I am currently playing with this wonderful gypsy jazz group called Sidewalk Cafe. The band includes Reynold Philipsek on guitar, Gary Schulte on violin and Jeff Brueske on bass. I posted one of our demo tunes: S'Wonderful so please have a listen. Enjoy!
***************NEWSFLASH******
I am currently in the studio finishing my debut jazz CD. There are truly great musicians joining me: Peter Schimke is accompanist/producer/arranger, Chris Bates is on bass and Jay Epstein on drums & percussion. There are also guest musicians!
I am very excited about this CD as it is truly a heartfelt expression. It is an unusual selection of songs including standards and reinterpretations. But all of the songs have a nugget of truth and beauty to be shared. I will keep you posted on how it is going and when it will be released.
YALE CABARET CONFERENCE was great.I met so many wonderful artists. Check out the website: www.thecabaretconferenceatyale.com/
You can catch me lately at Cave Vin (5555 Xerxes Ave S, Mpls) on Wednesday nights from 6:30 to 9:30. I am accompanied by Reynold Philipsek on guitar, Jeff Brueske on bass and Gary Schulte often joins us on violin. We play standards with a gypsy swing feel. Lots of fun-check out the great food!!! Jeremy Iggers reviewed it in The Rake blog: http://www.rakemag.com/blogs/breaking-bread/2007/12/cave-vin-moules-frites-and-mellow-jazz
Influences
Jazz Vocalists: Irene Kral. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday,
Carmen Macrae. Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton, Shirley Horn...
Jazz Pianinsts: Bill Evans, Dave Brubeck, Fred Hersch...
Jazz Guitar: Joe Pass, Django Reinhart
Jazz Horns: Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Illionois Jacquet, Louis Armstrong
Jazz Bass: Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke, Ray Brown
Jazz Drums: Buddy Rich
otherwise: Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Barbra Streisand, Elton John, Flora Purim, The Who, Joan Armatrading, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Chick Corea, Boz Scaggs, Beatles...
Sounds Like
ME!!!! Authentically smooth and smoky vocals.
Sheila Jordon described Rhonda vocals as " ...so smooth..."
JazzInk Blog by Andrea Canter says:
"Cavé Vin, an outstanding and affordable French bistro in southwest Minneapolis, recently added music to the menu on Wednesday nights. ...midweek patrons can enjoy three hours of sublime and swinging music from vocalist Rhonda Laurie, guitarist Reynold Philipsek, and usually Jeff Brueske or Matt Senjem on bass. Last month Rhonda made it a duet with guitarist Dean Magraw. One of the most sophisticated among local vocalists in her selection of tunes and interpretation, putting a hot club swinging spin on her repertoire has been both challenging and rewarding for Rhonda, and with Twin Cities Hot Club anchor Philipsek, the music goes well beyond the popular “gypsy jazz”, taking Django ahead a few decades, and delightfully so."
Rhonda Laurie hails from New York City, where she grew up in a family of professional musicians and performers. Rhonda began her career as a cabaret singer in Manhattan nightclubs. She has studied vocal jazz with the renowned Janet Lawson, Sheila Jordan, Jay Clayton and Judy Niemack. Locally she has performed at the Dakota, Rossis Blue Star Jazz Room, The Times Bar and Cafe, Sophia’s, Artists Quarter, Bar Lurcat, Cafe Luxx, Patricks Cabaret, Jazzmines, Cave Vin opening , Minneapolis Cafe, as well as Intermedia Arts, Minnesota Fringe Festival, The Red Eye Theater. Lake Harriet Bandshell and numerous area coffee houses.
In Spring 2003, she collaborated with choreographer April Sellers and performed at the 2003 Red Eye Theater’s Isolated Acts series in an evening length show of vocal jazz and modern dance: Unveiling Grace.
Rhonda Laurie performed at the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Hot Summer Jazz Festival in Minneapolis. From 2004-2008, she was President of the MN Chapter of the Jazz Vocal Coalition (JZVOC).
Hey Rhonda, Just listened to your 3 "sidewalk cafe" tracks here (why does it say "4" tracks, you fibber?) - Just wanted to tell you that you are really finding your jazziest chops here - Nice, easy sound, really attractive and a pleasure to listen to. Great job! Arne
I just wanted to say thank you for nominating me to speak at graduation. I took up the offer! Will you be attending? I hope. I would love to catch up. Hope to see you soon
Just want to let you know that it was a pleasure sharing the workshop "experience" with you last week, and for all the time in preparation. I enjoyed it. And great fun to chat with you this past week as well. Much appreciated!
Rhonda, I was only able to listen to part of one of your songs here, because I was on the run.....for days and days. I came back knowing I would know the voice...and I was right. Thanks for the add of a friend. I would like to hear more of your music and talk about when you may be in the Minneapolis area. Please make sure to let me know when your new CD is out......
