Roberta Gambarini

At the age of 21, vocalist Dana Lauren has a command of her instrument that many professional singers twice her age would envy. Lauren has a voice that's one part Roberta Gambarini and one part Diana Krall, with a dash of soul thrown in to spice things up, and she puts it good use on this ten song program. Her debut album—Stairway To The Stars (Dana Lauren, 2008)—produced by and featuring trumpeter Arturo Sandoval—covered oft-performed standards like "How High The Moon," "Devil May Care" and "Corcovado" but the follow-up digs a little deeper into the catalogs of Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers and the like. A few heavily covered favorites, like "That Old Black Magic" and "On The Sunny Side Of The Street," make an appearance but they're given facelifts that keep them from coming across as stale.

The combination of James Moody and Hank Jones, excepting a few minor instances, has not been documented since the 1963 Argo LP Great Day. So this match-up of two jazz giants, with a collective experience of some 170 years at the time of this recording, is long overdue and exceedingly welcome. Concentrating on the music of Dizzy Gillespie and Tadd Dameron, these living legends of mainstream bop and hard bop turn this stack of standards and a handful of originals into a refined, relaxed and easygoing program of pleasing and accessible tunes. Every cut sports excellent solos, unforced refrains, and, as the title suggests, a delightful repertoire. Moody's tenor has never sounded better, while the ever elegant Jones supports the band with the ultimate in supple subtleties. Bassist Todd Coolman (who also wrote the insightful liner notes) turns in a usually reliable and steady performance, while the great but still unsung drummer Adam Nussbaum displays a restraint and high level of taste that shows both of their unwavering respect for the icons they are backing.

Legendary guitarist Larry Carlton & the SWR Big Band team up for a new production! Combining his roots in blues and jazz with a crossover pop rock sensibility, Carlton's unmistakable sound is marked by his signature warm tone, bright melodies and soulful guitar solos. Four time Grammy winner, Titan of Tone award recipient and legendary guitar great, Larry Carlton is one of the most influential, prolific and original guitarists in the industry. Carlton established himself from his first recording, A Little Help From My Friends. His studio credits include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. He went on to perform with the Crusaders and then with the multi platinum jazz super group Fourplay. With 30 albums to his credit and having performed on over 100 albums that have gone Gold or Platinum, Larry Carlton has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades.

Joel Holmes began teaching himself tunes by ear at age 10. He grew up playing with local bands and primarily in church. His family soon moved from Virginia to Baltimore so that he could attend the Baltimore School for the Performing Arts. Later, Joel Holmes became the Director of Jazz at his alma mater. He attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music at John Hopkins University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance.

Classe 1985, cantante e insegnante di canto. Si avvicina giovanissima alla musica grazie allo studio del pianoforte e della chitarra, per poi approdare allo studio del canto e del jazz con la Prof. ssa Martina Grossi. Diplomata con il massimo dei voti e la lode in Canto Jazz presso il Conservatorio “G. Rossini” di Pesaro sotto la guida del M° Bruno Tommaso. Attualmente studia con Diana Torto presso il Biennio di Canto Jazz del Conservatorio “G. Martini” di Bologna. Parallelamente studia inglese e spagnolo grazie alla laurea in “Comunicazione Interlinguistica Applicata”, conseguita presso la SSLMIT di Forlì. Approfondisce l’universo della voce grazie al Corso Universitario di Alto Perfezionamento in Vocologia Artistica, dove la sua tesi ottiene un encomio dalla commissione giudicante presieduta dal Dott. F. Fussi e dalla Dott. ssa S. Magnani.