David Berger's jazz compositions and arrangements and transcriptions are played by hundreds of bands every day all over the world. A seven-time recipient of National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, Berger resides in New York City. Mr. Berger has transcribed and edited the great majority of the Essentially Ellington music, conducted band workshops, and annually serves as a judge at the Essentially Ellington Competition & Festival.
Freda Payne, best known for her worldwide Top 10 smash "Band Of Gold," grew up listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, which inspired her growing interest in music. She began her singing career with commercial jingles in her hometown of Detroit. Freda toured with Quincy Jones during his big band era; performing at the world famous Apollo in New York and the Regal in Chicago, among others. Soon after, she recorded the album When The Lights Go Down for Impulse Records and How Do You Say I Don't Love You Anymore, for MGM.
She made guest appearances on top television shows including Merv Griffin and Johnny Carson. During this time, a busy Freda also added theatrical credits to her resume. She understudied Leslie Uggams for the Broadway show Hallelujah, Baby! in 1967. In 1969 her hometown friends, brothers Brian & Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier persuaded Freda to sign with their newly formed label, Invictus. Freda went on to score with two million-selling singles: "Bring The Boys Home" and "Band Of Gold." She also recorded "Deeper and Deeper," "Cherish (What's Dear To You)" and "You Brought The Joy."
Freda moved to ABC and later Capitol Records, releasing such albums as Payne & Pleasure, Out Of Payne Comes Love and Supernatural High. In the 1980s, Freda concentrated on acting and television, hosting her own talk show, but never entirely losing touch with her music. She recorded a single in 1982 entitled "In Motion" (Sutra), and a remake of "Band of Gold" with Belinda Carlisle in 1986. In the 1990s, Freda recorded several songs for Ian Levine's UK Motorcity label. The new millennium brought a new album of jazz, pop and R&B called Come See About Me for the Volt label and rave reviews for the show "Love & Payne", which featured Freda and Darlene Love at Feinstein's in New York and the Cinegrill in Hollywood. Recently, Freda played a three-month run of Blues in The Night, alongside Maurice Hines at San Francisco's Post Street Theatre.
DENZAL SINCLAIRE, the Toronto-born vocalist, pianist and composer, has earned his reputation as Canada's most popular male jazz vocalist. Sinclaire is a graduate of Montreal's McGill University where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Performance. Denzal's vocal timbre is reminiscent of some of the great singers like Nat King Cole, Johnny Hartman and Johnny Mathis. A multiple Juno Award nominee, and recipient of the 2004 National Jazz Award for "Best Album", he has graced the stages of numerous jazz festivals, performed with symphony orchestras, and starred in his own one hour television special for BRAVO! In 2005, Denzal was inducted into the British Columbia Entertainment Hall of Fame.
His CDs include I Found Love for EmArcy; Denzal Sinclaire for Verve; and latest release My One and Only Love from Verve, featuring trumpeter Brad Turner, bassist ReuBen Rogers, drummer Gregory Hutchinson, guitarist Russell Malone and saxophonist Seamus Blake.
