As a singer growing up in New York listening to some of the greatest Jazz vocalists of the 20th century, I find it most challenging to create something vocally that is truly mine. Being influenced by greats like Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Joe Williams and Ella Fitzgerald, as well as Big Bands such as Count Basie and the Duke Ellington Orchestra, has inspired me to do something respectful of these artists and the legacy they've created. For me, the Golden Age of music is where it all begins and ends. I've always been most interested in the Great American Songbook and Jazz. In my view, it's part of our culture and it runs deep in all of us. Europe can lay claim to Mozart and Beethoven, but we've got Satchmo and Ella. Jazz is America's musical gift to the world. My hope is that you discover something very interesting and become inspired in your own way. -Ken |