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| Donn Trenner & Shaynee Rainbolt at the Metropolitan Room It was just over 10 years ago that Shaynee Rainbolt was performing at the Plush Room in San Francisco and met Emmy nominated musical director, conductor, arranger Donn Trenner by chance through a mutual drummer/friend that was playing the show. As it turned out, Donn Trenner was a professional colleague of Rainbolt's Emmy Award winning Father, Bill Rainbolt, and a dear friend of her Mother, Manon. It was a very emotional reunion for Rainbolt's Mother and Trenner, and one that Rainbolt says bonded them for life. Despite being in touch over the years that followed, it was the loss of Rainbolt's mother in 2011 that brought them together again, sparked their recent collaboration, and Rainbolt's insistence that Donn Trenner join her to play a major New York City nightclub again after so many years. "...with a style that places emphasis on chords...his firm grip on the melody relaxes as he sketches swinging passages with broad sweeps of color." by John S. Wilson, The New York Times Donn Trenner came up in the ranks of early bebop pianists playing with the likes of Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Oscar Pettiford, Charles Mingus, and Ben Webster, appearing on over 100 jazz albums from 1950 onward. During the Big Band era he played with Ted Fio Rito, Buddy Morrow, Charlie Barnett and Tommy Dorsey. While with the Les Brown Orchestra, he worked with Bob Hope for seven years as his personal accompanist and occasional music director, participating in six of the Bob Hope International Christmas tours. As an accompanist, he has worked with such artists as Lena Horne, Anita O'Day, Vicki Carr, Dick Haymes, Jose Feliciano, Jack Jones, Frances Faye, Nelson Riddle, Paul Broadnax, Rita Moreno, Nancy Wilson, Ann-Margret, and Shirley MacLaine. A much sought after musical director, Donn Trenner appeared nightly on the famed "Steve Allen Show, " leading the Donn Trenner Orchestra. He was also Ann-Margret's musical director for 18 years. He worked extensively touring with Shirley MacLaine, which led to an Emmy Award nomination for music direction, arranging and conducting the television special, "Gypsy In My soul." In 1996, he moved back to the East Coast where he now makes his home in Guilford, Connecticut. Weekly you can hear him leading The Hartford Jazz Orchestra, a role he took on in 2000 upon the death of acclaimed arranger and bandleader Chic Cicchetti. "....Rainbolt's golden tone and interpretative intuition are undeniably seductive." Jazzwise Magazine (UK) Shaynee Rainbolt is a Bistro Award winner, two-time MAC Award winner, and four-time MAC Award nominee, hailed as 'one to watch' by Scott Yanow in his book "The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide." Her first two CD's were released on 33Jazz Records out of the UK. Her third CD, "Charmed Life: Shaynee Rainbolt SINGS Russell Garcia, " won the MAC Award for best Jazz Recording. Her most recent show honored the legendary composer/arranger/conductor Russell Garcia on the occasion of his 95th birthday, touring Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Shaynee has performed at world-class venues such as Yoshi's and the Catalina in California, The Highline Ballroom, Jazz Standard & Iridium in New York City, Pizza Express Jazz Club (Soho) and Pizza on the Park in London, The Basement in Sydney, Australia and performing arts centers and Jazz Festivals in New Zealand. Where:The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St. NY NY When:Friday's at 9:30pm: 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28 write your comments about the article :: © 2012 Jazz News :: home page |