ORCHESTRA CONTRACTOR: JULES CHAIKEN
MUSIC PREPARATION: KRISTINE SCOLES
(PIANO) JIM COX
(BASS) KENNY WILD
(DRUMS) RAY BRINKER
(GUITAR) MITCH HOLDER
(TRUMPETS) GARY GRANT, RICK BAPTIST, PETE DE SIENA , RON KING
(TROMBONES) ANDY MARTIN, BOB McCHESNEY, ARTURO VELASCO, RICH BULLOCK
(SAX) JEFF DRISKILL, KIM RICHMOND, RICK KELLER, ROB LOCKART, TOM PETERSON
(VIOLINS) BRUCE DUKOV, CAROLINE CAMPBELL, DARIUS CAMPO, PIP CLARKE, JOEL DEROUIN, ARMEN GARABEDIAN, NICOLE GARCIA,
PETER KENT, SONGA LEE-KITTO, CALABRIA MCCHESNEY, ANATOLY ROSINSKY, SHARI ZIPPERT
(VIOLAS) EVAN WILSON, DEBYSE BUFFUN, JORGE MORAGA
(CELLOS) LARRY CORBETT, MATTHEW COOKER, STEPHEN ERDODY, VANESSA FREEBAIRN-SMITH
RICK KELLER, TENOR SAX SOLO ON “CHARADE”
RICK BAPTIST, TRUMPET SOLO ON “AND I LOVE HIM”
CHRIS WALDEN, FLUGELHORN SOLO ON “PERFIDIA”
CHRIS WALDEN, TRUMPET SOLO ON “ONE FOR MY BABY”
ROB LOCKART, TENOR SAX SOLO ON “WE ARE IN LOVE”
BOB McCHESNEY, TROMBONE SOLO AND RON KING, TRUMPET SOLO ON “HE’S A TRAMP”
JEFF DRISKILL, ALTO SAX SOLO ON “THEY ALL LAUGHED”
JIM COX, PIANO SOLO ON “PERFECT”
NYC dates...
Aaron Kotler (piano), Scott Hornick (bass), Chris Michael (drums), Chris Bergson/Mike Macallister (Guitar), Dan Cords (Tenor Sax/Flute), Jacob Garchik (Trombone), Kyle Newmaster (Trumpet)
Influences
Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Harry Connick Jr., Miles Davis, Bobby Darin, Peggy Lee, Keely Smith, The Beatles, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Connie Francis, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Janis Joplin, Judy Garland, Luciano Pavarotti, Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, Rosemary Clooney, Bette Midler, Tony Bennett...and the list goes on.
Tamela D'Amico was born in New York and spent her childhood between there and the Gulf Coast of Florida. This young phenom is what she likes to call a "multi-hyphenate artist" (singer/actress/filmmaker ), currently living in bothLos Angeles and New York City. Her native East Coast roots and love of the jazz age have instilled in her a love of theatrical performance, which has crossed over to many mediums.
Tamela studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute run by David Lee Strasberg who also is credited as one of the Executive Producers on her film "Volare". In addition, she has studied privately in Allan Miller's Master's Class (former students: Meryl Streep, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman) and is a former student and teacher's assistant for Larry Gold's Master Class in Los Angeles. She was one of 16 students accepted to the competetive and internationally renowned Film School at Florida State University and received a BFA in Film with minors in Music, Theater, Psychology, and Religion.
