CHRISTINE SPERO

" WINNER of the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition Jazz Category!" USA Today, Billboard, Keyboard Magazine __________________________________________________ "Leading the next wave of Latin Jazz in the Hudson Valley region of New York" Chrongram-July 2004 __________________________________________________ The Christine Spero Group plays an exciting blend of jazz,Latin, pop and world influenced original music. Christine is a pianist, singer and songwriter whose work is passionate, unique and diverse. Her well-crafted songs are mature and complex and leave a lot of room for other musicians to express themselves. ___________________________________________________ Christine is the winner of the 2004 USA Songwriting Competition in the Jazz category for her song "He Wasn't Always That Way" and Finalist with her song "Caribbean Nights" in the 2002 competition! ___________________________________________________ "Comparing Christine Spero's achievement to "American Idol" would denigrate what the East Jewett singer-songwriter has done. While "Idol" dilutes and sanitizes pop music, Spero heightens it. Congratulations to Christine Spero. She quietly brought honor to Greene County and prove music that flies under the radar can have its own integrity." Daily Mail/Hudson Valley Newspapers ___________________________________________________ The granddaughter of a classical pianist, Christine was in the church choir and accompanist and soloist on piano and organ. When she heard the music of Sergio Mendes and Laura Nyro her musical sphere began to include much more than just from the classical realm. After recording her first songs on RCA as a young child, she moved to the West Coast to attend college for music and botany.She worked with many jazz and classical musicians who influenced her eclectic and personal style of composing and was the pianist for Bob Braye's Peace and Rhythm Unit. Back in her native New York, she founded a six-piece group including saxophone and trumpet which toured the East Coast. The Christine Spero Group is currently a quartet with Elliot Spero on saxophones and percussion,Mike Woinoski on bass and Jody Sumber on drums. They were one of the headliners at The Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz on July 15, 2006 along with Ray Vega, Bobby Matos, Kim Waters, Walter Beasley and the Woody Herman Orchestra. www.hartfordjazz.com and have opened for such notables as pop icon of the 60s and 70s, Melanie, Andrea Brachfield and T.K. Blue. They have been featured on Time Warner Cable's television show, "Poughkeepsie LIVE!" Visit them at: www.christinesperogroup.com