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Clazzical Notes Goes
Three Flights Up
MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2005
7:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Spanky Wilson FEMALE JAZZ VOCALIST
Shana Blake Hill CLASSICAL VOCALIST
Jerri Price MODERATOR
at The Pasadena Museum of California Art
490 East Union Street, Pasadena
ARTIST BIOS
Spanky Wilson FEMALE
JAZZ VOCALIST
“…an extraordinary Jazz singer with a unique voice…”
 Spanky
Wilson is an American singer born in Philadelphia. Until 1967, she lived
in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, then in Los Angeles, California until 1985
when she she settled in Paris, France.
She has sung in clubs, in concerts, and has toured in the following
countries: Algeria, Angola, Belgium, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,
Canada, Congo, France, Germany, the island of Guam, Japan, Luxemburg,
Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Philippines,
Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, and the United
States.
Spanky has performed at many Jazz Festivals in different countries such
as: Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (France – 1987), Santiago de Compostela
(Spain – 1989), Montlouis-sur-Loire (France – 1989), "Jazz Terrasse"
(Spain – 1990), Montauban (France – 1990), "Jazz A Vienne" (Vienne, France
–1991, concert televised), "Jazz En Villeneuvois" (Villeneuve-sur-Lot,
France – 1991), Salon-de-Provence (France – 1992), "Crest Jazz Vocal"
(Crest, France – 1992), "Jazz In Marciac" (Marciac, France – 1994), "MadaJazzcar
94" (Antananarivo, Madagascar – 1994), Burghausen (Germany – 1995, concert
televised), "Jazz á Montauban" (Montauban, France – 1995), "8ème" & "10ème
Jazz aux Remparts" (Bayonne, France – 1997 & 1999), "20ème Jazz à Vannes"(Vannes,France-1999).
Spanky has performed with some of the whose who of the jazz world namely
the following artists: Marcus BELGRAVE, Doc CHEATHAM, Wallace DAVENPORT,
Nat ADDERLEY, Buster COOPER, Jeff CLAYTON, Richie COLE, Teddy EDWARDS,
Herb GELLER, Scott HAMILTON, Red HOLLOWAY, Guy LAFITTE, Harold LAND, Jack
NIMITZ, Houston PERSON, Marshal ROYAL, Stanley TURRENTINE.
In July 1999, Spanky performed with the Duke ELLINGTON Orchestra while it
was on tour in France. In the States, Spanky has worked regularly with
famous groups such as Jimmy McGRIFF's, Willie BOBO's, Benny CARTER ALL
STAR BAND, Teddy EDWARDS (Quartet, String Ensemble and Big Band).
Since 1989, Spanky Wilson regularly performs with the Philippe MILANTA
Trio; she has however sung as a guest in French bands such as Gérard
BADINI Swing Machine, Christian MORIN and François BIENSAN's Ellingtomania,
François GUIN's Four Bones and Swingers, Marc LAFERRIERE's group, Philippe
MILANTA Nonet, Ornicar Big Band, and Claude TISSENDIER's Saxomania.
Spanky Wilson recorded the following albums under her own name:
•
"SPANKIN' BRAND NEW" (Mother Records & The Snarf Company)
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"SPANKY / DOIN' IT" (Mother Records & The Snarf Company)
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"LET IT BE" (Mother Records & The Snarf Company)
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"SHAKE YOUR HEAD" / "HOME" (Eastbound Records)
•
"SINGIN' AND SWINGIN'" (1991 – Big Blue Records BBRC9104) "THINGS
•
ARE GETTING BETTER" (1999 – Jazz Aux Remparts JAR 64012)
She also
recorded the following albums as a guest:
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"HOUSTON PERSON & ETTA JONES / LIVE AT THE CLUB MOZAMBIQUE
•
GUEST SPANKY WILSON" (Eastbound Records)
•
"TOGETHER / VARIOUS / MELVIN SPARKS / JACK McDUFF / HOUSTON PERSON
/ ELLA JONES /
•
SPANKY WILSON / BILL MASON / GARY CHANDLER" (Ace Records)
•
"ORNICAR BIG BAND / L'INCROYABLE HUCK" (1991 – Big Blue Records)
•
"OLD SCHOOL BAND / 35TH ANNIVERSARY / GUEST STARS: BOB WILBER, ALAN
FREDERICKSON, SPANKY WILSON" (1993 – OSB)
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"TEDDY EDWARDS QUARTET: LA VILLA / GUESTS CHRISTIAN ESCOUDÉ, SPANKY
WILSON" (1993 – Verne/PolyGram/Gitanes Jazz Productions 523 495-2)
•
"CHRISTIAN MORIN / PARADIS MĒLODIE"
(1996 – Une Musique 191 726-2)
Moreover, Spanky
Wilson, conducted by Lalo SHIFFRIN, recorded the theme song of the movie
"KELLY'S HEROES".