Although mostly spending her time performing in front of an audience, Tamela first made strides behind the camera. As a much coveted Independent Producer of several Award winning short films, Tamela is no stranger to the festival circuit. Her film "Volare", of which she wrote, produced, directed, and appears briefly was the winner of the Los Angeles Italian Film Award's Best Screenplay Award. Tamela raised independent funds to create "Volare" starring Federico Castelluccio (The Sopranos), which has swept the top prizes ( Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography ) at several film festivals, and most notably, in January 2006 at The American Film Renaissance Film Festival held at the legendary Graumanns Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
The American Film Renaissance Film Festival bestowed the film with a Best Short Film award and screened it in front of The Anthony Hopkins release "The World's Fastest Indian" at the legendary Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, CA. Critics praised this film by bestowing other awards at many other festivals (see blog for an up to date list). This film has become a vehicle to launch her as a fresh female filmmaker to watch in Hollywood, as she was chosen as one of top 24 semi-finalist selected from all over the World (12,000 submissions) by Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett for FOX series "On the Lot", which landed her first look deal with Dreamworks SKG. Tamela will soon be seen and heard singing in the film, “West of Brooklyn” with Joe Mantegna. She recently wrapped a starring role in the thriller, “On A Dark and Stormy Night” in which she can also be heard on the soundtrack with the song "Don't Die>" This fall she is set to star in the feature, “The Arrangement” in between developing a musical and two feature films, most notably, “Chick Flick” which she will be producing and directing. Written by Tristan Carrasco, the comedy tells the hilarious tale of two Hollywood wannabes who accidentally cause their lives to turn into an action adventure movie. It’s described as “Pulp Fiction” with girls.
Highly sought after winning countless awards for both producing and directing many shorts, Tamela produced a twenty-two-part Web series based on Susan Arnout Smith’s novel, “The Timer Game” and has just recently finished helming a television pilot called, “Sex Ed:The Series” starring Joanna Cassidy.
Early on, director Frank Capra's biography taught her, "Films are like propaganda, you have to be careful about what you are saying." Believing that phrase translates to all art, Tamela states that presentation and perspective are important to all things. Her favorite films are "It's A Wonderful Life," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," and "Life Is Beautiful." Story is very important to her as well as character. She is a storyteller in her acting, in her music, and in her directing. Frank Capra, Giuseppe Tornatore, and Chris Columbus are inspirations as directors who are true storytellers, championing the little man and really diving in to tell his story.
Federico Castelluccio, Ronnie Marmo, and Ryan Fox in a bakery scene from "Volare." photo by Alex Abercrombie
In addition to her filmmaking endeavors, Tamela can be heard across the land. Radio Distributors, ClearChannel Entertainment and RadioDeluxe, have championed her as a bright new artist to watch. Like Michael Buble, Harry Connick, Jr., and Jane Monheit, she is in short, a throw back to another era. Her debut, Got A Little Story is Executive Produced by Actor/Producer Peter Krause (Six Feet Under, Dirty Sexy Money), Produced by Jimmy Hoyson (GRAMMY Winner) and Arranged and Conducted by Chris Walden (GRAMMY nominee).
Why this style of music? There is an old saying..."One doesn't choose to sing jazz, it chooses you." Her first musical influence was Judy Garland - as a child, Tamela loved watching Garland's vintage television specials on "NY's Nostalgia Network." Other influences for Tamela's love of blues and jazz include Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Keeley Smith, Stevie Wonder, Sarah Vaughan and Bobby Darin. Her debut album "Got A Little Story" distributed by LML Music/Allegro will be released worldwide in April 2009!
Salut from Hamburg Tamela, you look fantastic and you have great music going on :-) The weekend is here, so I stopped by wishing you relax days. Send good feelings and energy from Jagdrevier. Silva
You have surely heard about the tragic death of Neda - a brave young woman who was murdered in Iran just for peacefully protesting with her father on the streets of Teheran.
Hi Tamela, hope you will see a (short story) on my page. i think you will like it(about a Woman who saves the world). Love your music and your Opinion matters to me. Positive or not. The blog (Crush Depth). hope you will see it. yours truly David
Show Choir! - The Musical is thrilled to announce the kickoff of their new Official Website! Swing by to check out our page! Purchase Tunes! Get your official Show Choir merchandise! While you’re there, be sure to join our mailing list to be kept up to date on all the Show Choir news! Click on the link below to visit our webpage!
wow my school days are over. Yesterday I submit my work. I went 2 years to a fashion designer school in Zürich and now it's good I'm free again. Now I can make my own shirts, jackets, etc. I wish you a wonderful day Peter Acryl Painting by Peter Tschirky
Dropping in to tell you I just added some pix and two songs from my upcoming cabaret act: "Distillation of Life: Saloon Girls in History & Hollywood". Enjoy.