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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.”
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