Billie Holiday Honored

The Great Billie Holiday!

PHILADELPHIA MUSIC ALLIANCE

TO CELEBRATE BILLIE HOLIDAY CENTENNIAL

AS 1^st 2015 INDUCTEE ON PHILADELPHIA MUSIC WALK OF FAME

Read the tribute from CBS Sunday Morning

Watch Wynton Marsalis recall Billie Holiday for Time Magazine

Today one of my favorite artists, Billie Holiday would have been 100 years old as a special Birthday gift she is set to be the first 2015 inductee on the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame. God Bless The Child...

As a special birthday gift to the woman widely considered to be one of the greatest vocalists of the 20^th century, The Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame is proud to welcome BILLIE HOLIDAY as its newest inductee today on the 100^thanniversary of her birth in the City of Brotherly Love.

Billie Holiday, aka “Lady Day,” is only the first of this year’s inductees to be announced. The Philadelphia Music Alliance (PMA) will hold a press reception in late May to announce the rest of the Walk of Fame’s Class of 2015. Holiday and the rest of the new honorees will be formally inducted together in October during ceremonies along the Avenue of the Arts.

"The Philadelphia Music Alliance wanted to present what we think is a 'perfect' birthday gift to an extraordinary vocalist, Billie Holiday, and announce her induction on her 100th birthday," said Alan Rubens, Chairman of the Philadelphia Music Alliance.  "It will be an absolute pleasure to be able to walk down Broad Street and see her name where it rightfully belongs, on the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame, with other homegrown jazz giants like John Coltrane, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, and Grover Washington Jr.”  

Billie Holiday was born Elinore Harris on April 7, 1915 in Philadelphia General Hospital on Curie Boulevard in West Philadelphia. As the official marker on Lombard Street west of Broad Street from the Pennsylvania Historical Museum and Commission says, “[S]he was called the greatest jazz vocalist of her time. Starting in 1933, she recorded with Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, and others. Notable songs include ‘Lover Man,’ ‘Strange Fruit.’”

Holiday's voice was limited in size and range, but the emotional breadth of her singing — her ability to transmit desire and despair with utter clarity, and without sentimentality — was astonishing. Her soulful, unique singing voice and her ability to boldly turn any material that she confronted into her own music made Holiday a superstar of her time. Today, she’s remembered for her masterpieces, creativity and vivacity, as many of her songs are as well known today as they were decades ago. Holiday’s poignant voice is still considered to be one of the greatest jazz voices of all time. Though she had numerous outside influences, notably Louis Armstrong and Bessie Smith, Holiday built her reputation through her inner passion and a vocal style that was at once emotive and rugged. A vast array of singers have taken inspiration from Holiday's music and style including Diana Ross – who played her in the 1972 film "Lady Sings the Blues" – to Annie Lennox and the late Amy Winehouse.

As Philly’s own Jill Scott tells Vanity Fair: “Billie Holiday is guts. She is guts, and pain, and challenges. She is the sweetest pain…. Her voice gave me permission to have pain on a record. To convey the heart’s heart. To be able to sing songs about what is happening in society, as well. She did all this with a lot of freedom. There wasn’t a bunch of production. It was just Billie Holiday, being herself. All the miseries and all the wounds, and then reporting it, basically, to society. That is an artist. There is a difference between being an entertainer and an artist, and Billie Holiday is a true artist.”

The Philadelphia Music Alliance Walk of Fame is a living tribute to Philadelphia’s rich music history and a vital force unifying the city’s diverse cultural communities along the Avenue of the Arts. Holiday’s induction furthers the renewed commitment by the Philadelphia Music Alliance to shed new light on the City's cultural legacy and incredible contribution to the world of music past, present and future as a major tourist attraction. This agenda to recognize more local music greats in all genres is part of the community based, non-profit organization's overall mission to encourage the creation, celebration and historical preservation of Philadelphia music, and the foundation of a renewed commitment to schedule multiple induction ceremonies each year.

www.pmawalk.com

Jessi Teich Has A "Twisted Soul"

I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing the mega talented Jessi Teich recently. Her upcoming album which she recorded in Paris, Twisted Soul is due March 3rd and it's amazing!

