before turning to the piano. He later became a student of Klára Géczy Fazekas, however, following his art studies and the grammar school graduation, he attended the Bartók Béla Music Conservatory, specializing in jazz.

His style of playing is influenced by Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal, Bob James, Kenny Barron, Andy Laverne and Herbie Hancock. Beginning in 1975 he has played together with all leading Hungarian jazz musicians in concerts and festivals at home and abroad.

Besides jazz, he is one of the most frequently engaged studio musicians. He has written and composed music for numerous films, theatre, shows and advertisements. He is also a consummate accompanist for many vocalists.

Pianist, arranger, and composer Róbert Rátonyi, known for his work in jazz and studio music, while also teaching jazz piano and electronic instruments, has been awarded the Artisjus Award and continues to perform and record.

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