Sun Jazz Night

New York based Amy London is considered by music business insiders and local NY jazz fans as a first call vocalist in New York City in a variety of settings - jazz club, studio, on stage with big bands and on Broadway. Her newest release as a leader, When I Look In Your Eyes, announces the arrival of a powerful new jazz diva to the international scene. Even before its release, this CD began gaining rare kudos from top-talent peers: "It's a delight, I would recommend it to anybody" is the comment from vocalese pioneer Annie Ross. "Amy London, where have you been hiding? Don't leave us so long without another CD" remarks grammy award-winning vocalist Mark Murphy. And, from internationally renowned pianist Fred Hersch comes the praise: "Amy London is a world-class singer possessing a beautiful and expressive vocal instrument, and always musical."

"When I Look In Your Eyes" was recorded at Bennett Studios with a New York City jazz dream team led by producer Suzi Reynolds, known for her productions with Teri Thornton, Jerome Richardson, Rufus Reid and many other top jazz artists. The line-up includes Rufus Reid, Roni Ben-Hur, Lee Musiker, Steve Kroon, Chris Byars leading a burning horn swection, and the late-great pianist John Hicks ? this was one of his last studio projects. Liner notes by WBGO Radio host and author, Sheila Anderson, tell the whole story.

"When I Look In Your Eyes," reveals London to have a vast emotional and musical range. As Anderson comments in her liner notes, Amy belongs in an 'elite group of female stylists, including Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, Nina Simone and Shirley Horn' who are expert at putting over a story and are also accomplished musicians who play piano, compose and are as much at home using their voices as true instruments in a jazz ensemble.

Born into a culturally active, Ohio based Jewish family full of mirth and talent, performing was quite literally in Amy's DNA. At the ripe old age of seven, she announced to her mother that she was going to be an entertainer. This career decision was spurred by seeing "Fiddler on the Roof" at the Cincinnati Shubert Theater with her parents and her grandma, Anna. Years later, after graduating from college, Amy got to sing the role of Tevye's daughter, Hodel, in Fiddler, at a dinner theater near Cincinnati where her grandmother was able to attend, which was very meaningful for Amy. Not only was "Fiddler" her first musical, but it also represented the life story of her grandmother, who had escaped persecution in Russia as a teen and emigrated to America.

As a suburban baby-boomer, Amy's musical tastes initially evolved mainly from a diet of American 60's and 70's pop and folk music. "I consider Laura Nyro to have been my first vocal coach? I spent hours at the piano learning all of her songs," (in fact, Nyro's 'Lazy Susan' is covered on this release.) "Laura, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor definitely got me through my years of teenage angst," chuckles Amy with a charming touch of self-deprecation. Amy credits her Uncle Harry as her 'first improvisational muse- he played organ for silent films at the Taft Theater in downtown Cincinnati.' Jazz only began officially to enter her orbit when she began studying jazz piano as a high-school senior, and then had an opportunity to take voice lessons with Milt Weiner, who had coached Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney. "Milt was the first one to bring my attention to jazz phrasing and putting across the story, he was a huge influence," says Amy, now a premier vocal coach herself, and an initial founder of the popular vocal department at the New School University BFA Jazz program in NYC.

Though Amy took her BA degree from Syracuse University in opera, her passion, and most of her college musical experience, was singing in Big Bands and in musicals. Upon graduation, she loaded all of her worldly possessions and her cat into her Uncle Joe's Chevy wagon and drove to New York City to "check out the career climate." Auditioning for everything that she could, she soon landed a professional job singing in the choir of the historic Trinity Church on Wall Street. " Being a nice Jewish girl who had only been in a church one time, it felt odd at first, but it turned out to be a very fruitful engagement for me," says Amy. The choir made several recordings in her three-year tenure, and led her to hook up with singers Judy Niemack and Alexandra Ivanoff, with whom she formed a vocal trio, "Jazz Babies," that stayed together for seven years and honed her jazz harmony chops to a high polish. Skills gained in her work in Jazz Babies and Vocal Jazz, Inc., a five voice group that toured the New York City elementary schools, would eventually result in her landing the lead vocal part in the hit Broadway musical "City of Angels." More on that soon.

