JANICE BORLA “FROM EVERY ANGLE” CONCERT DEBUTS NEW CD
SKOKIE, IL -- The Skokie Theatre proudly presents jazz vocalist Janice Borla in concert with her group, in celebration of her new Blujazz CD release From Every Angle. The concert will be presented on Friday, December 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the newly renovated theatre, located at 7924 N. Lincoln Avenue in downtown Skokie. Performing with Janice will be the members of her all-star group: trumpeter Art Davis, guitarist John McLean, pianist Dan Haerle, bassist Bob Bowman, and drummer Jack Mouse, each an internationally known artist in his own right.
Borla’s recordings and performances have earned her consistently high praise for her beautiful sound, superb technique, adventurous repertoire and imaginative vocal improvisations. Paula Edelstein (Sounds of Timeless Jazz): “Exquisite voice…a passionate, excellently-trained multi-range vocal improviser.” Scott Yanow (AllMusic Guide): “…A true jazz singer…who constantly takes chances and stretches herself.” Borla’s previous CD Agents of Change, named “The #1 Jazz CD of the Year” by WBEZ-FM Chicago Public Radio, enjoyed wide critical acclaim and extensive international radio airplay. Christopher Loudon (Jazz Times) describes her as “a one-woman jazz tornado... Genius. Pure genius.” Bob Protzman (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette): "A stunning singer with a lustrous voice and the technique, imagination and daring of the best improvising instrumentalists."
With her new release From Every Angle, she continues to expand vocal parameters. “I want to use my voice as a true jazz instrument, much as a horn player does,” says Borla. “Several of the tunes on this album are instrumental in nature, with more adventurous melodies and harmonic progressions than are commonly found in standard vocal repertoire.” The material on this CD covers a broad range of styles, from the bop lines of Charlie Parker’s “Segment” and Thelonious Monk’s “Ask Me Now” to compositions by such contemporary jazz artists as Kenny Wheeler, Jeff Beal and John Scofield. Further blurring the line between vocal and instrumental, six of the ten tracks are sung as wordless vocals.
For this project Borla enlisted the help of guitarist John McLean, who also produced the CD. “John knew I wished to participate as an equal member of the ensemble, and so his arrangements ‘embed’ my voice more deeply into the music than is usual for a singer. I interact with John’s guitar or Art Davis’ trumpet in unison lines, counterpoint and improvised duets and there’s plenty of space left for blowing.” Pianist Dan Haerle, bassist Bob Bowman and drummer Jack Mouse, all highly conversational players, do their part to make the CD a truly interactive, collaborative recording.
Borla, a native Chicagoan, has performed with such jazz talents as Clark Terry, Bunky Green, Bobby Watson, Gary Bartz, Bobby Shew and numerous others. Recent performances include Chicago’s Jazz Showcase, The Iridium in New York City, the Soroptimist Women in Jazz Festival in Fort Bragg, California and the Chicago Jazz Festival. A recognized pioneer in vocal jazz education, she founded the Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp, cited by Jazziz Magazine as “one of the most innovative and dynamic summer jazz educational programs in the country” and featured on the national PBS news program “The News Hour with Jim Lehrer.” Janice is also Director of Vocal Jazz at North Central College in Naperville.
Tickets for the concert are $25 and $15 for students, and can be purchased by contacting the Skokie Theatre box office at 847-677-7761. For more information, visit
www.skokietheatre.com.
Janice's new cd is available through
http://jazzcares.com and thru her website
http://janiceborla.com
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