Written by Jim Eigo:
jim@jazzpromoservices.com
Finalists named for Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal
Competition
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jon Hendricks, Melissa Walker, Michael
Bourne and Larry Rosen to pick winner
In 1942, a teenage Sarah Vaughan won the Apollo Theater's amateur
singing competition in a performance that was a launching pad for a career that
transformed one of America's original art forms and elevated the craft of jazz vocal
music. Seventy years later, Vaughan's legacy continues to resonate and will be celebrated
with the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, part of the
TD James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival at NJPAC and at venues around Vaughan's
hometown of Newark, N.J.
A distinguished panel of musicians, music industry executives, NJPAC leadership
and online voters culled through nearly 900 submissions from around the globe to
choose five finalists and a "Rising Star" for the inaugural Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition, the largest competition of its kind in the world. Online
voters listened to songs submitted to the contest nearly 90, 000 times. Today, NJPAC,
JAZZ ROOTS™ and WBGO Jazz 88.3 announced the five competition finalists who will
perform in front of an iconic panel of judges, an NJPAC Victoria Theater audience
and viewers around the world through a live stream of the concert on October
21, 2012 at 3pm. The finalists are competing for a chance to win the Sarah Vaughan
International Jazz Vocal Competition SASSY AWARD, a $5, 000 prize, and an
opening spot at a 2013 JAZZ ROOTS concert. The first runner-up will win $1, 500,
the second runner-up $500. The Competition and final performance are produced by
award-winning producer Larry Rosen and powered by Indaba Music (IndabaMusic.com),
the leading online community of musicians and marketplace for music opportunities.
Judging the finals at the performance will be Grammy and Tony Award-winning jazz
vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, vocalese and scat pioneer Jon Hendricks,
vocalist and Executive Director of Jazz House Kids Melissa Walker, WBGO
radio host and jazz journalist Michael Bourne, and producer of JAZZ ROOTS
and co-founder of GRP Records, Larry Rosen.
Through three preliminary rounds, public voting on the IndabaMusic.com website (with
over 21, 800 votes cast), jazz vocalists, members of the Jazz Education Network
(JEN) and GRP Records co-founder Larry Rosen narrowed down the field to five finalists
in an effort to discover vocalists who embody Sarah Vaughan with swinging, thought-provoking
and inspiring performances reflecting their own understanding of the work. Contestants
were judged on vocal quality, musicality, technique, performance, individuality,
artistic interpretation and ability to swing.
The finalists are:
Alexis Cole (New York, NY) was a winner of the NY Jazzmobile and Montreux
Jazz Festival vocal competitions. She has performed at Dizzy's Club at Jazz at Lincoln
Center, The Oak Room, Blues Alley, and at the Kennedy Center, and was a featured
soloist at Avery Fisher Hall with the NY Philharmonic Brass.
Ashleigh Smith (Lewisville, TX) was awarded the prestigious Downbeat Student
Award for Best Undergraduate Jazz Vocal Performance in 2011 and the Outstanding
Undergraduate Vocal Jazz Soloist in 2012. She is a member of the world renowned
Jazz Singers 1, with whom she also won a 2012 Downbeat Award. Ms. Smith has traveled
and performed as a soloist and chorister in Washington D.C, Northern Ireland, Orlando,
Florida, and New York City, and recently shared the stage with The Manhattan Transfer
and Jon Hendricks during the Kennedy Center's "Swing, Swing, Swing" concert series.
She is currently on scholarship as a vocal jazz major at the University of North
Texas.
Cyrille Aimée (Brooklyn, NY) was a 2007 winner of both the first and public
prizes in the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition. She has released four CDs, recorded
songs for feature films, and fronted France's electro-swing/gypsy jazz band Caravan
Palace on its European tour, performing in front of crowds of more than 10, 000
people. Ms. Aimée was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition of 2010.
Hilary Kole (New York, NY) co-wrote and originated the lead female roles
in the critically acclaimed, award-winning Off-Broadway musicals, Our Sinatra (2000
MAC Award) and Singing Astaire. Her debut recording, Haunted Heart (2009) received
four stars in Downbeat and the Gold Disc Award in Japan. Her second recording, You
Are There-Duets (2010) was named as a "Record of the Year" by USA Today. Ms. Kole
began her professional career at the Rainbow Room as the youngest singer ever to
grace the stage. She appeared in a sold-out run at the famed Oak Room at the Algonquin
Hotel, made her concert hall debut at Lincoln Center as part of the "American Songbook
Series" with Jonathan Schwartz, and appeared at Carnegie Hall during a Tribute to
Oscar Peterson. She was the first singer since Ella Fitzgerald to record a duet
with the jazz legend.