Once in NY, Amy immersed herself in the NYC jazz scene. Legendary for her cooking, and the parties she would throw at her bachelorette pad in the Upper West Side, Amy came to know and gain the respect of many of the key players on the NY Jazz scene. In 1982 she auditioned for jazz trumpeter, Tom Browne, whose "Jamiaca Funk" had gone double-gold that year. Leery that someone who looked like Amy might belong in his band, Browne reluctantly gave her demo tape a listen, and responded with the comment, "Wow, a white chick who sounds black!" He hired her on the spot. Amy recorded and toured internationally with Browne and during that time became friends with George Benson, Ronnie Cuber, Billy May and Dr. Lonnie Smith, with whom she later recorded.

Other opportunities continued to find her. A stint with Charles Aznavour, where she sang back up, exposed her to Akira Tana, Harvie S and Jack Wilkins, with whom she recorded when the tour was over. Then, for three years Amy worked in an Afro-Cuban band lead by a man who called himself Alfredito, (really Alfred Kahn from Brooklyn) which often included such Latin jazz stars as Charlie Palmieri, Barry Rogers and Jimmy Sabater, adopting a "cool Latin vamp" and added mastery of a variety of percussion 'toys' to her growing arsenal of musical tricks.

Work with the 'New York Singer's Orchestra' in the late 80's, hooked Amy up with the NYC 'jingle circuit' which led to jobs singing for commercials and film, and to an opportunity to record with Darmon Meader, and the New York Voices, as the fifth singer on their CD, Ancient Tower. Ned Ginsburg, arranger and leader of the New York Singers Orchestra, brought Amy to Cy Coleman's attention as a possible lead voice in the "Angel City 4" the vocalese group that was the musical engine of his new musical 'City of Angels'. Out of eighty to one hundred singers who auditioned for the part, Cy chose Amy from the get go and she went on to have the time of her life as the project won 6 Tony awards including Best Musical and the sound track album was nominated for a Grammy.

Amy's enthusiasm, spirited personality, depth of experience in tight jazz harmonies, keen sight-reading and totally infectious swing landed her that coveted job. "It was such a thrill to be in a hit show with such a high caliber creative team ? Cy Coleman, David Zippel, Billy Byers, Larry Gelbart and Michael Blakemore ? but the biggest thrill of all was going to work for eight shows a week to sing such gorgeous swinging music to packed houses," says Amy of her experience. That job also put her and her newly-wed husband, guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, in a position to finally buy their dream house in New Jersey, where Amy now happily lives and very expertly keeps house while she and Roni lovingly raise the two beautiful daughters that have come along since those days.

Amy's last full-time singing gig, before answering the call of motherhood, was a three year stint at the Rainbow Room which ended abruptly when she was fired for being pregnant. "That's a whole story in itself," laughs Amy. Clear about priorities, upon the birth of her first born, Sofia, Amy made teaching and motherhood her two major focuses at that time. She helped establish the vocal program at the New School, (now one of the strongest such programs in the country) and she also worked and taught with her husband Roni, who is a key recording artist and music educator in his own right in the field of bebop . But now, with the kids at 9 and 11, and a hot new album, she's ready to go back to her first love, singing on big stages to packed houses.

Though few people outside of New York know her as yet, Amy's story is sure to resonate with the masses. It's a 'mid-westerner makes good in the big town story',( reflected in the leading track, and in the medley Ohio/Anyplace I Hang My Hat Is Home), it's a daughter's story (Amy maintains a deep relationship with her 88 year old mother, to whom she dedicates the title track of her album), it's a baby boomer's story (Amy's jazz is infused with pop sensibilities which allow it to cross-over), and Amy's is a fabulous NY jazz story full of hilarious stories, and hip, moving sophisticated music. This CD, sadly, wound up being one of the very last documents of the highly influential New York Jazz pianist, John Hicks, to whom Amy dedicates the recording.

Jazz fans who will soon encounter Amy are likely to wonder who she is, and how she could suddenly spring on the scene with such a mature record. Motema is determined to get the secret out. Amy London is a new force to be reckoned with, and if you get a chance to interview her, be sure to come hungry. This svelt Jewish mother is incapable of talking with anyone without showing off her legendary cooking. Next up: An instructional singing book featuring analyses of the solos of Ella Fitzgerald along with a variety of 'singer friendly' recipies!

Amy is available for touring and teaching engagements, in any format from Duo to Quintet to Big Band and Pops Orchestra. Amy's husband, guitarist Roni Ben Hur is also a Motema artist. They can tour as a performing and teaching duo, and also work closely with bass and educational jazz legend, Rufus Reid, a Motema artist as well. As a trio, they can offer one of the finest and most well rounded series of performance workshops and clinics available on the jazz scene today.

http://amylondonsings.com/