MARY D’ORAZI
4499 Piedmont Ave. – Oakland , CA 94611 – Ph: 510/ 228-3218

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CLAIRDEE TO PERFORM AT JAZZ AT THE CHIMES MAY 18
“Jazz-inspired storyteller” brings it to Oakland ’s Chapel of the Chimes

WHAT: vocalist Clairdee at “Jazz at the Chimes” concert and artist reception
WHEN: May 18, 2008 – Sunday 2 pm
WHERE: Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Oakland
TICKETS: $10 – $15 general admission for concert and reception.
Kids under 12 free. Purchase tickets at the door. Cash only.
Ticket sales begin at 12:30 pm.
Info: 510/ 228-3218
Website: http://www.lifemarkgroup.com/oakland/special_events.asp

SAN FRANCISCO/OAKLAND – Bay Area vocal artist CLAIRDEE will perform at JAZZ AT THE CHIMES 4499 Piedmont Avenue , Oakland , on Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 2pm. Tickets are $10-$15. For more information, visit http://www.lifemarkgroup.com/oakland/special_events.asp or call 510/228-3218.

Clairdee – who describes herself as a “jazz-inspired” storyteller – is a Bay Area jazz artist who has toured nationally and internationally and shared the bill with the likes of Etta James, the Count Basie Orchestra, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis, Eddie Henderson and Billy Higgins to name a few.

Jazz reviewer Andrew Gilbert writes: With her lustrous voice and soulful delivery, she hearkens back to a time when jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues often blended seamlessly together. Combining scene-stealing charisma with heartfelt humility and a sincere belief in the transformative power of music, Clairdee has honed a repertoire of standards set to state of the art arrangements that are equally smart and entertaining.

The May 18 performance will showcase Clairdee’s sophisticated yet contemporary flair with classic American songs by such composers as the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, Jobim, and Cole Porter. “I choose songs that have relevance to my life experiences and to human vulnerabilities. I want the music I sing to stir emotions and touch each listener.”

She appears with pianist/arranger Ken French and his trio.

The concert at Oakland ‘s Chapel of the Chimes on May 18th will be followed by an artist reception where the public can meet the artist, enjoy refreshments and purchase CDs.

Jazz at the Chimes is a monthly series sponsored by the Lifemark Group Arts program that features Bay Area talent. Concerts are held at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland – a designated City of Oakland Landmark designed by Julia Morgan. The Chapel provides a wonderful visual backdrop and acoustic listening venue for live music in a setting like no other.
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Photo Credit: James Knox

Clairdee, originally uploaded by in2jazz.

Clairdee – vocals
Ken French – piano
Ron Belcher – bass
Deszon Claiborne – drums

A Friday evening on a holiday weekend, a ferry boat on the bay, couples cozy, and the melodious sounds of Clairdee made for a perfect evening. Clairdee recently performed the inaugural jazz concert for FerryMusic on the Santa Rosa Ferry Boat at Pier 3 on Embarcadero in San Francisco. FerryMusic is brand new venue in San Francisco for jazz, classical, and chamber music on a beautifully renovated ferry boat.

Clairdee looked and sounded magnificent. She has a way of taking any song, whether new or old, and making it all her own. From Gershwin to Aretha Franklin to Sinatra, she does it all with such style and grace. She sizzled on “Summertime”, “Blue Moon”, “All The Way”, “Do What You Did Before”, and “This Is Love.” She even included four gems from the Shirley Horn songbook – “New York on Sunday”, “Get Rid of Monday”, “Don’t Be on the Outside”, and “The Great City.” She sang a soulful rendition of “Gonna Wait ‘Til the Midnight Hour” in tribute to Wilson Pickett and soulfully signified on “Someone Else is Steppin’ In.” Clairdee closed this magical evening with a rousing version of “Dr. Feelgood” that took us up high, down low, and all the way to church. She was accompanied by Ken French, Ron Belcher, and Deszon Claiborne. They kept the groove jumping all evening long.

Please be sure to checkout future concerts at FerryMusic.

For more photos from Clairdee concert at FerryMusic, click here.

There is also an excellent article on Clairdee and FerryMusic in the SF Chronicle. I got photo credit for the concert photo of Clairdee….YAY!!!!

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a Vocal/Piano Improvisation Workshop at The Jazzschool taught by Clairdee and pianist Larry Vuckovich. The first half of the two-hour class was devoted to demonstrating the relationship between accompaniment and vocal styling and phrasing. The second half was for question and students got a chance to sing while being accompanied by fellow students who had never seen their music charts (notes for their songs) before. It was very exciting, inspiring, and educational. It gave me an opportunity to sharpen my ear as a reviewer. No, I did not get a chance to sing but I promised Clairdee that I would next time. See you at Yoshi’s tonight!

And now a review of the show…

Clairdee – Vocals
Ken French – Piano
Charles McNeal – Saxophones
Ron Belcher – Bass
Deszon X. Clairborne – Drums

There is something very special about Clairdee. She is kind, warm, gorgeous, and very personable. She is amazingly gracious as greets old and new fans before and after her shows. She definitely makes everyone feel right at home.

Both of her Yoshi’s shows were recorded for KCSM-FM91 and may be used for her next album. Clairdee opened her set with a soulful and mellow rendition of “I Only Have Eyes For You.” She added a little funk to the swinging on “You Can’t Take That Away From Me.” The Nat King Cole classic tune “L-O-V-E” began with a touch of Latin rhythm, then broke into a swing, and came back down to a gentle rhythm. She flowed effortlessly on every note. She soared on “Too Marvelous For Words” which featured Deszon on drums and Ron on upright bass. The Frank Sinatra classic “All The Way” was infused with a soulful groove and featured Charles on a soprano sax solo. She also sang wonderful arrangements of “This Can’t Be Love” and “What A Difference A Day Makes.” She kicked it up a notch on Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny” which featured Ken on the keys. Clairdee closed out the evening with an arrangement of “Alright Okay” that was reminiscent of Les McCann’s “Trying Make It Real Compared To What?” Now if you have not seen her in concert yet, you are definitely missing a great show.

And now an extra special treat…

Photo by j-notes.com

Tuesday evening, I had the honor of attending a reception and a web broadcast of Clairdee and her band. It was hosted by her record label, Declare Music and held in the Meyer Sound Performance Hall of the Ex’pression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville. The hall held about 30 people so it was very intimate but we made it sound like large concert venue with our cheers and applause. Her hour long web broadcast featured much of the music from her concerts the night before. She also included “Summertime” and “Comes Love.” It was a great evening.

Special thanks to Clairdee for inviting me to be a part of this event.