SITE
CONTENTS:
INTRO:
WHY I LOVE JAZZ, THE MUSICAL PEOPLE IN MY LIFE
LESLIE
MUSIC SAMPLES: Side Bar,
RI College Jazz
Combos, Other Gigs
LESLIE PERFORMING in SHOW "An Adult Song and
Dance Revue"
BOOKING, CONTACT & REPERTOIRE
SUMMER 2009 JAZZ /CABARET VOCALIST
SHOWCASE PICTURES
JEAN
McKENNA-O'DONNELL MUSIC SAMPLE LINK
MY
FELLOW RI COLLEGE PROFESSORS & STUDENTS:
SHAWNN MONTEIRO GREG ABATE CHRISTY ISLES JEAN SULLIVAN-EVANS ANGELA CERRITO
*** For Information About MY POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDIES/ACTIVITIES & FAMILY NEWS & PICTURES, Go To: WWW.MILLERMETERS.COM ***
BOB MARIANI LESLIE CARICATURES
I want to thank music historian, writer, and artist Bob Mariani from Bristol, RI for these wonderful caricatures of me that he did on cocktail napkins while I was singing at The Side Bar in Providence, RI!
"I fell in love with
jazz the minute I heard Billy Holiday, and even more when Maureen
McGovern came out with her Gershwin album called Naughty Baby "
As a writer, I can't but
help but have a passion for jazz. The standards are shining examples of
the best song-writing I could ever aspire to. Some of my jazz and blues
singing influences have been Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McCrae,
Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, Della Reese, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Etta James,
Maureen McGovern, Patti Austin, my Jazz Vocals
professor at Rhode Island College Shawnn Monteiro, and more recently,
I've really enjoyed Karrin Allyson, Jane Monheit, and Nancy LaMott. My favorite composers are the
Gershwin brothers, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, Rodgers and
Hart, to name only a handful out of the many I love and cover! (I just
learned that Ogden Nash, one of my favorite poets as a young adult,
wrote the lyrics to "Speak Low"!)
I'm fine-tuning my jazz talents while I'm at RI College, studying for a minor in Jazz Studies as well as finishing my major in Political Science. (Go to www.millermeters.com for more about my political science studies/activities & family news & pics.) I was so lucky to have Shawnn Monteiro as my jazz vocals professor! You can visit her site by clicking here, and I hope you'll catch one of her local shows (her calendar is on her site...she can be seen at the Atlantic Beach Club and Sardello's in Newport, and the Hi Hat in Providence among a few places, when she's not teaching or performing in Europe). Shawnn encouraged me by the saying, "if you stumble, make it a part of your dance"! (I hope you'll visit the section below about my professors, and fellow and recently graduated students.)
I'm also learning so much from Greg Abate, my Jazz Combo director as well as my jazz theory professor! Again, I'm so impressed with the world-class talent that both Greg and Shawnn bring to RI College and the patience and humility that are so characteristic of the way they deal with their students. Greg also performs from time to time at The Atlantic Beach Club and Sardella's in Newport and my husband and I love going to see him at Chan's Egg Rolls and Jazz in Woonsocket. His dates are listed on his web site which you can get to from here.
Last summer (2009) I was privileged to be featured weekly in a vocal showcase at The Side Bar in Providence, RI. Accompanied by Odie Teken on keyboard and Todd Baker on upright bass (with occasional appearances of great drummers like Vinny Pagano, Lee Fish, and Austin McMahon, as well as Steve Hershman on keyboard and either Dave Landoni or Tom Pasquarelli on bass filling in when Odie and Todd couldn't be with us). You're hearing a clip from one of those evenings when Vinny Pagano joined Odie and Todd and they accompanied me as I sang "Too Close For Comfort" by Bock, Larry Holofeener, and George Weiss.
My co-host last summer was my friend and sister of the late, great pianist, Dave McKenna, JEAN McKENNA-O'DONNELL. Jean doesn't have a web site but I was excited to find some of her work on NPR's web site. There's a wonderful article called "Remembering Jazz Pianist Dave McKenna" which has two 1965 recordings of Jean being accompanied by her brother Dave ("Baubles, Bangles, And Beads" & "I'm Beginning To See The Light") as well as two cuts from her recording "Full Circle" which was released last year ("I'm Old Fashioned" & "You Stepped Out Of A Dream"). Here's the link to hear Jean's recordings and read this article: LINK.
I also have to mention my dear friend Angela Cerrito. Angela continues to amaze and inspire me...I thought I was too old to be taking classes at RI College at 49, and then in walks Angela (then 82) into my Jazz Theory II class taught by Greg Abate a few semesters ago last year! I was impressed that someone her age still feels you're never too old to learn... That would have been enough to make me want to get to know this dynamic woman. Then a couple of weeks into our semester, after class Greg was playing some beautiful songs on the piano. I didn't recognize them and asked him where I could find them in the Real Book (where many of our jazz standards are published). Greg said, these aren't standards...I was surprised because they sound just like them. I was pleased to find out that they were Angela's compositions! Angela is always positive and encouraging...a true delight to be around. She's now 83 and still studying at RI College! She had a few of her songs recorded several years ago and was one of our guest vocalists last summer during the Tuesday Night Jazz Vocalist Showcase. Please see the RI College Students link below to hear her sing one of her songs.
