I’m happy to be a part of this fun project with Sabine Kühlich and Anne Czichowsky. For this tour, they are featuring me and the one and only Sheila Jordan. You can catch us in various locations around Germany and Holland from October 24-November 3, 2014. Check the calendar for all the details.
Sheila Jordan is not only one of the premier singers in jazz, but she is known for her stimulating vocal workshops as well. A superb scat singer, she can just as easily reach the emotional depths of a ballad. Whether singing well-known standards or original material, she makes it all sound like no one else. As one of the greats, she was the recipient of the 2012 NEA Jazz Master Award. She is still singing her buns off! I can’t wait to work with her again.
Here is the description of the project in Sabine’s words:
“Lines for Ladies” is a pure woman band, five women’s power with a personal touch – worked on five staves. And one more special feature: for the first time meet here with Sabine Kühlich and Anne Czichowsky two German thoroughbred singers together. Not only on the stage are the vocal acrobats dazzling: the ups and downs of octaves between word and madness here explored the vocal flexibility are no limits. The program of ‘Lines for Ladies’ reflects the view of things from the eyes of jazz musicians … It does not mean ‘swinging till the girls come home’, but ’till the guys come home’ from ‘line for lions’ be summarily ‘lines for ladies’, and of course may also silk stockings, “shiny stockings” not missing, they are presented in a new guise or evening dress, absolutely ladylike.
There are not only textual adaptations, the music gets the hands of women to feel – or rather her voice. As improvisers Anne and Sabine are triumphant experience in global competition, the gold price gains of the two speak for themselves. (Sabine Kühlich won the Shure Vocal Competition in Montreux in 2008, Anne Czichowsky the Lady Summertime Vocal Contest in Finland in 2008 and the country Jazzpreis Baden Württemberg 2011). Own swinging compositions can be found in the repertoire as well as trips to the beaches of Brazil and in the bebop night clubs in the New York 50s.
Laia Genc at the piano brings the French touch and free play with the band and also appears as the third singer in appearance. For their projects as an artist with his own hand writing it was, inter alia, awarded the Cologne Jazz Award 2007.
The five top-class ladies – because “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” – transcribe, arrange and compose ‘lines for ladies’. They interact on stage in an incredibly swinging lightness – and of course with high heels.