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| Russ Garcia Celebrates 95th Birthday On the heels of a series of sold-out concerts in New Zealand celebrating his 95th birthday, legendary composer, arranger and conductor Russell Garcia will take the stage once again with his most recent collaborators, award-winning New York vocalists Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco, in what will likely be his farewell concert tour in the United States. Audiences in the United States now have the opportunity to join the party at Catalina's Bar & Grill in Los Angeles, CA, on October 26; Yoshi's in Oakland, CA on November 1; and Iridium Jazz Club in New York, NY on November 6. It is not often that audiences can experience nearly a century of musical history, but that's what happens when Russ Garcia (born April 12, 1916) takes the stage. These concerts are thrilling in equal parts for the music as they are for the stories Garcia shares from his more than 75 years of creating the soundtrack for our lives. Whether Garcia was working on a sound stage at MGM Universal, a major-label recording studio in Hollywood, a concert hall conducting a symphony, a jazz club or festival around the world, his body of work speaks for itself. He hesitates to toot his own horn, saying he "feels like he's name-dropping, " but to this day, people continue to drop his name. A partial list of artists who have worked with Garcia over the years includes Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, Sammy Davis, Jr., Anita O'Day, Bud Shank, Julie London, Sarah Vaughan, Cleo Laine, John Dankworth, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Count Basie, Miles Davis, Johnny Hodges, Maynard Ferguson, Stan Kenton, Harry James, Bill Holman, Jayne Mansfield, Bette Davis, Ira and George Gershwin, Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell, Mickey Rooney, Henry Mancini, Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, Marvin Hamlisch and Clint Eastwood. Now living a relatively quiet life in New Zealand but still continuing to work at home and abroad, at 95, Garcia's life is far from the glamorous world of Hollywood he and his lyricist-wife Gina used to lead. From radio and television to theatrical films and recordings, Garcia has been active in virtually every area of the entertainment industry since the late '40s. His early 1960s scores for George Pal's "The Time Machine" and "Atlantis: The Lost Continent" virtually created the music template for science fiction films that followed, and his un-credited work on Charlie Chaplin's Oscar-winning score for the film 'Limelight' has fans launching a grass-roots campaign to set the record straight (http://www.jazzwax.com/2008/09/the-case-of-the.html). His jazz arranging and composing is legendary in its own right and can be heard on recordings by Stan Kenton, Roy Eldridge, Stan Getz, as well as a classic version of "Porgy and Bess" featuring Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. When describing the orchestral sounds that emerged from the West Coast jazz scene during the 1950s, the name Russell Garcia always comes to mind. Not only did he provide arrangements for many singers and instrumentalists, he recorded more than 60 albums under his own name. As if all that wasn't enough, his book, The Professional Arranger-Composer, has been a valued tool for both beginners and veterans since it was written in the mid-'40's. In 2009, he and his wife Gina were awarded The New Zealand Order of Merit from the Queen of England for their Service to Music. Continuing his tradition of working with and mentoring great vocalists, Russell Garcia is joined by his most recent collaborators: Shaynee Rainbolt (www.shayneerainbolt.com) and Terese Genecco (www.teresegenecco.com). GARCIA PRESS RELEASE – ARTIST BIOS Shaynee Rainbolt, one of today's rising jazz singers, first worked with Garcia in 2007 when he entrusted her with the first-ever album of all Garcia originals entitled Charmed Life. Arranged by Garcia for his signature four-trombone band, this collaboration garnered two MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards for Best Jazz Recording (Charmed Life) and Best Song (I Remember, Music by Garcia and Lyrics by Rainbolt & Garcia.) A top seller on CDBaby, the album was also chosen by TalkinBroadway.com as one of their Top 10 CD's of 2008 and the press also took notice saying, "Rainbolt breathes joyful new life into his oeuvre...her interpretations plugging straight into the core of Garcia's artistry. Beautifully sung...remarkable..." Jazzwise Magazine (UK); "This happy collaboration features Shaynee Rainbolt in inspired form…hear the magical combination of Shaynee Rainbolt and Russ Garcia." LA Jazz Scene; "When Shaynee Rainbolt navigates the shoals of Russ Garcia's arrangements, a beautiful artistic union forms - that of an emerging voice and an orchestral master." Downbeat; "The classic sounds of Garcia are alive and well in the capable hands of Rainbolt and should remain there for a long time." Jazz Improv Magazine ++++ Terese Genecco, who Will Friedwald of the Wall Street Journal said "…if Frank, Dean and Sammy ever returned from the Great Casino in the Sky, the first youngish female singer that I'd recommend to join their clan is this high-voltage entertainer, " has the Longest Running Nightclub Act on Broadway at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City. In her third year of an open-ended run of shows, she is a critic and audience favorite. Genecco and Garcia have a special connection due to Genecco's award-winning, one-woman tribute show, "Drunk with Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye!" Faye is Genecco's idol and was one of Garcia's favorite collaborators as well as a close personal friend. Since relocating from San Francisco, where Genecco won the Bay Area "Entertainer of the Year" Award, there is hardly an award or accolade she hasn't garnered. Terese is described as "addictive" and her fans call themselves "Geneccoholics." The critics agree. This high-powered entertainer has won the 2009 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award for Outstanding Vocalist, a 2009 OUT Music Award for Outstanding Cabaret/Comedy/Theater Song; a 2008 MAC Award for Best Recording for her Live CD of "Drunk with Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye!" (which was also chosen as one of TalkinBroadway.com's Top 10 CD's of 2007) and the show itself won her the 2007 Bistro Award from Back Stage Magazine and a Top 10 Best Cabaret Show from Time Out New York Magazine for two years running (2006 & 2007). * * * "At 95 you have no peer pressure." ~ Russ Garcia "Genius - I use the accolade sparingly. Last Saturday Russ Garcia celebrated his 95th birthday with friends and admirers conducting a memorable concert giving insight into his extraordinary creative genius and genial personality - love that naughty humor. The show also featured New York singer Shaynee Rainbolt whose interpretation of Russ Garcia's compositions and Gina Garcia's lyrics was simply sublime, with the perfect voice. Terese Genecco, who has the longest running [nightclub] show on Broadway, is a delight with an ebullient personality and great jazz vocals. Thank you Russ, take a bow." Bay Chronicle, Kerikeri, New Zealand (April 14, 2011) write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |