To name a few...Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn, Peggy Lee, Carmen McRae, Rosemary Clooney, Casandra Wilson, Diana Krall, Nnenna Freelon, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Jane Monheit, Kurt Elling, Roseanna Vitro, Astrud Gilberto, Mel Torme, Nat King Cole, DeeDee Bridgewater, Natalie Cole, Kate McGarry, Lauren Kinhan, Jeanie Bryson, Lisanne Lyons, Roberta Gambarini, Luciana Souza, Karrin Allyson, Sara McLaughlin, Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Bonnie Raitt, Annie Lennox, Shelby Lynn, Martina McBride, Linda Rondstadt, Delbert McClinton, Lyle Lovett, New York Voices and the list goes on and on and on and on...
Vocal Jazz Nights I have hosted at the University of Illinois...
DARDEN PURCELL is one of the most sought after Jazz vocalists in Central IL. Purcell received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Vocal Jazz Performance at Virginia Tech and a Master in Music in Jazz Performance at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A multi-faceted musician, Purcell is active as a featured soloist with Big Bands and small ensembles, band leader and vocal instructor. Purcell has performed with many of the world's top jazz artists including Chip McNeill, Chip Stephens, Glenn Wilson, Jim Pugh, Jeff Helgesen, Joan Hickey, Larry Gray, Dana Hall, Stockton Helbing and Lisanne Lyons. She is currently working on her Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Performance at the U of I where she teaches Jazz/Commercial Voice.
Purcell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Vocal Jazz Performance from Virginia Tech, where she studied under the direction of Lisanne Lyons and Chip McNeill and performed with the Down Beat award winning Jazz Vocal group, "The New Virginians." She can be heard on the "New Virginian's" CD "Evolution,” and was a featured vocalist with the Virginia Tech Jazz Band.
After graduation, Purcell auditioned and was selected for the Washington D.C. based U.S. Air Force Band rock/pop group "High Flight." She performed nationwide throughout twenty states, including venues in Washington D.C., the US Capitol, Pentagon, DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and Constituion Hall, as well as overseas venues in Germany, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Oman and Qatar. Purcell can be heard as a soloist and back-up vocalist on "Highlights.”
Back-up credits include nationally renowned artists including R&B legend Chaka Kahn, country recording star Bryan White, Janie Frickie, Freda and Sherrie Payne, Gloria Loring, Melba Moore and Rita Coolidge, as part of the Air Force Band Guest Artist Series. Purcell also performed back-up vocals for Lari White and gospel star BeBe Winans and Darlene Love on "The Late Show with David Letterman.”
A highlight of Purcell’s Air Force career was touring with the Jazz Band, "The Airmen of Note." She was the featured vocalist on a west coast tour, performing throughout California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada and “Operation Desert Greetings,” entertaining troops in Germany, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrein. After four years of service, Darden honorably separated from the U.S. Air Force.
Upon separating, Purcell moved to Nashville, where she gigged at local hot spots, F. Scott's Restaurant and Jazz Bar, Oktoberfest, the Nashville Jazz Workshop and Opryland Hotel and appeared twice on Nashville Public Radio show "Live in Studio C.” In addition to solo performances, Purcell was the alto voice in the vocal jazz quartet "3rd Coast Vocals.” Purcell served as a vocal educator at Gene Ford Music, the W.O. Smith Community Music School 2007 and 2008 summer camp and was a member of the (WMBA) Women's Music Business Association.
Purcell currently lives in Champaign, Illinois where she is working on her Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies. She was awarded a university fellowship in 2007 and a teaching assistantship in 2008. She continues to gig at many local and regional establishments including the Allerton Barn Music Festival, The Iron Post, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Jim Gould, The Embassy Tavern, Alto Vineyards, Silvercreek Restaurant, The Jazz Kitchen (Indianapolis, IN), Indianapolis Artsgarden and The Blue Wisp (Cincinnati, OH). She can also be heard in the Jazz/Fusion/Funk Band, "Weapons of Mass DisFunktion and in trombonist Dave Dickey's Jazz Crusaders Tribute band, "C-U Jazz Crusaders."
