LAUREL MASSÉ FANSITE: agosto 2008

29.8.08

LAUREL MASSÉ Monday, September 15, 2008 at 7:00p.m., as part of the long-running, Nightlife Award-winning concert series Broadway at Birdland.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com, the leading source for exclusive theater information and live-events tickets nationwide, are proud to announce LAUREL MASSÉ Monday, September 15, 2008 at 7:00p.m., as part of the long-running, Nightlife Award-winning concert series Broadway at Birdland.LAUREL MASSÉ, founding member of Grammy award-winning vocal group Manhattan Transfer, toured internationally for seven years with the group and recorded five albums. In 1979, a serious automobile accident forced her departure, and after two years of convalescence, she began recording, as well as touring again as a solo artist, both in the States and in Europe. The first two of her solo albums, Alone Together and Easy Living, both hit the Billboard Jazz charts, and the third, Again, was a People magazine pick. Feather & Bone, her 2000 release, was chosen by audiophile magazine The Absolute Sound as "a recording of extraordinary musical and sonic value". Throughout the course of her career, LAUREL has performed at such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium, Salle Pleyel de Paris, the Hollywood Bowl, The Smithsonian Institution, as well as numerous American and Canadian jazz festivals and clubs such as the Blue Note, The Roxy and Harrah's, Caesar's Palace, MGM Grand, and the Hilton in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. The Chicago Tribune has called her "one of the best vocalists in jazz...Indeed, there is something almost otherworldly about Massé's emotional magic...as though like Fred Astaire she seemed merely to be down here on a visit," and The New York Times has praised Laurel for a "marvelous sense of style, a purity of tone that is evident in everything she does and uses it to a brilliant effect, a technical tour de force, a dazzling performance."Tickets: $25 + $10.00 Food/Drink Minimum (Per Person)Tickets can be purchased Online: http://www.birdlandjazz.com/; or by Telephone: 212.581.3080.

27.8.08

Laurel Massé showed off a swingin' piece from her upcoming Broadway at Birdland concert.

Monday nights might be dark on Broadway, but the stars certainly light up the stage at Birdland on their off nights! Jim Caruso's Cast Party has seen it's share of celeb-studded evenings, but on Monday, August 26, the club was jam-packed with showbiz royalty, all entertaining each other at the concert grand piano. Liza Minnelli brought the sold-out room to pin-drop silence with the Aznavour standard "You've Let Yourself Go," then launched into a duet with Billy Stritch of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," dedicated to pal Mary-Louise Parker, who was also in the crowd. The new cast of Altar Boyz entertained everyone with one of their signature numbers, with composer Gary Adler at the piano. LaLa Brooks, who was the lead singer for The Crystals, sang her 1963 hit "Da Doo Ron Ron!" Manhattan Transfer alum Laurel Masse showed off a swingin' piece from her upcoming Broadway at Birdland concert. Josh Grisetti and Emily Shoolin performed a hilarious song from the York Theatre production of Enter Laughing. Broadway beauty Luba Mason performed "All That Jazz," and announced her Birdland debut to launch the upcoming Brazilian cd, "Krazy Love."

Jim Caruso's Cast Party takes place every Monday night at 9:30. Birdland is at 315 West 44 Street, NYC. Call 212-581-3080 for reservations.

18.8.08

Interview /Just click over the photo in order to read the interview /Record Mirror,March 5,1977

15.8.08

Left to right: Tim Hauser, Laurel Massé, Janis Siegel and Alan Paul. (Photo by Robin Jones)

13.8.08

JALALA

Jalala will be rehearsing! Janis (Siegel, Manhattan Transfer), Lauren (Kinhan, New York Voices) and I have a lovely repertoire started, and will be continuing to arrange, rehearse, and refine so as to step into the studio in September as part of jazz guitarist Frank Vignola's new recording.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://laurelmasse.typepad.com/

PIC OF THE WEEK

Suscribirse a: Entradas (Atom)

LIVE: JaLaLa @ The Egg, 6/5/10

The name JaLaLa is a clever use of the first two letters of the first names of the three internationally acclaimed songbirds fronting the fabulous trio.

Janis Siegel, Laurel Masse and Lauren Kinhan are certainly no strangers to the jazz community. Their considerable vocal talents have long been an integral part of such world-renowned ensembles as Manhattan Transfer (Siegel & Masse) and the New York Voices (Kinhan).

Last Saturday night, vocal sparks ignited the pyrotechnic vocal-fun at The Egg in Albany when these three distinct voices joined forces to sing, swing and scat their way through an uninterrupted set of originals, American jazz, Broadway standards and the classic Johnny Mercer songbook. (JaLaLa’s debut album is a tribute titled, “That Old Mercer Magic!”)

