SHE’S GOT THE CHOPS (AND THE PACKAGE IS NOT BAD EITHER)
You can’t judge an album by its cover.
Case in point: The color photo that adorns Melissa Morgan’s “Until I Met You,” which shows her in a form-fitting purple dress and high heels. The angle of the photo shows off her shapely legs as she prepares to get out of a vintage Porsche convertible.
The knee-jerk response would be to assume this New York native is yet another talent-free, wannabe pop-soul diva whose assets don’t include her singing or more than a shred of musical ability. The reality is quite different.
Morgan, who performs Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Anthology (anthologysd.com), is a gifted, classically trained jazz and blues singer who can seduce and captivate with her voice alone. At 28, she combines the poise and maturity of a seasoned veteran with the infectious verve of a fresh new talent.
Produced by young trumpet phenom Christian Scott, who also performs on four tracks, “Until I Met You” is one of the most assured and enjoyable debut albums by any jazz singer in recent memory. Morgan has clearly been inspired by such greats as Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson, but she’s savvy enough to build upon her musical influences, not just mimic them.
Witness how deftly she puts her stamp on such disparate songs as “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby,” a 1944 hit for saxophonist (and unsung proto-rock pioneer) Louis Jordan, and Etta Jones’ oh-so-sly 1962 gem “Cool Cool Daddy.” Then there’s Cecil Gant’s blues-drenched 1944 breakthrough hit “I Wonder,” which finds Morgan assuming a come-hither tone that’s both playful and sultry, and the Count Basie instrumental romp “Corner Pocket,” which she reshapes into “Until I Met You’s” alluring title track by slowing down the tempo and adding lyrics.
Yet, while Morgan has a strong, flexible voice, she wisely refrains from showboating (a welcome display of restraint other singers would do well to emulate). I haven’t yet heard her perform live with her quartet, which includes young pianist Gerald Clayton, but “Until I Met You” suggests she is destined for bigger things.
‘SHE HAS AN INCREDIBLE HEART AND IS SO SOULFUL’
Diane Moser only lived in San Diego from 1977 to 1979, but that was more than enough time for this unusually eclectic pianist and composer to make an indelible impression on her fellow musicians here.
That’s why so many notable jazz artists, including saxophonists Charles McPherson and Daniel Jackson, are banding together on her behalf Tuesday at 7 p.m. at downtown’s all-ages Dizzy’s (dizzysjazz.com).
The lineup also includes violinist Yale Strom, former Ray Charles trumpeter Mitch Manker, drummer Duncan Moore, saxophonist Tripp Sprague, multi-instrumentalist Dave Millard, singer Elizabeth Schwartz, the versatile Miles Davis tribute band ESP and bassists Mark Dresser, Rob Thorsen and Gunnar Biggs.
Their goal: To raise funds to help cover the medical expenses of the New York-based Moser, who requires expensive daily medications as she recovers from the removal of a gastrointestinal tumor.
“She’ll be on this medication for about six months, at $100 a day,” said Dresser, who befriended Moser here in the late 1970s. “She has an incredible heart and is so soulful. She embodies the real spirit of jazz – fun, humor, adventure, entertainment, swing and taking chances.”
Moser came to San Diego in 1977 from Iowa City as part of a musical migration that also included Manker, Moore, singer Ella Ruth Piggee, ESP pianist Lynn Willard and ex-ESP drummer Will Parsons.
An unusually versatile pianist and composer, Moser has also collaborated with such diverse artists as Diamanda Galas, Bert Turetzky, Jeannie Cheatham, Andrew Cyrille, Marty Ehrlich and former Jimi Hendrix percussionist Juma Santos. She is as comfortable leading her acclaimed Jazz Composers Big Band, which she founded in 1997, as she is recording in an intimate, piano-and-bass setting with Dresser on their upcoming CIMP Records album, “Duetto.”
“Very few musicians have much in the way of medical coverage,” Dresser said. “We just want to make sure Diane gets the treatment she needs.”
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Who made you God?
