If you've turned on a radio or TV in the past 24 years, there's a very good chance you've heard Danielle Blanchard's voice...
Danielle Rene Blanchard is a professional vocal musician with over 2,200 recordings & commercials to her credit throughout the US & Canada. A voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Danielle has performed on 11 recordings placed in nomination for Grammy Awards in the Contemporary Gospel & Children's Fields.
"Jazz Portrait," Danielle's latest release, promises a front row seat to a fulfilling listening experience. Much like being with Danielle and her band in a live show, the pace, mood, styles & instrumental settings put the listener through a musical ride in which they are emotionally involved. One minute Danielle is a jazz singer, an angelic chanteuse or night club torch song artist. The next, you get her mixed up with a country star, soul singer, rock or blues diva. When all is sung and done, we understand that Danielle's musical talents are still to be explored and discovered. From the jazz aficionado to the casual easy listening fan, there is something here for everyone. Welcome, take your favorite seat & enjoy the set!
What people say about Danielle:
"Danielle is a song stylist with the ability to interpret and communicate the essence of the composer's musical creation. Her vocal inflections caress every lyric as if it were married to the melodic line. She excels at shaping a phrase into a meaningful musical expression, and draws the listener into the heart of the song...We not only listen, we feel, and that's what a true artist accomplishes when they are as extraordinary as Danielle." --GENE GRIER, composer, author & publisher
"Even the butterflies have stopped dancing to soak up her sounds...Danielle has the ability to paint a picture with the way she interprets a song. She wraps the audience around every word, every note, and every nuance. Her interaction with her instrumental accompaniment is skillful but never mechanical...Most of all, she sings from the heart." - DUTCH WENZLAFF, producer, artist & composer of "Foggy Night" a Billboard Award-winning tune appearing on this album.
"Riding over all are the voluptuous vocals of singer Danielle Blanchard, who envelopes the vibrating crowd with her smoky renditions...singer's got it all--heart, soul and talent." -- Clarkston News
More information on "Jazz Portrait"
"Jazz Portrait" was recorded live in Studio A, Dearborn Heights, Michigan on June 16, 2001, except for "Nature Boy," which was recorded on June 27, 2001. Only minimal overdubs and sweetening or editing on percussion, horns, guitar or voice.
PERSONNEL:
Danielle Rene Blanchard, Vocals
James Murphy, Piano, Trumpet & Fluegel
David Gillespie, Guitar
Al Colter, Bass
Ian Levine, Drums & Percussion
Bronnie Brown, Saxophone
More about Danielle...
While Danielle keeps pretty busy performing and recording jingles and publisher demos in the studio, her 'day gig' is as a public school teacher who has enjoyed many honors, including being a Newsweek WDIV Teacher of the Year.
Danielle has a Masters in Music, and a wide array of musical experiences to match her stylistic versatility. She also sings in a professional vocal recording ensemble, EverGreen. Performances with numerous choral or vocal jazz
greats include Ward Swingle, John Rutter, Norman Luboff, and more.
Although she was raised and lives in the metropolitan Detroit area, Danielle calls Chicago her second home, having lived there while working on her masters. One of her favorite things to do on break from her studies was to sit in with Chicago piano icon, Buddy Charles, at the Drake Hotel, a relationship that continued to give her great joy during every visit to Chicago until Buddy's retirement from the Drake not so long ago.
She was sitting in with Buddy when she met Erwin 'Dutch' Wenzlaff. The fact that he was a producer with Mercury Records made for some great conversations. Dutch's knowledge of all the music spots in Chicago made him the perfect guide. Along the way, Danielle discovered that Dutch was also an artist and composer. Dutch included Danielle in two of his painted murals of Chicago jazz musicians that are on display in 2 restaurant/clubs. He also shared several songs with her, "Foggy Night" ending up on this CD!
Danielle is already working on her next recording of original material, and has a list of at least 5 other album projects she's always wanted to tackle. Sign the guestbook at www.DanielleBlanchard.com or www.DanielleSings.com to keep in touch with her creative activities.
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