Sandra Booker (Sherman Oaks, CA) was the first vocal student to receive the
Julian Cannonball Adderley Memorial Scholarship and John Densmore Music Scholarship
at UCLA. Her voice has appeared in radio and television commercials for Coca-Cola
and Ralph Lauren. ‘Wandering Road, ' an original composition, co-written by Booker
and long-time colleague and producer, John Leftwich, was featured in the 2010 film,
Blood Done Sign My Name a biopic chronicling the life of NAACP President Ben Chavis.
She has performed with Lalo Schifrin, Wynton Marsalis & The Lincoln Center Jazz
Orchestra, Ernie Watts, Billy Higgins and many others.
Rising Star Award
Each year one outstanding young artist will be chosen as a Rising Star. The Sarah
Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition Rising Star Award was created for the
purpose of discovering young talented jazz vocal artists that deserve wider recognition
and mentoring in their career as a jazz singer, while keeping in the tradition of
Sarah Vaughan. This year's winner is Jazzmeia Horn. Ms. Horn (Dallas, Texas)
attended the prestigious Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and
Visual Arts. She currently attends The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
in New York City,
The TD James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival will make a donation in the name of
Sarah Vaughan to develop an enhanced jazz vocal training program at Newark Arts
High School. Sarah Vaughan was a proud graduate of Arts High.
NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber, who presented Vaughan at dozens of
domestic and international jazz festivals through the years, said: "Sarah Vaughan
was nothing less than a game changer for jazz vocalists. What better place than
Newark, N.J., Sarah Vaughan's hometown, to find the next game changer? We are proud
to be hosting and presenting this competition that will give up-and-coming talents
a world-class showcase. We will bring the best singers in the world to the Victoria
Theater in October for one swinging afternoon of competition, and set at least one
on the course to a Sarah-caliber career."
"I'm thrilled that we had the opportunity to launch the Sarah Vaughan competition
through the use of new online technologies, where all entrants can post their performances
online and allow music fans around the world to sample, check out, and vote for
their favorite artists through Facebook and the Indaba web site, " said competition
producer Larry Rosen. "By utilizing these cutting edge technologies, we were
able to make over 22, 000, 000 total impressions, expose folks across the planet
to Sassy's legacy, and spawn a platform to discover incredible new jazz vocalists.
What could be better?"
Cephas Bowles, President and CEO of WBGO, said "WBGO has had the privilege
and pleasure to broadcast the music of some of the greatest vocalists in the world,
including Sarah Vaughan. Her music is timeless, and will always find a spot on WBGO
and jazz radio stations around the world. We look forward to hearing the finalists
at the Victoria Theater, and we're excited to be a part of the competition that
is helping to expand the careers of these vocalists while honoring the legacy of
Ms. Vaughan."
The competition is part of The TD James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival,
a celebration of jazz and the musical legacy of longtime Newarker and beloved jazz
saxophonist and composer James Moody. Presented by NJPAC and WBGO Jazz88.3FM, the
Moody Festival will run from Oct. 15-21st at NJPAC and in other venues
around the region.
The Festival's centerpiece events include two star-studded concerts: For Love
of Moody: A Jazz Celebration featuring jazz icons George Benson, The
Manhattan Transfer, David Sanborn, Kenny Barron, Jon Faddis,
Jimmy Heath, John Lee, Paquito D'Rivera, Christian McBride,
Paul Lieberman, Todd Coolman, Adam Nussbaum, and Renee Rosnes
(the evening's Music Director), and Miles Davis and Gil Evans: Still Ahead,
a recreation of the original Gil Evans arrangements of the Miles Davis recordings
of Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, and Miles Ahead featuring trumpeters Terence
Blanchard and Sean Jones with Christian McBride, Jimmy Cobb,
Vince Mendoza leading the orchestra, Howard Johnson, Peter Erskine
and others.
The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition is presented as part of NJPAC's
JAZZ ROOTS series with producer Larry Rosen. The TD James Moody Democracy of Jazz
Festival's title sponsor is TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®,
and is sponsored, in part, by The Prudential Foundation, Verizon, Audible.com, The
Women's Association of NJPAC, PSEG and Whole Foods.
