Xavier Casellas NY Quintet at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

contents

jazz

A voice that's driven by subtle emotion, embracing both tradition and a contemporary standpoint in today's jazz scene, vocalist Xavier Casellas makes his New York City debut as part of Dizzy's Club Coca- Cola “Sing Into Spring 2007 Festival”, late nights (following Claudia Acuna), Wednesday through Saturday, April 4th -7th, 2007. Emerging as a skilled vocalese writer in his own right, Casellas delivers meaningful lyrics in such a way that one would think they had been there all along.

Celebrating his latest release on the Blue Moon/Fresh Sound label, Yesterday's Sun, his Dizzy's residency will feature classic selections from composers Emilio Solla, George Gershwin, Gino Vannelli, Keith Jarrett and James Taylor, among others. He has penned lyrics for Chris Cheek's “So It Seems”, pianist Emilio Solla's “Last One's For The Road” and the classic standard, “But Not For Me”.

Born in Calella, Spain - a small town by the Mediterranean near Barcelona - Casellas' love for jazz began as a young child, through his father's obsession with crooners and big bands from the 40's such as Frank Sinatra/Nelson Riddle Orchestra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and many others. “All those great musicians and singers opened my ears and soul wide, to a music that I always felt very close to. I spent hours singing along to the vinyl records that he used to play all the time,” says Casellas.

Since Casellas' CD release in New York at The Cornelia Street Cafe, he has garnered rave reviews from the European press throughout Spain, France, Italy and Argentina. In 2006, he was a featured artist at the 38th Barcelona International Jazz Festival, alongside Cassandra Wilson, Avishai Cohen, Herbie Hancock, Bebo Valdes, Joe Lovano and Brad Mehdlau, among countless others. His next tour is being scheduled in Sweden for the fall of 2007.

write your comments about the article :: © 2007 Jazz News :: home page