This Saturday at the Randolph Performing Arts Center!!!
Mickey Freeman - Livin The Dream
Saturday October 13th, 2012
7:00PM Wine And Cheese Reception
8:00PM Performance
Ticket Price: $20.00 In Advance, $25.00 At The Door
Click Here To Purchase Tickets Online!
Artist Information:
If you were a fan of jazz in Boston in the early 80s and liked vocal groups you may have heard Mickey in a group she helped found in Boston called THE RITZ.Mickey is a sensational jazz vocalist who claims as her influence great artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Irene Kral, Carmen McCrae, Streisand, Stacey Kent, June Christy, Anita O'Day, Mel Torme, Johnny Hartman, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
Mickey states: "Although my mother wasn't a professional singer, I believe she could have been. She had a beautiful voice and listened to many singers, so naturally, I did too."
Mickey Freeman jazz vocalist pictured here at her Blue Duchess session with Mark Teixeira drums, Marty Ballou bass, Mickey and Paul Nagel piano
Duke says: "My decision to record Mickey was an instant one after she sat in with my band at the Iridium in NYC recently. Before that I had only heard her on a cassette tape she had given me when she was 19 years old proclaiming "I'm going to be a jazz singer Duke!" Her voice was perfect and I thought well, she has all the talent, phrasing and timber, so why not? Soon I lost contact with her but recently received an email asking if I remembered her. Mickey told me she would like to come to my show at The Iridium. After inviting her to sit in with my band that night, I decided she HAD to be recorded."
"Livin' The Dream" Coming Soon!
We will let Mickey tell her own story from here.
"In December of 1980, I answered an ad to audition for a vocal group. They were looking for someone who could sing harmony and do choreography. I had neither of these attributes….or so I thought at the time. I went to the audition with the flu and was hired on the spot.
The band was called the Boo-Bette Band a 30s, 40s swing band consisting of 3 female singers and one male vocalist/pianist. We did lots of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross material, as well as Hi - Los and Andrews Sisters material. It was during my first gig with The Boo-Bette's that I met my husband, Bob."
"Bob and I were married in September of 1982. Upon returning from our honeymoon, there was a decision to change some of the personal. The Boo-Bettes became "Puttin' on the Ritz." We recorded two albums and traveled to Morocco, Singapore and Helsinki performing at various locations and jazz festivals.
We also toured the US extensively, playing at the Washington Monument as well as some of the more well known jazz clubs in the country. We opened for the Pointer Sisters and shared the bill with such jazz greats as Kenny Barron, Phil Woods, Zoot Sims and Spyro Gyra."
"In 1987 I left The Ritz after becoming pregnant with my first child, realizing I couldn't keep up the travel schedule that was coming up. My husband and I moved to New Jersey so he could take over his family business. 25 years and two sons later I still live in the same house we bought together."
"Around 1997, after much encouragement from my husband, I started sitting in at various jam sessions and put together trios, quartets, and quintets to perform with me at clubs in the NJ, NY area. In 2008 I was asked to join the Starliters, a vocal group that performs with the big band The Silver Starlite Orchestra. I am still, currently and proudly, a member of this wonderful vocal group."
"In February of 2010, I unexpectedly lost my oldest sister to heart failure. This was a devastating loss to the remaining four of us. Two months later my husband was diagnosed with lung cancer and died from its complications in October. This was a devastating loss to me and my two sons. Performing and making music were my salvation during what was a horrible year of tragedy. This past October I decided to sign on to facebook. I found Duke Robillard had a facebook page so I contacted him."
Well the rest is history folks, so pleases check back for updates on Mickey's release. It's near completion and it's a killer classic vocal jazz album of well picked standards and rare chestnuts. A talent this great has to be recognized, so stay tuned more info on this fabulous jazz vocalist and her first solo release. The rhythm section of Paul Nagel on piano, Marty Ballou on bass and Mark Teixeira on drums add perfect support and creative masterful playing throughout the album. There are guest appearances by Scott Hamilton and Duke Robillard to boot!
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