Purcell will be recording her debut CD June 2009 which is being produced by Grammy Award winning saxophonist, Chip McNeill. Stay tuned for recording details.
Thanks so much for the Add–and your friendship. We enjoyed your music very much. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. It's a pleasure having you among our friends! We've added two blogs about Umano, plus four more new compositions, making ten on our page. We hope you and your friends visit us and enjoy our music, too. We wake up every morning and play the music of the new MySpace friends who have arrived at our site during the night. It occurred to us that these friends (you are among them) are almost universally positive, whether they be novices or legends, and without regard to their station in life or the country they occupy. Although it's not an original thought, it also occurred to us that we couldn’t hold a verbal conversation with most of these friends, but we have bridged that gap by expressing our art honestly with each other. We all have been filling the world with our music and art, in the hope that our messages of love and human understanding will have an impact on the world at large. What a gift and what an opportunity we have received from this technology!
Hey! I just wanted to thank you for adding me! If you ever need a custom guitar strap, let me know. My studio is at www.coolstraps.artfire.com. Have a great weekend and thanks again! Terri
The 31th edition of Jazz Hoeilaart: Join the Contest!
Hi Darden! Thanks for the Friendship!
If you are an ambitious jazzgroup with young musicians you can inscribe for the Jazz Hoeilaart Contest 2009 until the 15th of may. The festival, which is organised by Muziekmozaïek in collaboration with vzw De Rand, will take place from the 24th until the 26th of September and is intended for young international Jazz talent.
The 30-years old festival has its reputation for bringing international talent into the spotlights. Many known artists, such as Rosario Guiliani, Michiel Borstlap, Magnus Lindgren, Alexi Tuomarila and Robin Verheyen were on stage at this international contest.
The 31st edition of the contest will open on Thursday the 24th of September 2009. Until the 26th of September six finalists will perform in a contest-formula. Each evening will close with performances of Jack Van Poll/ Jef Neve/ Bart Van Caeneghem/ Ewout Pierreux (24/09), Hijaz (25/09), en Cintia Rodriguez (28/09). Ambitious young musicians can inscribe for the contest-section until the 15th of May 2009.
Aww... you're playing F. Scott's during CMA Fest weekend? I'm going to have to come if I'm not playing that night! Hope you're enjoying yourself girlie :-)
Thanks coming over and visiting JAZZ BLUES FLORIDA! We need all the good friends we can find to support your good music! Be sure to come back again to see the continued layout and content improvements that are planned. Please stop by and check us out at www. JazzBluesFlorida. com too! Our March edition has been posted.
beautiful... amazing voice you're welcome Darden & when you have a good time -preferabily at the night- relaxin' and enjoy listen to my piano solo improvisations... thanks for amicizia next lovely mira la luna Pampa
Hi Darden! I love your style and voice! As the daughter of a Jazz Historian, I do have some idea of what is good - you have got the golden pipes and all that Jazz!
P.S. Your Grandmother Toni seems to be doing better!
Thank you so much for the add. We're thrilled to have you as a friend of 'Making Music History'. We hope that you'll consider joining us on our fundraising project for BBC Children In Need.
We're making history with the help of people like you, and we'd love you to become part of what is sure to be a revolutionary project.
If you haven't done so already, we'd like to invite you to join our group at:
Are you back from Nashvegas? It was so great to see you and hang for a little bit. You have to make it down here this Fall so let's plan for it. By the way, could you send those pictures you took. I bet you got some good ones. Miss you guys much, Love, Lisanne
If you are an ambitious jazzgroup with young musicians you can inscribe for the Jazz Hoeilaart Contest 2009 until the 15th of may. The festival, which is organised by Muziekmozaïek in collaboration with vzw De Rand, will take place from the 24th until the 26th of September and is intended for young international Jazz talent.
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