Song stylist Clairdee will be performing “Mad About Gershwin” at The Rrazz Room in the Hotel Nikko in San Francisco tonight. This is her Rrazz Room debut so let’s pack out the house.

I first saw Clairdee perform in 2002 at Yoshi’s Oakland. She featured the music of Rodgers & Hart that evening. We came in to select our seats near the end of her sound check. She came down and greeted people in the audience after she finished. It is a moment I will never forget and it has endeared me to her for life.

Clairdee is the consummate performer. No matter the genre of the song, she takes it and makes it her own. I love they way she can make the room stand still when she sings a beautiful ballad. You are in for a great treat tonight. See you there!

Photo Credit: James Knox

I cannot think of a better way to start off your Christmas than to see Clairdee’s 8th Annual Christmas Show at Yoshi’s San Francisco on Christmas Eve. This show sells out quickly so please get your tickets soon. See you there!!!

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 – 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!!!!

Clairdee will be making her Pacifica Performances debut on Saturday, August 28 with an evening’s worth of sizzling sounds ranging from Irving Berlin and the Gershwins to the blues. Sanchez Hall has amazing acoustics and a beautiful nine foot Baldwin concert grand piano.