Backing the three chanteuses was a crack rhythm section featuring bassist Steve LaSpina, drummer Deric Dickens and long-time Manhattan Transfer music director/pianist Yaron Gershovsky.

http://www.nippertown.com

Birdland

JALALA = Janis Siegel, Laurel Masse and Lauren Kinhan…three gals who know from vocal groups. Janis has been with the Manhattan Transfer since the beginning. Laurel was part of the original Transfer. Lauren is one of the New York Voices. Happily, they have joined forces for this fabulous vocal klatch called JaLaLa. They sold-out Birdland on Monday night, showing off with their signature harmonies and gorgeous solo vocals, but a dazzling highlight came during the encore. The trio had planned a re-interpretation of the Lambert, Hendricks & Ross masterpiece, “It’s Sand, Man,” but Janis had spied the song’s creater and King of Vocalese, Mr. Jon Hendricks, sneak into the club to catch the act. They invited him onstage (left) to add some extra-special hip to the scene, making it one of the more historic moments we’ve witnessed! Thanks, Ja, La, and La for an amazing night!

http://castpartynyc.com/

LAUREL MASSÉ

Laurel Massé, founding member of Grammy award-winning vocal group Manhattan Transfer, toured internationally for seven years with the group and recorded five albums. In 1979, a serious automobile accident forced her departure. After two years of convalescence, she began touring again both in the States and in Europe. She has released four solo CDs. The first two, Alone Together and Easy Living, both hit the Billboard Jazz charts; the third, Again, was a People magazine pick. Feather and Bone, her 2000 release, was picked by audiophile magazine The Absolute Sound as "a recording of extraordinary musical and sonic value". In 2002 she released Ballads.

Coming Out nº1 in Europe

COMING OUT/BRITISH BPI GOLD LP AWARD 1977

Coming Out sold millions of copies in Europe, where a single from the album, "Chanson D'Amour," hit #1 in France and in England, a chart-topper on both sides of the English Channel. On the strength of "Chanson D'Amour," the Manhattan Transfer toured Europe again, including a show at the MIDEM music business convention in Cannes. In a 1977 interview, Alan Paul remembered how that song was chosen and recorded. "The song was written in 1957. We'd been recording all day and we hadn't gotten that far. Just as we were about to leave, Laurel shouted, 'Hey wait a minute, I've got an idea.' She used an Edith Piaf sound in her voice and we recorded it in one take. She wanted to get a romantic French feel behind it."

The Manhattan Transfer Show/CBS TV

Because of the lack of rehearsal time to learn new material, the Manhattan Transfer mined their catalog for over 30 different songs during the show's four-week run - they went through all their recorded material, the stuff that hadn't been recorded yet, enough music to record a new studio album every Sunday night. "We didn't want to get picked up for another season," said Tim, "because we knew that we couldn't do another season. These shows are put together in a week, and this is why television is what it is.

PASTICHE

Pastiche (Atlantic 19163), lived up to its name - a mixture of various musical styles and genres. By this time, the Manhattan Transfer were experimenting with more open voicings and less block harmony, adding new depth to their vocal precision. Between Pastiche's list of Cole Porter and Duke Ellington songs, the Manhattan Transfer collaborated for the first time with JonHendricks, the vocal jazz legend and one-third of the Lambert, Hendricks and Ross vocal jazz group. The collaboration, "Four Brothers," was originally written by Jimmy Giuffre for Woody Herman's Second Herd. For this song, the Manhattan Transfer replicated - using only their voices and Jon Hendricks' lyrics - the melodies of Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, Herbie Steward and Serge Chaloff, Woody Herman's sax section.

Pastiche Nº10 in UK and nº 1 in Norway

Pastiche sold well in Europe, but could climb no higher than #66 on the American album charts. Tim, Alan, Janis and Laurel toured Europe, playing concerts in support of Pastiche, and listening to different music in anticipation of using some new ideas for a new album. "We had just come back from Europe," said Alan, "we were in Europe for a couple of months touring, and we were scheduled to open in the Roxy Theater in Los Angeles, and we had all these new ideas and things that we wanted to present to the public."

THE BEGINNINGS

The Manhattan Transfer re-emerged as a four-piece, with Janis Siegel (alto), Laurel Massé (soprano), and Alan Paul (tenor), who found each other in a series of happy accidents. Tim Hauser was driving a cab at the time, and picked up passenger Laurel Masse; they got to talking. Tim met Janis Siegel through a drummer acquaintance. Janis had been performing at the Greenwich Village coffeehouse scene with a group called "Laurel Canyon." Alan Paul had been appearing in the musical "Grease!" (Laurel's boyfriend was a musician in the production, and referred him).