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  Sing! Perform! Affirm!

  Founded in 1997 the Twin Cities Women's Choir is a diverse, 130-voice non-auditioned women's choir that sings, performs, and affirms the voices of women. The choir has developed a unique sound through the stellar direction of Mary Bussman, Artistic Director and skilled accompanist Rosie Romportl. The choir sings music that is supportive and encouraging to women, music that challenges us artistically, inspires us soulfully and empowers us to use our voices for good in the world. We explore music - both new and old - to bring a unique cultural perspective to audiences in the Metro area. We strive to make beautiful music while building bridges among diverse communities, with an emphasis on empowering and strengthening the voices of women. The choir members represent a diversity of age, income, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, abilities, religion, musical skill and experience, and location of residence within the Twin Cities area. The Choir has commissioned 12 new compositions or arrangements of music for women's voices. Our audiences continue to grow beyond friends and family at our three yearly concerts. We had the honor and thrill of performing at many community events including the Ann Bancroft Foundation Awards at Orchestra Hall, Westminster Town Hall Forum, and as part of Ann Reed's Heroes Show at the Fitzgerald Theater. Pat Teiken, our Executive Director has assisted us in obtaining and maintaining a solid infrastructure and financial stability so that we are even able to pay our three staff members. Our first CD, SING! PERFORM! AFFIRM! Was completed in 2006 in honor of our 10th anniversary. Our 10th Anniversary LIVE! CD has just been released. We have established a small group ensemble called ENCORE! Each day brings new experiences and thrills to the choir and we are still having fun!

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  • Price: 13.37 EUR excl. shipping
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  Inspired

  Inner Urge: Drummer Mark Sweetman pursues a spiritual quest. By Yonah Korngold His sound is raw and drenched with emotion. With this spirit, Mark Sweetman carries the torch passed to him from the days when John Coltrane redirected his life on a spiritual quest after quitting heroin cold turkey by locking himself in his room on N. 33rd Street with nothing but cigarettes and water. Since these days the number of jazz musicians that truly understand what it means to be a jazz musician is growing scarcer than mice in a cat pound. Refreshingly, Mark Sweetman, the Canadian-borndrummer, has yet to divert from the spiritually enriched sound, soul and life that he discovered inhis childhood. Born in Toronto, Sweetman recalls a vibrant jazz scene where he would spend night after night in the back of a jazz club called Bourbon St., sipping on ice water, soaking up the energy and melting away with the vibrant sound. There he witnessed tremendous acts like Bill Evans and Chet Baker who taught him what it meant to play with everything from the inside out. Perhaps his greatest influence came while witnessing guitarist Sonny Greenwich roar deep with a tone no other guitarist can duplicate. In Sweetman, there is a lot of Greenwich. It is apparent in his spir-itualmission and the joy and intensity that surround his music. Yet Greenwich was not the only power that awak-ened Sweetman's musical sense. There was also Sweetman's drum teacher whom he paired up with in Toronto when he was 18. Sweetman describes how his teacher was, "totally into Coltrane, Elvin, Miles, and Tony Williams." It is in these drum lessons that Sweetman was taught more than just drums but "life class" where lessons about jazz theory soon became "life lessons." In these pivotal moments Sweetman learned that the first rule of music was to never be afraid of producing one's own sound. Sweetman followed this jazz guru on the road to Philadelphia where he spent years building up the spiritual sound inside of him that finally unleashed itself in 1997 with his debut album, Inspire d. As the title emphasizes, the seven tracks on the album are products of years of built up musical stimulation. "The urgency to put out my own music was so great that I didn't have a choice," says Sweetman. "I had spirituality in there that needed to get out for years." With a line up that includes such talents as Ralph Bowen, Dan Klienman and Mike Boone, The Mark Sweetman Quartet is full of intensity representing a music that will take control of the mind and body as it continues to push deeper into more mystical depths. Ralph Bowen, "the man" as Sweetman refers to him, takes Coltrane's legacy into his own saxophone and gives the group it's sparking electricity. A fellow Canadian, the two had met in the Toronto days when Ralph Bowen played with the son of Sweetman's drum teacher. On a mission to record this vibrant sound, Sweetman went to go see Ralph at Ortlieb's Jazzhaus and recruited him in his musical quest. The deep natural sound of the group comes from Mike Boone who unselfishly plays the bass while Dan Kleinman floats around on the piano adding a sense of joy into the soulfully deep music. On the Quartet's second album, All Paths Lead To One, one can hear a more relaxed and joyfully settled musical experience. From the get go the album is incarnated with a mysterious Indian drone in which the drums and bass build off of which climaxes when Ralph Bowen explodes on the sax. "I've always loved the drone in Indian music and always wanted to play off of it," says Sweetman. "Some of my music comes from years of falling asleep listening to jazz albums. Some just came from walking around in Europe. When I was in Italy I heard bells ringing and than a car horn went by and with my rhythmical sense I put the two together. And then sometimes I don't know where it comes from nor do I ask."For these reasons The Mark Sweetman Quartet remains unique in a music business where things aren't always what they seem. Unusually quiet in the public scene, Sweetman remains an underground secret who is completely content with the life he leads and the music he has produced. "I think one can identify with it [the music] and when they do they identify very deeply." It is this rawness of sound that got the attention of Patti LaBelle. "The interesting thing was that he [LaBelle's manager] understood the thread of spirituality in which Patti LaBelle appeals to in her audience and recognized that they in turn would get in my music." This understanding led to the Sweetman Quartet opening for Patti LaBelle at The Westbury Music Fair. In this experience Sweetman recalled how Patti LaBelle's musicians all were enthusiastic and a bit jealous with the easy going and free attitude that the Quartet has adopted as their philosophy. In the upcoming months the quartet plans to rejoin LaBelle in Jamaica along with a return to the studio to record a Coltrane tribute album. "The thing about Coltrane and spirituality is something that pretty much has disappeared now except for a few of us who do our thing. "We are not going to copy Coltrane, we are men of this era who happen to love Coltrane." Like Coltrane, when recording, Sweetman believes that the band should play together in one room and not hidden behind layers of equipment behind stu-dio walls. In this sense there is no doubt that Sweetman will be able to capture Coltrane's intensity and also be able to give the music a personal element that will speak to the group's modern uniqueness.