Not familiar with her? Well let's get acquainted with the Jazz aficionado...it's time to know more about Ms. Jessi Teich!

JT: Hi Michael, this is Jessi Teich

MS: You and I were just in a Twitter frenzy.

JT: Yeah, that's exactly what was happening. (both laugh)

MS: I really loved Twisted Soul and the fact that you were Magna Cum Laude from the Berklee College of Music was not a real shocker.

JT: Awwwwwwww, Thank you. It's such a nice thing putting something out there that people respond to in a positive way. It means so much, it's great!

MS: The music biz is so up in the air it's the more unique artists that seem to be catching on.

JT: I tried to make this album accessible as far as the musicality of it. I know with jazz it's really easy to go into an eight minute solo...Not everyone wants to geek out on jazz. (laughs) People like simple music, I like simple music. I gravitated towards that with the album, I think it's a great marriage between jazz and simplicity. 

MS: Twisted Soul is described as "Poperatic." 

Jessi Hitting The Keys

JT: The story of it is autobiographical. Actually the booklet that is coming with the CD, each song is going to be presented as a chapter in the story and I do a little narration in each song. It's in third person, between a male and female character. This is all based on a previous relationship I was in which was emotionally abusive. The CD talks about how I was in the relationship, how I was able to break free from the relationship and how I was able to succeed in finding my own way, my own voice and emerging victorious. This is a very positive way in dealing with a terrible situation.

MS: I love your quote about "vomiting crazy emotions" out of yourself.

JT: (both laugh) I'm always afraid I'm going to gross people out when I say that, but it's true! It's like I am purging myself of these crazy feelings. It feels like vomiting, it's weird. (laughs)

MS: Yeah, it's like when I write. Something comes out that's so loopy I keep it because it's so cool.

JT: Yeah, it's you, it's unique. I think that is what people graft onto in this day and age. They want you the person, not you this unattainable artist. They want to be able to relate to you somehow. That is part of the reason I chose not to remain silent about my situation, not only does it help me, but I feel like it could help a lot of people, feeling they could live through this and get through something horrible.

MS: What I find interesting when artists do speak about these things is, it's not going to stop it. But it will help people.

JT: If I can benefit one person, I've done my job. When I was going through the worst of it, I really grappled onto who else has been in a similar situation to me. One things I did was I called one of the abuse hot lines. I talked to them about my options and protection and what I could do...because I was very scared. When I was able to reach out to somebody else, people that knew how to deal with situations like that I felt like I had a community. It was an amazing feeling. 

MS: You also had to overcome a cyst on your vocal chord.

JT: That was pretty intense. I was diagnosed with a cyst on my right vocal chord a few years ago. It was something that really kind of jilted me into reality, like oh my gosh! I might not be able to pursue my music career. When I was diagnosed I was teaching forty vocal lessons a week, eating pretty much what I wanted. I questioned myself first, and I asked my vocal therapist: is it me or my technique? She said: No absolutely not, this happens when you overuse your voice. I did everything I could for a while, speech therapy, singing therapy, changed my diet, everything that could be a trigger and the cyst went down about fifty percent, but it didn't go away so that's when I decided to have the surgery. But before the surgery, you're going to laugh at this, I still went to work and carried around a white board and wrote everything down, people did not know what to do with me. People thought I was deaf or mute, they thought I didn't speak English, even though I had a name tag and a white board that said: Hi my name is Jessi Teich and I'm on vocal rest. (both laugh) It really opened my eyes to how important your voice is. The only other universal language other than music is a smile, so I just smiled a lot, people were like: OK she's happy even though she's not talking (both laugh)

MS: It's interesting to me that you covered Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River.

Jazz Baby

JT: Yes. I grew up listening to Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin...My Dad had this amazing vinyl collection. I still was a child of the 90's and I listened to Justin Timberlake, he was on the radio, he was my guilty pleasure. It seemed to fit the album. I've always liked covering pop in a very different way. 

