(Vocal Jazz, Swing, Big Band) Amanda Carr and The Kenny Hadley Big Band - Common Thread - 2009, MP3, 320 kbps

#777Having emerged as the consummate entertainer, Amanda Carr is a multi-styled vocalist/pianist that began early on in her teens and 20’s in the rock and pop genre, but using this influence has, in recent years, focused on fresh interpretations of the Great American Songbook. For over three decades she’s performed and recorded both in the U.S. and abroad. She’s received critical acclaim from a tough bevy of reviewers. Her 2005 recording, “Tender Trap” debuted by charting nationally in the top 50 and received 4-stars from All Music Guide. Her follow-up national release in 2007 was a feature story by respected jazz journalist, Nat Hentoff, in The Wall Street Journal which catapulted her to global exposure as he hailed her, “...a true jazz singer in a time of wannabes”. (She’s also featured in Hentoff’s book, “At the Jazz Band Ball: 60 Years on the Jazz Scene” 2010-University of California Press.)
Among her varied performances, she created and starred in “A Tribute to Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman”, a big band show that traveled to various cities nationwide completing a 30-date 2008-09 touring season. Amanda has been featured with The Artie Shaw Orchestra, Harry James Band and the Glenn Miller Band among her many other guest vocal appearances including guest soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra among other notable symphony orchestras. She toured northern Italy, where she recorded “Live in San Giorgio” with Trio Martinale after headlining at Eurojazz Festival, sharing the bill with George Mraz and James Moody. In 2011, she toured Australia, gaining new fans down-under. Amanda has composed and performed award-winning music for two PBS documentaries and received an Emmy nomination for “The Story of Golf” that aired as an 8-part series on the Golf Channel. She’s won awards for her musical contributions to “Boston Red Sox: 100 Years of Baseball History” and original works with children’s music with the “Lil’Iguana” series. In 1999 she received the Videographer Award by the NTA for excellence in Music Composition in addition to her multiple “Telly’s”. She has dozens of TV and Radio commercials to her credit.
Among her own recordings, her eclectic album credits include the late Dave Guard from the Kingston Trio on his final album “Up & In”, a year long project in the early 1980’s. Since then she has a long list of album credits as both a music composer and vocalist. Along with 4 other CD’s since 1995, Amanda released big band CD “Common Thread” in October of ‘09, with the Kenny Hadley Big Band. Like the 2007 small group release “Soon”, “Common Thread” soared to #2 on Amazon’s Jazz Bestseller list on the heels of a Wall Street Journal endorsement and debuted #32 on the Billboard Charts. With distribution and airplay in over a dozen countries, including Japan and the Netherlands, and a growing International fanship, Amanda continues to perform with her own group while a popular guest vocalist with many other ensembles.

After two highly successful small group releases (Tender Trap ’05 & Soon ’07), it’s only natural that this quintet neatly fits into its larger configuration: a powerfully tasty 16-piece big band led by drummer Kenny Hadley with the vocal lacings of Amanda Carr. Again, they choose those underexposed gems from the American Songbook and treat them to superb arrangements from Grammy winning writers. Amanda’s clear and pure voice is the perfect thread that dynamically weaves through this exciting collection of spirited and inventive performances. With their fierce, but organic approach, echoing the sound of bands like Stan Kenton, Woody Herman or even Boston’s own Herb Pomeroy, this group offering will satisfy both the big band enthusiast and the discerning palate that appreciates a vocalist who sings the tunes with zeal, but without overindulgent vocal acrobatics.

Amanda Carr – vocals
Dave Chapman - soprano, alto sax, clarinet
Mark Pinto - alto sax, flute, clarinet (1, 3-5, 8-14)
Jerry Vejmola - tenor sax, flute, clarinet
Arnie Krakowsky - tenor sax, clarinet
Ken Reid - baritone sax, bass clarinet
Jeff Galindo, Jon Garniss, George Murphy, Tim Kelly – trombone
Rick Hammett, Lin Biviano, Scott Degburn, Pat Stout - trumpet and flugelhorn
John Wilkins – guitar
Bronek Suchanek – bass
Kenny Hadley - drums