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| Dearie and Mahogany will sing in the ’Highlights in Jazz’ Blossom Dearie And Kevin Mahogany will perform Thursday, May 11, 2006 in the Jack Kleinsinger's "Highlights in Jazz, " New York's longest running jazz series. Thel concert will take place at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center (Borough of Manhattan Community College). Blossom Dearie is a singer, pianist and songwriter, with a "wispy, little-girlish" voice, and is regarded as one of the great supper club singers. She began her career in the 1940s with early influences by Art Tatum, Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Martha Tilton, who sang with the Benny Goodman band. After stints with the Blue Flames, a vocal group within the Woody Herman big band, and the Blue Reys, a similar formation in the Alvino Rey band she sang at the legendary Chantilly Club in Greenwich Village where she met Nicole Barclay who owned Barclay Records. She had a hit in France and the USA with one of their first recordings, a French version of "Lullaby Of Birdland". While in Paris, Dearie met impresario and record producer Norman Granz, who signed her to Verve Records, for whom she eventually made six solo albums, including the highly regarded My Gentleman Friend. Her solo career included appearances on US television with Jack Paar, Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson. In the 1970s she started her own company, Daffodil Records. In 1981 she appeared with Dave Frishberg for three weeks at Michael's Pub in Manhattan. Frishberg, besides being a songwriter, also sang and played the piano, and Dearie who frequently performed his songs, such as "Peel Me A Grape", "I'm Hip" and "My Attorney Bernie" also collaborated with Dave writing the song "Long Daddy Green". Her own compositions include "I Like You, You're Nice", "I'm Shadowing You" and "Hey John". From 1983, she performed regularly for six months a year at the Ballroom, a nightclub in Manhattan, and in 1985 was the first recipient of the Mabel Mercer Foundation Award, which is presented annually to an outstanding supper-club performer. Kevin Mahogany blends jazz, pop and R&B styles effortlessly into an accessible mix that is both commercial and musical. The Kansas City native received his greatest recognition as an actor portraying a singer patterned after Big Joe Turner in Robert Altman's film Kansas City, but he was ready for the exposure after recording several impressive albums for Enja., Warner Bros. and Telarc. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |