What a FUN night!! I could do this forever-
This is a really cool photo (thank you Danny Collins!) from the finale of the Allouez Village Band concert this week Monday. What an incredible treat for me! To add to the joy of the concert, immediately prior I was given the news that I had received my fourth nomination as Wisconsin's "Jazz Artist of the Year" from the Wisconsin Area Music Industry. Holy goodness, if that didn't inspire my performance that evening! Right as I was starting, I felt this huge urgency to really prove (probably to myself) that I deserved the honor. I remember thinking "Show'em what a Wisconsin Jazz Artist of the Year Nominee sounds like!!" Even without that extra inspiration, how could you not sing your heart out in the gorgeous historic Meyer Theater to a beautiful full house??
The concert was all nostalgia- snazzy big band tunes in the first half and beautifully arranged songs for the full band the second half. I had such a blast singing "L-O-V-E," a sultry "Black Coffee," a bluesy duet with director Mike Ajango "Alright, Okay," and finishing the first half with a sassy "Mack the Knife." The second half I was super worried about "Moon River" as I have had a really bad cold / bronchitis, and that song has some super sweet loooong notes and intervals. What sounds so simple can really be complex and challenging!! Especially when your instrument is flying at half mast!! Well somehow the vocal gods were with me, and I guess it came out all right! Honestly, it is a testament to the ton of homework I did for this concert, vocal exercises and practice. I don't mean to sound like I am bragging- I am not nearly as disciplined at rehearsal as I should be!! But this time I did, and it came through. A lesson for me... OK Mom... you said it about 800 years ago... HARD WORK PAYS OFF. It really does... ?
So anyway- what an awesome evening! Thank you, thank you Allouez Village Band and directors Mike Ajango and Paul Olesky! I LOVE being a feature vocalist, and am looking to more opportunities for this kind of work! And also, on the other end of the spectrum, I am putting together a very manageable program for small venues- "Songs from an Emerald Heart." It is part of a House Concert Series, and if you are interested, please connect with me and we will see if you can be a charter host!!
Love to you all-- March has joined us like a lamb I think-- I need fresh air and am heading to the mountains for some recuperation!! Oh man- that sounds like the story "Heidi" from so long ago!! Awwww! Love that!! I am skiing with the fam- bringing our darling love-bug 4-year-old granddaughter and slapping some skis on her! There will be pix and lots of them!!
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