KATHY KOSINS: THE LADIES OF COOL Set for Harris Center, 2/26-28

Vocalist Kathy Kosins is an ASCAP award winning songwriter and record producer who has won the hearts of critics and fans around the globe with her eclectic musical palette that expands the rich history of jazz. In a multimedia concert salute The Ladies of Cool Kathy brings to life the extraordinary artistry of the great singers of 40s and 50s "cool," Anita O'Day, June Christy, Chris Connor and Julie London to the Harris Center for the Arts audiences. This concert includes presentation of vintage and rarely seen photographs and historical facts about each of these ladies, plus stories of the songs themselves, with photographs of the songwriters who created them.

Born and bred during the Motown era of Detroit, Kathy Kosins has explored the vocal jazz idiom of the West Coast "cool school," and the relationships between its composers and arrangers. She placed particular emphasis on those talented singers who were household names to jazz and pop fans alike in that era. Kathy is an accomplished interpreter of jazz, who has a voice and style that shares that intimate and alluring quality found in The Ladies of Cool. The Chicago Tribune credits her as "One of the most alluring voices in Jazz," and the Jazz Times proclaims "Kosins is a delightful surprise... reminiscent of Peggy Lee...worthy of Dinah Washington."

Kathy Kosins "The Ladies of Cool" plays in the intimate Stage 2, City Studio Theater, on Thursday, February 26, 2015 at 7:30 pm, Friday, February 27, 2015 at 7:30 pm, and Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 2 & 7:30 pm. $19-$39; Students with ID $12; 10% Discount on Thursday Single Tickets. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

Kosins began singing and arranging background vocals for producer Don Was in the early eighties, which led to her becoming one of the most sought after session singers. As a lead vocalist she recorded for both Carrere (Sony) and Quality Records and later toured with Was/Not Was.

In the early "90s, Kosins, a ferocious writer and arranger, fell in love with the freedom of the jazz art form and her writing naturally evolved into a more traditional approach. Stints with the JC Heard and Nelson Riddle Orchestras followed and led to a 1996 release of All In A Dreams Work (SchoolKids Records), an impressive debut featuring a first-rate collection of nine originals and a cover of the Miles Davis composition "Four." Her 2002 release of Mood Swings (Chiaroscuro Records) continued to bring her recognition and success at the national level. On her 2006 release of Vintage, (Mahogany Jazz), she rediscovered little known songbook gems which she placed alongside a few widely known, yet unexpected tunes from outside the jazz tradition, which brought her glowing reviews from journalists, as has her 2012 release To The Ladies of Cool.

A past recipient of the Michigan Council for the Arts (Jazz Composer of the Year), Kosins has received grants from Michigan's ArtServe advocacy group for her clinics and workshops teaching performance skills alongside business strategies for the independent artist.

Kosins has recorded with many well-known jazz and R&B artists to include Aaron Goldberg, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, Peter Bernstein, Larry Koonse, Tamir Hendelman, Robert Hurst, Jeremy Pelt, Jon Ellis, Howard Levy, Don Was, Martin Wind, Ben Wolfe, Michael Henderson and more.

One of the "Ladies of Cool" being saluted is Anita O'Day, the most prominent female jazz singer not named Billy Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan. Her career was jump-started in the early 1940s with Gene Krupa's band, followed by stints with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton before embarking on a solo career. Another "Cool" lady recognized is June Christy, who began singing with big bands at age 13 and then followed Anita O'Day into the Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1945 where she remained for the better part of seven years. June had a successful solo and is best remembered for her interpretations of "Something Cool" and "Midnight Sun." Chris Connor is also honored. She was discovered singing with bandleader Claude Thornhill by June Christy, who was planning on leaving the Kenton band for a solo career. June recommended her to her boss and Chris spent a year on the band before going off on her own. Her signature song was "All About Ronnie." Last but not least, Julie London is remembered for parlaying some acting talent and an intimate, sultry voice into a successful career. Billboard named her Most Popular Female Singer from 1955 through 1957.She is likely best remembered for her interpretation of the plaintive ballad, "Cry Me A River."

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