Antoinette Montague will appear on Saturday, December 4, 2010, in a return engagement as the featured performer in the St. Albans Very Special Holiday Jazz Vespers, St. Albans Congregational Church, 172-17 Linden Boulevard, St. Albans, Queens, NY 11434, 718-657-8282. Antoinette will be accompanied by a group of the jazz world's top professionals, including Bill Easley on saxes, clarinet and flute (who has a new release entitled 'Love Stories' www.billeasley.net) and Jay Hoggart on vibes. Montague will be singing standards from her new recording 'Behind The Smile', which features pianist Mulgrew Miller.
Born and raised in Newark, Antoinette Montague was drawn to the music by her mother who was always singing and sounded like
Ella Fitzgerald. Montague's interest was further jump started by her dad. "On Saturdays my dad would drop me off at the Newark Public Library on his way to work. There I would listen to
Louis Armstrong and
Duke Ellington." Years later Montague met up with the renowned Etta Jones, who became her mentor. "She encouraged me when others were being uncool. She would say, ‘I hear it Annie. It is coming along, and it's going to be wonderful. Not everybody wants you to sing like they did me. Keep doing it and don't quit, or I will come back and haunt you.'"
Montague released her first CD, 'Pretty Blues', in 2006 featuring pianist Mulgrew Miller, saxophonist
Bill Easley, drummer Kenny Washington, and bassist Peter Washington-the same group of influential jazz players featured on the new release Behind The Smile. Montague has appeared on the cover of Jazz Improv NY Magazine and on two book covers of Who's Who in Jazz, Cabaret and Music. She has performed at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, Jazzmobile's Summer Breeze Concert Series, Zebra Room in Harlem's famous Lenox Lounge, the Blue Note, Jazz Standard and more.
Antoinette's album, Behind The Smile features a diverse repertoire of standards and originals including "What's Going On," "The Song Is You," "Get Ready," "Somewhere In The Night" as well the vocalist / composer's original title song "Behind The Smile". At the upcoming Jazz Vespers performance listeners get to hear Montague tap into her extensive repertoire and distinctive renditions of "What The World Needs Now," "Creole Love Call," "Rough and Ready Man," "Let the Good Times Roll," "God Bless the Child," "On The Street Where You Live," "Lady Be Good," "I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart,"
Duke Ellington's "I Didn't Know About You," "East Of the Sun," "I'll Be Seeing You," "Swing It Brother Swing," "Smack Dab In The Middle," Mose Allison's, "If You've Got Questions Ask Me Nice",
Stevie Wonder's, "Ribbon In the Sky" and others.
"Antoinette Montague's name and elegant physical appearance have the touch of royalty. It's silly to take the regal comparison too far, yet her singing on her second album suggests a fitting for a tiara isn't out of the question. Focused and with purity of intent, she skillfully advances stories that are open-hearted gifts to listeners rather than exhibits of showy technique or solipsistic disclosure. Long under the spell of
Sarah Vaughan and
Ella Fitzgerald, mentored by
Carrie Smith and Etta Jones, Montague has the vocal command and depth of feeling to make you believe the words to songs, even potentially mawkish ones." - DOWNBEAT review by Frank-John Hadley
"Montague has a voice that is immediately appealing, and is adaptable to the variety of tunes that she has chosen for the album. Her sound is smooth with a soulful edge. She never gets tied up with vocal excesses, emphatic when she needs to be, and tender at the appropriate moments."
-Joe Lang, Jersey Jazz
"Antoinette Montague has a powerful voice, the ability to hold long notes without wavering, and a knack for making every song sound bluesy." -Sound Bytes
Antoinette's new CD, "Behind the Smile"- Buy it here:
J&R Music http://tinyurl.com/2cld6fp
Allegro Media Group http://tinyurl.com/2evuuor
Amazon http://tinyurl.com/2g9qbfj
Barnes & Noble http://tinyurl.com/2b3p6e5
Bill Easley's new CD, 'Love Stories' - Buy it here:
http://tinyurl.com/24z6yyd
Upcoming!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
3:00 - 5:00 pm
Antoinette Montague Quintet
The New Jersey Jazz Society
The Community Theatre
at the Mayo Center for the Performing Arts
100 South Street
Morristown, NJ 07960
973-539-8008
www.mayoarts.org
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