By George Varga
POP MUSIC CRITIC
2:00 a.m. May 7, 2009
San Diego Union-Tribune
Click here for the original article
Simultaneously playing an upright bass and singing, while leading her own jazz band, is second nature for Kristin Korb. A Montana native who moved here in 1992 to attend UCSD, where she studied with contrabass legend Bertram Turetzky, Kristin performs here with her trio Wednesday at Anthology, where she will celebrate the release of her fifth album, “In the Meantime,” which she is releasing on her own label, the slyly named Double K.
You can hear a sneak preview Monday at 11:30 a.m., when Kristin will chat and perform on Fill In The Blank, my weekly live music interview show on amplifysd.com. Kristin, who is just back from a world tour, will also discuss her life in L.A., where she teaches music at USC and does gigs around town.
If you want to ask Kristin a question, you can do so Monday on our toll-free number: (888) 642-2468. And if you miss the show, you can click back here anytime after Monday for the Podcast.
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By George Varga
Via SignOnSanDiego.com by the Union-Tribune
Click here to view the photo gallery.
Visit the Anthology YouTube Channel for other videos, including performances by Stanley Clarke, Carrie Rodriguez, Al Di Meola and Dave Mason.
GRAMMY-NOMINATED SOUL/R&B SINGER-SONGWRITER, KEYBOARDIST
SAN DIEGO, CALIF., Oct. 12 – Grammy-nominated soul and R&B singer-songwriter and keyboardist Amel Larrieux will seduce listeners with her distinctive sound and virtuosic vocal style for two nights at Anthology: Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Amel’s collaboration with Stanley Clarke and Glenn Lewis, a cover of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s 1972 song “Where Is the Love”, was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
Born and raised in New York, Amel honed her musical sensibilities in her diverse, artistic neighborhood of Greenwich Village. In the 1990s, she found fame as co-founder of the R&B/hip-hop duo Groove Theory with Bryce Wilson. The pair’s debut album, “Groove Theory,” included radio hits “Tell Me,” Keep Tryin’” and “Baby Luv.” In 1996, Amel was featured as a guest vocalist on the debut album of Sade’s band, Sweetback.
Amel released a solo album, “Infinite Possibilities,” in 2000. Her solo debut saw her expanding her musical horizons—it included a few tracks (such as the song “Down”) that could be described as “acid jazz”: a fusion of jazz, soul and funk.
She’s released three albums on her own independent label, Blisslife Records, which she founded in 2003. One of these releases, 2004’s “Bravebird,” includes the track “For Real,” which inspired Ebony magazine to rave about her “ethereal high-octave vocals that bring to mind Minnie Riperton.”
Her third solo record, 2006’s “Morning,” is Amel’s highest-charting album to date, peaking at #74 on the Billboard Hot Adult R&B Airplay chart.
In May 2007, Amel released her fourth solo album, “Lovely Standards,” an album of jazz covers, which made it into the Top 5 of Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums. Her single “No One Else” appears on the soundtrack to Tyler Perry’s 2007 film “Why Did I Get Married?”
ABOUT ANTHOLOGY
Anthology is San Diego’s premier, award-winning live music venue and fine dining restaurant, located in the vibrant neighborhood of Little Italy in downtown San Diego. Inside, Anthology comes to life in the spirit of a 1940s supper club—with a decidedly swank and modern spin—to deliver a harmonious gathering of food, music and world-class ambience. On the stage, Anthology plays host to local, regional and international recording artists in jazz, rock, blues, Latin, singer-songwriter and world music in a performing space that boasts a state-of-the-art sound system and immaculate acoustics.
Anthology’s New American cuisine is inspired by consulting chef and award-winning culinary superstar Bradley Ogden. In just over a year, Anthology has garnered such acclaim as “Best New Jazz Club” by CityBeat, “Best Restaurant Design” by Riviera Magazine and “Best Live Music Venue” by CitySearch.
For a complete listing of upcoming events, with more details about and tickets and artists, and to find more information about private party events, visit www.AnthologySD.com.
Anthology is located at 1337 India Street (between A and Ash Streets).
Tickets are available at the Anthology Box Office, by calling 619.595.0300 and at www.AnthologySD.com.
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