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| Four Great Singers & One Hot Band Kick-Off at Yoshi’s Bay Area jazz vocalist Elaine Lucia and BMI/Bistro Award Winner Linda Kosut have formed Lucia | Kosut Productions to present the Bay Area's own vocalists and musicians at San Francisco's premier Jazz club, Yoshi's. The kick-off event for this continuing series is on Monday, April 20, 2009 at 8:00pm and 10:00pm. This collaboration is the result of a vision both Lucia and Kosut had independently - a way to present quality entertainment at affordable prices to new audiences at a time when finances are tight and so many venues are closing. This first concert, billed as Four Great Singers and One Hot Band, will feature the hosts, Elaine Lucia and Linda Kosut, along with "The Queen of Boogie Woogie", Wendy DeWitt and jazz vocal virtuoso Kenny Washington. The band is Max Perkoff (piano & trombone), Jonathan Alford (piano), Tom Shader (bass), Alan Hall (drums). The Singers: Elaine Lucia has been fronting and promoting her own jazz combos in the Bay Area for over fifteen years. Known as "a musician's singer, " she combines her classically trained vocal instrument with a wide variety of styles for an eclectic repertoire and unique style. A recording studio veteran, Elaine has released three jazz CDs, and works as a voice-over artist as well as a singer/songwriter. "…you will remember this voice." JazzUSA.com www.elainelucia.com Linda Kosut is a jazz/cabaret vocalist who effortlessly weaves through differing genres with an ability to touch your heart or have you tapping your feet. Known for her ability to tell a story through a song's poetic images, Linda is an engaging entertainer. Linda has performed coast-to-coast, most recently with her nationally acclaimed CD and tribute to jazz legend Oscar Brown Jr. The LA Times - Don Heckman - "… a style of her own with its warm, dark sound and articulate phrasing, deserved a far longer run. " www.lindakosut.com Wendy DeWitt, from Seattle to Paris, this "Queen of Boogie Woogie" spreads the gospel of Chicago-based blues piano and boogie woogie. She's well steeped in the stylings of Otis Spann, Memphis Slim, Sunnyland Slim and Albert Ammons - the greats of boogie and blues, and honed her skills working with contemporary artists Steve Freund, Otis Rush and the late Hank Ballard. "…her piano work is of the first order... a sweet-voiced chanteuse with a strong reliance on jazz phrasing and inflection." www.wendydewitt.com Kenny Washington is a jazz vocalist virtuoso. Emulating the classic styles of Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn and infusing colors of Stevie Wonder and Donny Hathaway, Kenny's free, playful approach, with over a four-octave range is awe inspiring. His tone on ballads is liquid, his scat is rapid-fire, passionate, melodious and inventive. "a vocalist with an exuberantly supple tenor that glides effortlessly into the stratosphere. Capable of astounding improvisational flights, he can also croon with an emotional intensity that's bracing." – San Francisco Chronicle www.kennywashingtonvocalist.com The Band: Max Perkoff (piano & trombone), an active musician in the San Francisco Bay Area, Max tours the country and has played at many of the great jazz rooms including Jazz at Lincoln Center and Yoshi's. He has also played with such as Johnny Mathis, Jamie Davis, Jon Hendricks and is playing trombone for Keely Smith in her March appearance in the Bay Area. Max's recordings total six as leader. "a musician of grace, depth and impressive achievement" www.maxperkoff.com Jonathan Alford (piano) Jonathan is an Oakland-based pianist who has performed or recorded with many Bay Area Latin bands including Avance, Los Compas, Los Kimbos, Julius Melendez, Machete Ensemble and others. As well being a mainstay of the Latin scene, he is also jazz pianist who lends his talents to accompanying singers like Daria, Elaine Lucia, Jenna Mamina, Maria Marquez and Roberta Donnay. Trained classically, Jonathan started learning jazz at the late age of 25. www.cdbaby.com/jonathanalford Alan Hall (percussion) Just back in the Bay Area from playing Cirque du Soleil in New York City, Alan has performed and/or recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Eddie Harris, Paul McCandless, Art Lande, Stuart Hamm, Kai Eckhardt, Billy Childs, Kenny Werner, Bob Sheppard, Kit Walker, Tom Coster, Rebecca Parris, Betty Buckley, John Handy, Joyce Cooling, Smith Dobson, Victor Mendoza and many more. He taught at Berklee College of Music. www.jazzdrumming.com Tom Shader (bass) is an acoustic player raised in the Detroit area. As a youth, he played classical music and studied the violin, cello, viola, string bass & voice. His early professional career was dedicated to playing the electric bass and exploring many of the rock/pop genres. Since jazz has become Tom's passion, he has had the privilege of performing and recording with many fine musicians, including Steve Allen, Henry Mancini, Tommy Newsome, Jesse Colin-Young, Bob Lucas, Calvin Keys, & Phil Smith. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Jazz News :: home page |