Photo of Sylvia Brooks

Sylvia Brooks

Music

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Released: Jan 1, 2009
Label:

General Info

  • Genre: Jazz / Lounge / Pop

    Location Los Angeles, California, Un

    Profile Views: 65323

    Last Login: 3/6/2013

    Member Since 3/3/2008

    Website http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LnN5bHZpYWJyb29rcy5uZXQ=

    Record Label signed

    Type of Label Indie

  • Bio

    Numerous artists have paged through the Great American Songbook. And then there’s Sylvia Brooks, whose warmth and charm, combined with a commanding stage presence and sonic clarity have set her head-and-shoulders above the rest—with a white-hot streak of adds on more than 500 Jazz and Adult Contemporary stations across the country for her debut album “Dangerous Liaisons,” a plethora of rave reviews, and a trail of packed-houses to attest to it. A Florida native, creativity and classic musicianship are in her blood. The combination of her father, a jazz stalwart, playing with such giants as Stan Getz, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan and Dizzie Gillespie, and her mother, a trained opera singer, who also dazzled audiences at the Fontainebleau and the Eden Roc, left little doubt that Sylvia’s growth as an artist in her own right would see her come to embody that unique parentage. Striking out on her own for the first time, Sylvia was drawn to the theatre, studying at the prestigious American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, which led to her invitation to join the Company. A series of national tours and periods spent with other companies ensued, but a true expression of her abilities was still yet to blossom. While working with one of Hollywood’s top acting coaches, Sylvia realized that as an actor, she had little actual control over the kind of artistic fulfillment she sought. And that realization brought her back to the musical fold, the wellspring of her personal creativity and joy. Solidly ensconced in the cabaret tradition of such stellar torch singers as Lena Horne (her personal idol), Diana Krall and Ella Fitzgerald, Sylvia has taken the role of “jazz singer” in an entirely new direction. Rather than ceding the stage to the music, she remains steadfastly in front of it—all the better to act as a bridge between her musicians and her audience, and in the process, forge a connection for the two, between the traditional and the contemporary, unlike any other performer. An auburn-haired version of classic Hollywood sultriness, “Brooks sings precisely the way she looks,” writes Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times, “a dark, smoky sound with impressive firepower,” which makes her versions of “the Mt. Rushmore of 3:00am tunes” such as “Sophisticated Lady,” “Lush Life,” “One For my Baby,” and “The Man That Got Away,” modern classics of musical storytelling. Discover Sylvia Brooks for yourself. You’ll be glad you re-opened the Great American Songbook with such a stunning interpreter.
  • Members

    Sylvia Brooks, Jeff Colella, Chris Colangelo, Kendall Kay, Giovani Imbesi, Kim Richmond, alex Budman, Brian Kilgore....... .. .. .. .. .. EPK .. .."Electronic Press Kit"...... .. .. .. .. ..
  • Influences

    Lena Horne Judy Garland, Dinah Washington, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick .. .. .. ..
  • Sounds Like

    Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, Julie London, Judy Garland, Sylvia Brooks, Melody Gardot, Diana Krall, Nora Jones .. .. ..

Stream

  1. Sylvia Brooks

    Saw Great Gatsby last night...really disappointed.

  2. Sylvia Brooks

    You know, once in a while something happens by chance. I am really thrilled that you all are liking my... http://t.co/enXU0buimZ

  3. Sylvia Brooks

    Thanks to all my new friends for liking my page! You guys are the best!

  4. Sylvia Brooks

    Hey everyone, share this....let's support new jazz venues in Los Angeles....http://t.co/Hn2CgJmX7h

Videos

May 5, 2010

05:22 | 39 plays | May 5 2010

Comments

Post a comment...
  • Glama Girly

    Hi Sylvia, Thanks so much for including me as a friend. It is most appreciated. All the very best from Roberta.

    2 years ago
  • Sylvia Brooks

    Happy 2011 to all of my friends! Let's make it a great one!

    2 years ago
  • Rose W Leyba




    Hope you are having a beautifully blessed day.

    2 years ago
  • Chelsey J. Brown




    say hello to my friend.