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  • Price: 25.46 EUR excl. shipping
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  Donot Explain

  Roberto & Kathryn Roberto & Kathryn is a new vocal jazz/guitar duo featuring Kathryn Howell, Vocals and Roberto Mighty, Guitar and Vocals. Their debut album, 'Don't Explain,' features romantic tunes from the Great American Songbook (Gershwin, Ellington, Mercer, Holliday, etc.) recorded live at the famed WGBH studios in Boston. Roberto & Kathryn are most often compared to Tuck & Patti, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Joe Pass & Ella Fitzgerald, but this duo is unique for their romantic, intimate, sensuous interpretations. The two met just over a year ago, brought together by a friend who knew they both loved standards and contemporary music. Their musical connection was intense and immediate. On Roberto & Kathryn's debut album,"Don't Explain," this new jazz vocal/guitar duo sensually explore romantic music from the Great American Songbook. Kathryn Howell (vocals) and Roberto Mighty (acoustic guitar, vocals) passionately interpret hits by some of America's greatest songrwriters,including Billie Holliday, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Duke Ellington. Because Roberto & Kathryn are a vocal/guitar duo, it's natural for music lovers to think of legendary pairings like Tuck & Patti, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass -- and wonder if there's anything left to explore, but these two musicians create interpretations and experiences that are wholly their own. Roberto & Kathryn's unique partnership showcases uncanny artistic and personal connection, transforming each song into a dramatic performance and a spontaneous musical dance, where they sensually dip and sway the tempos, dynamics and rhythms...always together. Roberto Mighty Roberto started playing guitar at age 13 and co-founded his first group a year later. After years as a bandleader and lead guitarist, he built a recording studio and spent the next ten years as a writer, arranger and producer of music for radio and TV. Roberto also wrote and produced many programs for television including the critically-acclaimed "Banquo's Wagon" music video series for children. Last year Roberto released a solo album, "Kitchen Music", currently recieving rave reviews on iTunes and Amazon. Roberto is also a popular guitar teacher on YouTube, with tens of thousands of views and top ratings for his music lessons. His musical influences include Frank Sinatra, Jose Feliciano, Joe Pass, Al Jarreau, Cassandra Wilson, Nat King Cole, George Benson and Jimi Hendrix. "My guitar and singing styles emphasize the sensuality of the lyrics and chord changes. I try to play as dynamically as possible on my Brazilian flamenco guitar." - Roberto Mighty Kathryn Howell Kathryn began singing at 3yrs old and by 11 was studying several instruments (piano, guitar, violin, and organ). She was composing and working as a singer and actress in theaters around New England at 16yrs old, and as a member of the Actor's Equity Association has had the pleasure of performing in venues such as the Charles Street Playhouse and The Wilbur theater in downtown Boston. Although her musical roots are in the soil of classical study, jazz /blues, and musical theater, her wide ranging artistic influences include Sarah Vaughn, Chet Baker, Joni Mitchell, Shirley Horn, Blossom Dearie, Eileen Farrell, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Luciano Pavarotti, as well as World Music with it's richly diverse and talented artists. "Every song is a story sung by a specific character. I love meeting her, getting to know her and giving her a voice." - Kathryn Howell FAN MAIL 1. A knock-out couple and irresistible performers A. White, Brookline MA 2. Absolutely beautiful, soulfully romantic music L. Parker, San Francisco, CA 3. Sultry, passionate, seamlessly integrated -- A delicious combination J. Zverina, San Diego, California 4. Incredible duo. The combination of their sounds is very genuine T. Logan, Atlanta Georgia 5. Fabulous! The most amazing interpretation and feelings K. Brailsford, Auburndale, MA.

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  • Price: 27.18 EUR excl. shipping

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