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey,
is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic,
cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey -- where great performances
and events enhance and transform lives every day. As New Jersey's Town Square, NJPAC
brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the
State's and the world's best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization
of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping
the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted over 6
million visitors (more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997,
and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.
Visit www.njpac.org or
call 1-888-GO-NJPAC for more information.
JAZZ ROOTS - A Larry Rosen Jazz Series is a concert and educational
program created for performing arts centers across America. The JAZZ ROOTS
series, now celebrating its 5th Anniversary, was first launched in 2008
at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, the series
debuted in 2009 in Dallas at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, in 2010 in Carmel,
IN. at the Center for the Performing Arts, and in 2012 debuts in Las Vegas at the
Smith Center, in Atlanta at the Cobb Energy Centre, and in New Jersey at NJPAC,
with additional PACs to be announced. Artists presented include: Dave Brubeck,
Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea, Al Jarreau, Keith Jarrett, Bobby McFerrin,
Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Miller, Al Di Meola, Ramsey Lewis, Sergio
Mendes, Michael Feinstein, Terence Blanchard, David Sanborn, Paquito D'Rivera,
John McLaughlin, Patti Austin, Count Basie Orchestra, Arturo
Sandoval, Dave Valentin, The Machito Orchestra, Ivan Lins,
Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Manhattan Transfer, Jon Hendricks,
Dave Grusin, Jon Secada, Eddie Palmieri, Michel Camilo,
and many more. The JAZZ ROOTS series includes educational and outreach programs
that organically connect to local community groups, art centers, and the local board
of education. Mr. Rosen, co-founder of GRP Records is the award-winning producer
of the PBS TV Series LEGENDS OF JAZZ, producer of the Sarah Vaughan International
Jazz Vocal Competition, and is the creator and producer of RECORDING: The History
of Recorded Music with hosts, Quincy Jones and Phil Ramone. www.jazzroots.net. www.larryrosen.com
WBGO Jazz 88.3FM/WBGO.org
Founded in 1979, WBGO (Newark Public Radio, Inc.) is a publicly supported cultural
institution that champions jazz at WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark, New Jersey and worldwide
via WBGO.org. WBGO is the recognized world leader in jazz radio and one of the most
respected jazz presenters in the country, and offers award-winning news and innovative
children's programs. Beyond reaching 350, 000 weekly listeners (including 17, 000
contributing members) on air, online and via mobile devices, WBGO presents live
broadcasts from prestigious jazz venues and produces acclaimed programs for NPR
heard by millions. www.wbgo.org
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S.,
providing nearly 8 million customers with a full range of retail, small business
and commercial banking products and services at more than 1, 299 convenient locations
throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In
addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth
management services through TD Wealth®, and vehicle financing and dealer
commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry
Hill, N.J., and Portland, Maine. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDMoneyLoungeUS and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary
of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company
in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank is one of the few banks in the world
rated Aaa by Moody's and trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under
the ticker symbol "TD." To learn more, visit www.td.com.
Indaba Media
Indaba Media, LLC is an entertainment technology and marketing services company.
Established in 2005, the company operates Indaba Music (www.indabamusic.com), a
musician community and contest platform with over 750, 000 independent artists,
as well as Indaba Sync (www.indabasync.com), a portal for licensing the best emerging
content from the Indaba Music community. Indaba Music pioneered the online music
collaboration and community space when it launched in 2007, enabling anyone with
internet access to create, edit and mix studio-quality music online. Indaba Music
now provides musicians with opportunities ranging from remix contests to sync and
licensing opportunities to branded marketing programs. Indaba Music currently boasts
musicians from 205 countries and territories. To date, Indaba Music contests have
featured artists and brands including Daft Punk, Red Bull, Snoop Dogg, Peter Gabriel,
Linkin Park, Yo-Yo Ma, Paul Simon, Foster The People, Bacardi and Usher.
Jazz Education Network (JEN)
The Jazz Education Network (JEN) is dedicated to building the jazz
arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new
audiences. With a home base in the United States and members in more than 20 countries,
this thriving organization hosts a popular annual conference that serves teachers,
students, artists, performing arts presenters, music industry partners, and more.
It runs ongoing programs of scholarships for students and educators, student composition
showcases, community outreach, music and instrument donations to schools in need,
and mentoring between jazz pros and students. www.jazzednet.org/
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