Album Notes

Montenia performs at her restaurant in Springfield, MA on Saturday nights.


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Montenia: Love from L.A.:

The new compilation CD -- "Montenia: Love From L.A." -- pairs Montenia's self-titled cassette single from 1990, with her debut 1994 CD "In the Shuffle." For both projects, Montenia drew upon the solid core group of top flight musicians who accompanied her during the decade she filled night clubs and concert venues in Southern California. All twelve tracks are filled with great vocals and superb instrumental backing and solos.

Montenia was born in Detroit and traveled the world as a child while her father was in the US Air Force, before the family settled in Springfield, Massachusetts. Her early singing influences were Dinah Washington and Ella Fitzgerald, but she soon forged her own sound and way in the musical world and stands proud and comfortable today as a vibrant vocalist skilled in many musical styles. She has performed in the Midwest, the South, Los Angeles and vicinity, Las Vegas, the East Coast, and overseas in Greece, Finland, Lapland and Estonia. In addition to singing and working with vocal students, Montenia is also the owner and chef at Montenia's Creative Comfort Cuisine Restaurant in Springfield, Massachusetts.

If you love straight ahead jazzy and bluesy vocals mixed with the best in soulful ballad standards, you will surely love "Montenia: "Love From L.A."

The first two songs on the CD are from a 1990 cassette single and feature William Henderson, piano; Oscar Brashear, trumpet; Jeff Littleton, bass; and Michael Baker, drums. The remaining 10 tracks (13 songs total on the album) are from Montenia's 1994 "In the Shuffle" CD and bring back William Henderson and Jeff Littleton on piano and bass respectively; Jeff's brother Don Littleton provides drums and percussion; Bobby Bryant is the trumpet soloist; and session producer John Stephens is on alto sax. An enthusiastic in-studio entourage chime in with background vocals.