    2 years ago
  • William Grant

    Hi Sylvia !!! Love your Debut CD !!! Harlem Nocturne is AMAZING !!!

    2 years ago
  • Jean-Philippe ICHARD

    Hello! Here's the link of my new composition for double bass and piano: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihvY-0g-Nrw Peace, Jean-Philippe

    2 years ago
  • 2 years ago
  • robert higgins

    Thank You for Your Friendship...Peace..Happy New Year.

    3 years ago
  • Tank Jones

    Happy New Year to you! Be well. I've read that the holidays can be very depressing to some. If you know someone like that, share this with them :)

    1 of the most effective "natural cures" ever documented (really) 4 depression...

    Have them stand in front of a mirror...smile...bigger...no, even bigger...that's it...an honest to goodness ear 2 ear smile! Look at you...standing there...strong...powerful...nothing is impossible for you...no limitations...you are the earth...you are the sky...and they are you...now, laugh...bigger...one of those gut bursting, side hurting, deep belly laughs...that's it. :)

    http://TankJones.com

    3 years ago
  • Alkalinear Recordings

    Hey!

    Just wanted to let you know that we have proudly released a new Glitch/IDM/Downtempo album by the two Scottish founders of the Section 27 netlabel, Nonima & theAudiologist, titled, 'Almost Tomorrow'. The album is a dynamically crafted work of art, with constantly mutating sounds and textures, over stuttered popping beats, with layers of intricite glitches weaving around the nostalgic melodies, creating a unique wall of sound. The release is available for free download from our page where you can also hear the tracks!

    Regards
    [alkalinear recordings]

    3 years ago
10 of 80More

Bio:

Classically trained actress and singer Sylvia Brooks has starred on the stages of many of the country's most respected theatres, performing the gamut from Shakespeare to American drama, to music theatre-- to sold out performances. Now Ms. Brooks is taking an entirely different direction, and is about to release her first album.

For the last two years, she has been involved in a serious collaboration with some of Los Angeles' best musicians. Together, they are bringing new and original arrangements to the Great American Songbook and timeless jazz classics. "This album is filled with the music and songs I grew up hearing as a child," says Brooks. "But it is only now that I finally feel that I can do justice to this great music. It has taken time, and now life has led me to this place. We have developed this project in rehearsal and in a number of performances at The Jazz Bakery, The Catalina Bar & Grill and M Bar.” Those performances garnered Brooks and her musicians six Critic’s Choice picks in the Los Angeles Times Calendar under Jazz and World Artists.

No stranger to Jazz, Brooks was born and raised in Miami, and grew up in a musical family. Her father, a well-known jazz pianist, arranged, composed and played for such luminaries as Peggy Lee, Stan Getz, Dizzie Gillespie, Sarah Vaughn and Harry James. Her mother appeared in opera and concert in the U.S. and Europe and worked with many legendary artists. As artistic director of a major company, she produced many productions of opera.

At a young age, Brooks was invited to study classical theatre at the prestigious American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco, which led to her invitation to join the Company, followed by a growing career of performances with numerous companies. Her experience as a serious actor can be found in her singing, bringing new insights into every song. "This music speaks to me," she says. "It is timeless, yet it is so fresh and new there is always something to discover in it. The great singers of the past didn't just sing -- they took you on a journey. They embodied each song with passion and brought their lives to the music. Sadly, it has become a lost art form; I want to bring it back to life."

As one critic said, "It's as if Brooks has lived this music; she and her musicians share an understanding of just what it is saying. I felt that I was actually hearing many of these songs for the first time. They take you on a journey, and bring something innovative and alive to the stage. Sylvia Brooks is definitely here; and that is a great thing.”

Member Since:

March 03, 2008

Members:

.. .. .. ..

EPK

"Electronic Press Kit"

Influences:

Sylvia Brooks LIVE at the Jazz Bakery

"How Long Has This Been Going On"

Sounds Like:

Sylvia Brooks LIVE at the Catalina Jazz Club

"The Man that Got Away"

Record Label:

unsigned

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