Spanky Wilson is an
extraordinary Jazz singer with a unique voice, in terms of swinging,
"bluesy", tender or warm, with an impeccable diction and phrasing. Her
first influences were Dinah WASHINGTON, Nat "King" COLE and Louis JORDAN,
then later Eddie JEFFERSON who taught her how to scat.
BACK TO TOP
Shana Blake Hill CLASSICAL VOCALIST
“an intense young soprano…a standout”
–Los Angeles Times
 Shana
Blake Hill is an alumna of the Los Angeles Opera Resident Artist program.
Ms. Hill has also appeared with the company as a principal artist, most
recently as Papagena in Die Zauberflöte (opposite Rodney Gilfrey),
Zerlina in Don Giovanni during the company's 2002 tour to
Savonlinna, Finland, as well as Mimi in La Bohème, Barbarina in
Le nozze di Figaro, Clorinda in La Cenerentola, Niece #1 in
Peter Grimes and Rosalba in Florencia en el Amazonas (debut).
Ms. Hill has also appeared as a principal artist with Dayton Opera, Long
Beach Opera, Opera Santa Barbara, West Bay Opera, Durham Triangle Opera,
Opera San Luis Obispo, Opera Nova, and Redlands Bowl Opera. She has also
been a featured solo artist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Florida
Philharmonic, the Pacific Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra,
Riverside and San Bernadino Symphonies, and Fremont Symphony. Ms. Hill was
chosen by noted film composer Jerry Goldsmith to record the title track
"The Mission" which opens Paramount's Blockbuster film The Sum of all
Fears starring Ben Affleck and Morgan Freeman. Amazon.com remarks in
their review of the soundtrack CD, "What sets it apart is the operatic
performance of Shana Blake Hill...a stirring opening which does rather
prove to be the high point [of the score]."
Recent World Premieres have included Monticello, an opera premiered by Los
Angeles Grand Performances exploring the alleged relationship between
Thomas Jefferson and his slave mistress Sally Hemings, On Gold Mountain,
an opera adapted by the Los Angeles Opera from the novel by best selling
Chinese American author Lisa See, and most recently Sara's Diary: 9/11,
a dramatic song cycle broadcast live on KMZT FM in Los Angeles this fall
to mark the anniversary of the tragedy.
Upcoming appearances include: Beethoven's Missa Solemnis with the Berkeley
Symphony under the baton of Kent Nagano, Musetta in La Bohème with
Dayton Opera, Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 with the Pasadena Symphony and
conductor Jorge Mester, Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with West Bay
Opera, Bachianas Brasileiras no. 5 with Long Beach Symphony, Bachianas
Brasileiras no. 5 also with the Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus, Nedda in
I Pagliacci with Redlands Bowl Opera, Messiah with Fremont
Symphony, Puccini Highlights with the California Philharmonic, "Living
Latin Los Angeles Composers" a concert at the Ford Amphitheater, and a
world premiere performance at LA's Disney Hall with the Dakah Hip Hop
Orchestra. Ms. Hill holds a Bachelor's degree from the Oberlin
Conservatory of Music and a Master of Arts in Vocal Performance from the
University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.
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