In celebration of one year since the release of her debut CD entitled 'Except Sometimes' on Concord Records, Molly Ringwald who launched her CD release at Rockwell last year and has since performed over 150 concerts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and widely across the United States in major Concert Halls, Performing Arts Centers and Jazz Festivals. Back by popular demand Ringwald will perform live in Hollywood for three Tuesdays to include June 17th; July 1st; and July 15th at Rockwell Table & Stage.
'Except Sometimes' was produced by Molly Ringwald and Peter Smith and features Clayton Cameron on drums, Allen Mazquida on alto saxophone, Peter Smith on piano and Trevor Ware on bass.
Long before she became known as a Golden Globe-nominated actress, Ringwald was singing. She started performing with her pianist father's jazz band when she was three and she has never stopped.
"I had quite the musical repertoire," she recalls with a laugh. "It was pretty much traditional jazz but there was some Bessie Smith and Helen Kane, the original Betty Boop." Talk with Ringwald for even a short amount of time and it's clear her grasp of jazz and its history comes from a lifelong study of the form and the great singers who inspired her, including Smith, Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie and Susannah McCorkle.
"Blossom Dearie was the only one I got to see live. Susannah's recordings have really influenced me. I think she was really special in her gifts of interpretation and how much humanity she brought to the songs." However, the time wasn't right until now. Paul Mazursky cast the then 13-year old in "Tempest," and for the next few decades, her public focus was on acting, as she starred in such films as "Fresh Horses," "Betsy's Wedding," "King Lear," "The Pick-Up Artist," and, of course, her trio of films with John Hughes, "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty In Pink." "Once I started to act I felt like I had to make that decision," she says. Plus, during the '80s, "I didn't think there was a place for the music that I was interested in," she says. "There was no Madeline Peyroux, Diana Krall, Norah Jones... I didn't feel like anybody was going to listen to the kind of music that I wanted to sing. I thought, I'll just keep singing with my dad and focus on my acting."
The album put a new spin on such jazz and musical standards as "The Very Thought of You," "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)," "I'll Take Romance," "Sooner or Later," and "Where Is Love." "It was really hard to narrow it down," she says, of selecting the album's 10 tracks. "It was basically songs that I felt connected to and songs that I felt we played together well as a band. As much as I love traditional jazz, my real interest is more modern, more from the Great American Song Book."
See more at: http://www.iammollyringwald.com.
Ticket Links:
June 17th: http://rockwell-la.inticketing.com/evinfo.php?eventid=410397
July 1st: http://rockwell-la.inticketing.com/events/410398
July 15th: http://rockwell-la.inticketing.com/evinfo.php?eventid=410399
About Rockwell: Table & Stage: Located in the heart of Los Feliz Village, Rockwell: Table & Stage offers Angelenos a truly unique experience by staging live, musical performances all the while serving unwavering cuisine with seasonally altering menus. With a newly renovated indoor supper club and bi-level open-air patio restaurant, the entertainment destination attracts a dynamic crowd seeking the ambiance of a relaxed, yet cutting-edge community. Baroque chandeliers and dark rustic furniture fashion a warm indoor eatery and performance space, while a robust California Coral tree and flourishing vegetation set the scene for a lush, outdoor dining experience.
Rockwell: Table & Stage is located at 1714 N. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027. The indoor remodeled dining room opens each night at 5:30pm with music shows beginning at 8pm or 9pm. The outdoor patio space is open daily from 11am - 12am Sunday through Thursday and 11am - 2am Friday and Saturday. After work specials are served on the patio daily from 5pm - 8pm while brunch is served daily from 11am - 3pm and features health conscious lunch and brunch specials and innovative beverages. DJ's spin Thursday through Saturday evenings and at Sunday Brunch from 12 -4pm. Reservations can be made by calling (323) 669-1550. Find Rockwell: Table & Stage at www.rockwell-la.com as well as on Facebook.
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