MS: When I first saw the song on your album, given your background. I thought it was a cover of the Arthur Hamilton version.

JT: Oh yeah the jazz standard. I think I have been throwing a few people for a loop, because they expect that. Then they hear Justin Timberlake  and they're like whaaaaaaat?! (laughs) 

MS: Throwing people for a loop is a good idea I think.

JT: I do too, and I do it on a daily basis anyway, why not do it on my album? 

MS: I loved your poetry on the title track of Twisted Soul. 

JT: Thank you. I could literally sit down with you and go through every line of that song, and really any song on the entire album, it all means something. Every lyric is prepared for a very specific reason. There are long and short stories behind each song. The album was so cathartic and so therapeutic, to write these songs and get them out in the world. I appreciate your compliments, it's so nice for me to get them out of my system. 

MS: You really love jazz, touch on that some before we say goodbye.

JT: Some of my greatest music teachers were Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah Washington...I grew up listening to these women. Here I am this little white girl, so cool, all my friends are like: I listen to Brittney Spears, I listen to Christine Aguilera. I'm like: I listen to Billie Holiday. (both laugh) They would all look at me like: Who's Billie? (laughs) who is he?! I was such a different kind of kid I really walked to my own beat. 

Walk to your own beat with Jessi Teich at:
www.jessiteich.com
www.youtube.com/jessiteich
www.facebook.com/jessiteichmusic
www.twitter.com/jessiteich

Alert! Diana Ross & Pentatonix @ The Hollywood Bowl Saturday August 3rd!

Diana Ross

MEDIA ALERT ** MEDIA ALERT ** MEDIA ALERT

"Entertain Me" favorites Pentatonix to open for the legendary Diana Ross this Saturday at the famed Hollywood Bowl!

DIANA ROSS TO PERFORM
AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL IN

A SPECIAL ONE-NIGHT-ONLY EVENT

Opening Acts:

Members of the Ross Family – Evan and Rhonda Ross – and
Vocal Sensations and YouTube Phenom Pentatonix

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3, 2013, AT 8 PM

WHAT: Legendary entertainer Diana Ross comes to the Hollywood Bowl, Saturday, August 3, at 8 pm. The special one-night-only performance will feature selections from her impressive and expansive career, that spans more than four decades!

Opening for Ms. Ross is Rhonda Ross, followed by Pentatonix, the vocal sensation and winner of season 3 of NBC’s “The Sing-Off.” The quintet’s latest YouTube video, “Evolution of Music,” has garnered more than 15 million views, while their YouTube channel has over 1.1 million subscribers and 100 million views. The group is comprised of lead vocalists Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado and Mitch Grassi; vocal bass Avi Kaplan and beatboxer Kevin “K.O.” Olusola. Evan Ross is the last of the opening performers.

Diana Ross has had a profound influence on American popular culture and has become an icon in the entertainment industry. She is an Academy Award-nominated actress for her unforgettable role as Billie Holiday in Lady Sings The Blues, a Tony and Golden Globe winner, a best-selling author, winner of eight American Music Awards and a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors and the Grammy Lifetime

Pentatonix

Achievement Award. Her reputation as a woman of great style and beauty has put her on the covers of hundreds of magazines. Ms. Ross has sold more than 100 million records and recorded 18 No. 1 hits. Her music became the sound of young America in the ‘60s soon after she signed with Motown Records in 1961 with The Supremes. She embarked on her extraordinary solo career in 1970, and has not stopped since performing to fans around the world.

For full artists biographies, please visit: www.Hollywoodbowl.com

WHO: DIANA ROSS
EVAN ROSS
PENTATONIX
RHONDA ROSS
           
WHEN: Saturday, August 3, at 8 PM

WHERE: HOLLYWOOD BOWL
2301 N Highland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90068

TICKETS: Subscriptions and single tickets are available now for the Hollywood Bowl 2013 summer season at:   www.Hollywoodbowl.com  or Ticketmaster.com, or via phone at 323.850.2000 or 800.745.3000 and in person at the Hollywood Bowl Box Office. For more information, please call 323.850.2000.