Dena DeRose - Travelin Light (Live) '2016

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The First Solo Recording of Her Illustrious Career

Dena DeRose is a swinging jazz pianist, a gifted vocalist and a talented
composer and arranger. Renowned for her intelligent interpretation of standards
and her distinctive voice, DeRoses new solo recording, Travelin Light, features
her in the intimate venue, The Chromatic Attic in Antwerp, Belgium. For this
recording, DeRose digs deep into the Great American Songbook unearthing some
little-known gems along with other well-known classic compositions.

This recording is one that I have wanted to make for years. Solo...just me and
the piano. Live. Ive received many requests to do a solo recording. I wanted to
make it happen, but it took awhile to find the right time to do it, the right
songs, the right audience and the right room for such a recording. The perfect
setting was the Chromatic Attic in Antwerp, Belgium, operated by Herman Van
Hove. I was encouraged to record there by my good friend and great jazz pianist,
Jack Van Poll, and Herman ‘handpicked the audience, so the evenings were
‘right in every respect.

To do a ‘live solo recording seemed daunting at first, but at the same
time it gave me a sense of comfort as it reminded me of how I began this whole
journey of singing and playing jazz. I started my career in my hometown of
Binghamton, NY performing solo, weekly for about 2 years ...singing and playing
piano in the corner of a hotel bar on an old Wurlitzer upright with a very
supportive, encouraging and ‘regular crowd that came by every week!

The songs I chose for this recording are quite dear to my heart. Some were
challenging and new for me, while some were songs Ive done for more than 20
years, but not in a solo format until now. I fell in love with Nice ‘n
Easy and Travelin Light when I heard the great Shirley Horn perform them live in
NYC many times. Two Different Worlds has a story that many people can relate to
as the world becomes a smaller place with people living and working in countries
other than where they grew up, meeting and falling in love with someone of
another culture, nationality or color of skin. This is a song inspired by
vocalist Sammy Davis, Jr. Portrait in Black and White has a wonderful English
lyric by Roger Shore. Its a Brazilian song written by the great Tom Jobim, but,
Shores story hit home for me a few years back and Im sure the lyrics will speak
to many who hear it.

Why Did I Choose You? is from the movie ‘The Yearling written in 1966 (a
great year!). I remember watching the movie when I was very young and I liked
the song.
Blue in Green is a Miles Davis (and Bill Evans) tune, but with a lyric by the
incredible lyricist Meredith dAmbrosio (a true Renaissance woman!!). She titles
it Blue and Green. Merediths lyric really brought this song to my attention
again after having played this tune many times through the years. I Never Told
You has a heart breaking story by the incomparable Arthur Hamilton and the music
is from one of my all time favorite composers, Johnny Mandel. A rare gem!
Twilight World by Marian McPartland and Johnny Mercer has an interesting story
that one can see...very visual, very clear, very clever as many Mercer lyrics
are. Marians music truly makes the lyrics come alive. The rest of the tunes I
just love - period. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do.

About The Artist
Dena DeRose began formal piano training at the age of three after her mother
heard her pick out melodies on a toy chord organ. She studied classical music
through high school and played in various pop and rock bands professionally, but
by 17, she was so compelled by jazz that she would sneak out of school once or
twice a week and drive four hours down to New York City to hear idols like Hank
Jones, Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller perform. Trained as a pianist, DeRose
didnt discover she could sing until carpal tunnel syndrome and arthritis forced
her to stop playing the piano while only in her early twenties. As she recovered
and wondered if she would ever play again, DeRose accidentally discovered her
ability to sing when a friend dared her to try it. For the next two years, she
honed her vocal talent, working as a jazz vocalist and performing in venues in
her hometown of Binghamton, NY where she used to appear as a pianist. By 1990,
DeRose had moved to New York City to build her jazz career.

DeRose has brought vitality and innovation to her performances with legends
likes Ray Brown, Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, Benny Golson, Ken Peplowski,
Phil Woods, David Fathead Newman, Rufus Reid, Mark Murphy, Benny Green, Albert
Tootie Heath, and many, many others. Numerous jazz festivals worldwide have had
DeRose on their roster, including Monterey, Kansas City, Sarasota, San Francisco
and Litchfield in the U.S., the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Israel, Marciac in
France and the Ancona Jazz Festival in Italy.

An experienced music educator, DeRose is currently heading the Jazz Vocal
Department at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria. She
also has taught at the Stanford Jazz Workshop for the past 16 years, and has
been on the faculty of The Litchfield Jazz Summer Workshop, Centrum Jazz Port
Townsend, The Dave Brubeck Institute of Jazz, and at the Prince Clause
Conservatory of Music in The Netherlands. She was selected as a judge for the
2004 Thelonious Monk Competition in Washington, DC, at The Kennedy Center.
Selected as Talent Deserving Wider Recognition in Downbeats Critics Poll, DeRose
has been featured in the New York Times, The Advocate, Singer Magazine, and in
NPR programs: Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland, Morning Edition, and Jazz Set
with Dee Dee Bridgewater. Her self-produced debut recording as a leader,
Introducing Dena DeRose (1998), received rave reviews as did her other three on
Sharp Nine Records: Another World (1999); I Can See Clearly Now (2000); and
Loves Holiday (2002). Travelin Light follows her critically acclaimed MAXJAZZ
recordings: Live at Jazz Standard Vol. 1 & 2 (2007 & 2008) and A Walk In The
Park (2005).

More Information: http://denaderose.com

Tracklist:
01. Dena DeRose - Nice N Easy (Live) (4:27)
02. Dena DeRose - S Wonderful (Live) (4:24)
03. Dena DeRose - Two Different Worlds (Live) (4:11)
04. Dena DeRose - East of the Sun (And West of the Moon) [Live] (5:29)
05. Dena DeRose - Portrait in Black and White (Live) (7:04)
06. Dena DeRose - Why Did I Choose You? (Live) (2:54)
07. Dena DeRose - How Little We Know (Live) (3:17)
08. Dena DeRose - Travelin Light (Live) (3:57)
09. Dena DeRose - Blue in Green (Live) (6:25)
10. Dena DeRose - Im Old Fashioned (Live) (4:27)
11. Dena DeRose - I Never Told You (Live) (3:22)
12. Dena DeRose - Twilight Would (Live) (6:59)
13. Dena DeRose - We Will Meet Again (Live) (6:15)

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