(Vocal Jazz) Barbara Lusch - Barbara Lusch - 2004, MP3, 320

[ A Tiny Star Begins to Twinkle ]
It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon, and a tiny girl sits at her grandmother’s knee, hearing tales of life as a female vocalist in the twenties. The grandmother is Alice Werren, one of the four Werren Sisters whose vocal harmonies could be heard at the world-famous Orpheum Theatre, and on 78’s in the twenties and thirties.
The little girl was Barbara Lusch and the clear, melodious voice that harmonized with her grandmother’s possessed a remarkable tone quality that is still with her today.
[ Portland, Oregon ]
The Barbara Lusch story begins and continues in Portland, Oregon with many a musical adventure in between. She learned to love the jazz standards from her grandmother, and grew up singing with her sisters. As a student of music and performing arts in New York and Los Angeles for over a decade, Barbara gained experience and national exposure in network television series, daytime soaps, sitcoms, films and commercials, as well as in the theater. Back in Portland, her solo career was preceded by a stint as vocalist with a popular Latin band which appeared with the Oregon Symphony Pops and in venues like Portland’s historic Crystal Ballroom. Barbara went solo in 2002, and now her career finds her performing throughout the Pacific Northwest, with regular engagements at local, high-profile clubs, like the world renown Jimmy Mak’s. Recent credits include Portland’s Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, the Portland Jazz Festival, and Astoria’s Historic Liberty Theater. Her first CD, Barbara Lusch, released in 2004, received enthusiastic press and radio airplay both nationally and abroad. The recent release of Barbara’s second CD, Surprisingly Good For You, met with equal enthusiasm from fans and industry insiders. In the words of one reviewer, she is “a first-class vocalist at the top of her game.”
[ The Woman Behind The Voice ]
Barbara Lusch is much more than the playful, intimate voice taking us back in time. As bandleader, she hires musicians who will compliment her interpretations of the vintage pop music she performs. As producer, she looks for a particular balance of favorite standards and less well-known numbers – adding her unique musical style and storytelling flair. It’s a combination that leaves her audience wanting more.

Here's a smooth, sultry voice that tells a compelling story, be it in 50's Peggy Lee standards or bossa nova classics.
Barbara Lusch makes "a fine and overdue debut" (Jazz Scene, March 2004) with this self-titled CD. In "Barbara Lusch", she has gathered a mix of material from the 1940s to 1960s, including tunes recorded by influential artists such as Rosemary Clooney, Peggy Lee and Julie London. Her intimate, honest-sounding, mellow voice floats above the grooves both Latin and swing.
This CD showcases Barbara's sparkling jazz interpretations of classics of pop, swing, Bossa Nova as well as standards. Noted by critics for her solid vocal talent with Pepe & the Bottle Blondes, Barbara started her own band nearly two years ago with the help of renowned percussionist Bobby Torres. For the twelve songs on the album, Torres and pianist Dan Gaynor created unique arrangements that reinterpret these standards, including unusual versions of 'Light My Fire', 'Come On-A My House' and 'Black Coffee'.
Barbara chooses her music with an eye to telling a story and setting a mood. Just listen to how she draws you into "I Love The Way You're Breaking My Heart", or places the listener on a velvet cushion in "So Nice".
A native of Portland, Oregon, Barbara lived and studied in New York and Los Angeles, gaining performance experience in network TV series, sitcoms, films, commercials, print, as well as theater. Returning to Portland, she performed for five years with Pepe & the Bottle Blondes, a popular salsa/swing band, until forming her own group several years ago.
Kyle O'Brien in Jazz Scene has praised her "pure, relaxed and alluringly breathy" voice, as well as her "delicious sense of timing drawing the listener in like a siren, with a delivery that sways sexily behind the beat, as on her slinky swing version of Come On-A My House and a Latin swing version of Light My Fire"(Jazz Society of Oregon, March 2004). The Oregonian (April 2, 2004) compares her interpretations favorably to those of Astrud Gilberto, Shirley Bassey, Julie London and Peggy Lee, and states "it's not hard to get carried along by the familiar tunes filling (Barbara's) debut...album." The band also receives kudos: The Oregonian (April 2, 2004) pointed out Bobby Torres' "understated percussion and classy arranging (that) works like the gears of a fine timepiece..." "A fine band of local musicians back Lusch with understated precision...and give Lusch a solid platform to transport the melody with her plush voice", wrote Kyle O'Brien (Jazz Scene, March 2004)

Barbara Lusch: vocals
Dan Gaynor: piano
Scott Steed, Essiet Essiet, Kevin Dietz: bass
Reinhardt Melz: drums
Bobby Torres: percussion
Sean Holmes, Kirk Green, Billy Bradford: background vocals