Thanks,
JazzyJ Owner Twin Cities Radio on the Net www.twincitiesradio.net jazzyj@twincitiesradio.net
I stood on stage in the background absorbing the instrumental music for a moment or two until I felt the microphone beckon to me. I was feeling the music as it filled my body and wrapped me inside its force. Without looking at anything I had written I was drawn to the microphone to surrender to what had built up inside the music and me, I walked up to within three feet of my microphone opened my mouth and pointed to the sky.
The audience, in the distance and in the dim light of the smoky bar, responded as if they knew, as if they felt what we felt, as if the power that pushed its way through us was their calling as well. They were lost in the orgasm of the music that occupied the space around them. Spirits flew like cartoon ghosts just beneath the ceiling, laughing, singing and bellowing names of forgotten souls released from bondage, recalling anonymous legends who only played free jazz and who only let loose when they genuinely had something provocative to say.
The first phrase out of my mouth was Spirits in the house! And then again, Spirits in the house! The music swirled around me like water in a vortex: piano, drums, bass, flutes and saxophone made space for me and I walked on top of it like a Jesus lizard walks on water. We made meaning by filling the space with our sincerity. I stood there in the middle of the vortex pushing poetry into a microphone, unconscious, but present, lost inside the music but finding myself. I wasn't a singer but music formed my words and the sounds I’d rehearsed alone found their way into the air. I wasn't a singer but I held voices of singers in my heart; artists like Gloria Bleakly who was on stage next to me, Ijeoma Thomas, Abbey Lincoln, Billie Holiday, June Tyson and Leena Conquest. I was letting loose whatever ghosts flooded that moment. from Bottomless Sky by J. Otis Powell!
Happy hump day from Cities Live! Hope you can tune in to the show this Sunday! If you have any requests or comments please feel free to leave us a voice comment so we can play it on the air.
Hey Rhonda! Have you ever heard of Vicious Aloysius? I went to hear a few bands thursday night and they were one of them. Very, very good. They are on my top friends list if you want to hear them. "pleasure in pain" is my favorite song.
Hope you had a fantastic weekend and see you tuesday!
~Rebekah Dittman
THIS WEEK on the 26th we feature Sentwali, Blak & Tiyo of Edu-Poetic Enterbrainment who will most definitely tear up the stage. Just a small taste of what you will see at the Jazzville Reunion show at Visage on the 27th @ Poets of the City!!! AND Joe Hernandez-Kolski of Chicago, who is a two-time Def Poetry Jam artist will be in the house to rock the mic!! He has big things going on in the Twin Cities...but for a limited time only, so come check him out and see where else you can catch him before he leaves us!! PLEASE COME SUPPORT THIS NIGHT.
ALSO Be on the lookout for Soul Sounds in PULSE Magazine's Hot Ticket listing and for an article on Sol Testimony in the Aesthetics section of Insight News.
Hey There! I am sorry I haven't written in awhile, Things have been moving forward and keeping me out of trouble...For the most part!
Have a fantastic day and I wanted to let you know I appreciate our friendship and your support!
Hi, Rhonda! Thanks for the invite...I would love to come. It's at the same time that we are playing at Amore, though. I look forward to catching you live soon! (p.s. I don't think I've made it on the vocalist email list yet.)
The Sugarfoot Music benefit CD gives 100% of profits to Musicians' Village (Habitat New Orleans). Help build homes for displaced musicians!
FOR NEW ORLEANS has thirty one songs & 13 unreleased collector's gems. Highlights include: Grammy Songwriter Dan Wilson’s “I Can't Hold You” and the late
Jeff Buckley singing "I Shall Be Released" over a telephone.
The two disc set is an eclectic mix of singer songwriters, great jazz players and rockers from New York, Minnesota and all around the USA. The CD is for sale on our our website $19.99 (PayPal or mail order).
Sugarfoot Music is an artist run label, that shares proceeds w/ charities. FOR NEW ORLEANS will help a desperate situation in New Orleans, raising money for lumber and nails. Our website has many links for Musicians Village information:
SugarfootMusic.com MySpace/For New Orleans
HI Rhonda...thanks again for asking me to Ann Hampton Calloway... What a voice! I'm sorry we didn't have time to chat about it and other things...let's do that soon!
Happy Holidays and a Great New Year too!
Rhonda,
You are a fantastic person and I really respect you as a teacher. Thank you for all that you have taught me. I might not have gotten it at first, but now that it's all coming to me easier I can't wait to get started in the music business. You are absolutely fantastic!
Always,
Rebkah K. Dittman
Rhonda Laurie
I can only post in comments and they do not always work. It you sent me a message or comment the past few weeks, I might not have received it or think I answered but it did not go through.
I just started a new site at www.myspace.com/perrydanos2
If you would like to be a friend of mine on my new site too, please goto my old site and click on the new site link under my music player. It will take you to the new site and click ADD and I will accept the request.
Looking forward to your friendship. on my new site Leaving both sites running in hopes that myspace will fix the error.