Pictures From Summer 2009 Jazz Vocalist Tuesday Night Showcase:
Our pianist Odie Teken & Host Leslie Miller / Guest Bassist Dave Landoni, Odie Teken, & my Co-Host Jean McKenna-O'Donnell
Dave, Odie, & Singer-Songwriter Angela Cerrito / Guest Vocalist Diane Carey / Our pianist Odie Teken taking a solo
Jeanne Sullivan-Evans, left; and Terri Giviens & Alan Del Andrade, right, on horn w/ Odie Teken and Dave Landoni (not pictured)
Nicole DeVille and Odie Teken
Moments from
Live Performances:
The Side Bar, Providence, RI: RI College Jazz Combos:
(Apr-Aug. 2009) (Spring 2009)
♫ Too Close For Comfort: PLAY (Full-length) ♫ I Can Hear You Smile (original): PLAY
Odie Teken, Keyboard; Todd Baker, bass; Vinny Pagano, drums Matt Dube, piano; Dan Pelletier, vibes; Joe Bentley, bass;
♫ Embraceable You: PLAY (Full-length) AJ Gervasio, alto sax; Dan Shippee, trombone;
Odie Teken, Keyboard; Todd Baker, bass; Vinny Pagano, drums Ryan Tremblay, drums
♫ All Of Me: PLAY (Song excerpt) ♫ Afterglow (original): PLAY
Steve Hershman, Keyboard; Dave Landoni, bass; ♫ Willow Weep For Me: PLAY
Austin McMahon, drums Matt Dube, piano; Dan Pelletier, vibes; Joe Bentley, bass;
♫ Willow Weep For Me: PLAY (Song excerpt) AJ Gervasio, alto sax; Dan Shippee, trombone;
Steve Hershman, Keyboard; Dave Landoni, bass; Mike Debelis, drums; Greg Abate, flute & alto sax
Austin McMahon, drums (Fall 2009)
♫ I'll Remember April: PLAY (Song excerpt) ♫ Who Of You? (original): PLAY
Odie Teken, Keyboard; Todd Baker, bass; Vinny Pagano, drums ♫ Woman Turnin' 50 Blues (original): PLAY
♫ Since I Fell For You: PLAY (Song excerpt) Greg Abate, piano; Joe Bentley, bass; Mike Debelis, drums
Steve Hershman, Keyboard; Dave Landoni, bass; AJ Gervasio, alto sax; Dan Shippee, trombone
Austin McMahon, drums RI College Jazz Recital with Matt Dube, piano
♫ One Note Samba: PLAY (Full-length) (May 4, 2010)
Odie Teken, Keyboard; Todd Baker, bass ♫ Damned If I Do? (original): PLAY
♫ April Snow? (original): PLAY
Jazz Jury with Mike Kregler, piano
♫ Love Dance: PLAY
Private Party with Matt Dube, piano: (March 7, 2010)
♫ My Funny Valentine: PLAY
♫ Over The Rainbow: PLAY
♫ Afterglow (original): PLAY
♫ Who Of You? (original): PLAY
♫ Woman Turnin' 50 Blues (original): PLAY
Pics from "An Adult Song and Dance Revue" at RI College on May 18, 2008
Links to songs from that show:
I'm being accompanied by the Ron Bianchi Trio
♫ Cheek to Cheek: PLAY
♫ God Bless The Child: PLAY
FOR BOOKING PLEASE CALL 401-935-2703
Current Jazz Repertoire:
RI
College Present Jazz/Performance Students and Alumni Pics & Music:
Our Professors:
www.shawnnmonteiro.com www.gregabate.com
My dear friend Christy Isles...fellow student , song-writer, vocalist, pianist, and single mother of 3! I love her energy, enthusiasm, creativity, & talent! Here's pics of Christy accompanied by Matt Dube on piano, and Alex Walsh on bass performing at the College Student Performance Series she started at The Hi-Hat in Providence. They're taking a break for the rest of the summer but will be back in September. You can go to her MySpace.com page to hear her music and for her performance schedule: www.myspace.com/ChristyIsles
Jeanne Sullivan-Evans and her cabaret group Capital City Cabaret.
I met Jeanne during my first semester and her last semester at RI College. Jeanne has an extensive background in musical theatre & performance. Her web site has wonderful pictures and music and her Capital City Cabaret has had rave revues! Jeanne is an elegant, charming, and engaging performer to watch and listen to...You can hear her sing and find out her performance schedule on her web site:
Angela Cerrito at 19
My dear friend, fellow student, and songwriter Angela Cerrito and a recording one of her original compositions recorded in 2003, "Brooklyn In The '30s." Angela (and Jean McKenna-O'Donnell) are wonderful examples of 'you're never too old to learn' or follow your dreams!
