Kristi Callan and I know each other through the indie pop music scene and Harry Nilsson fandom. I love close vocal harmonies and at the last Nilsson birthday tribute we got to talking and she told me she was part of a group called the Roswell Sisters. I thought they’d be great addition to our eclectic First Fridays Jazz Night.

Check out this résumé!

A captivating close-harmony group from Los Angeles, modeled loosely on the legendary jazzy New Orleans 30s band the Boswell Sisters, but bringing unexpected, eccentric, and occasionally even glam rock touches to that vintage vocal style. Group leader Justin Tanner has a special gift for arranging songs from the 20s and 30s straight through to originals by Roswells pianist Kristian Hoffman in classic “old tyme” tight, dense harmonies, dazzling in their complexity. Justin (tenor) is a noted Los Angeles playwright (“Zombie Attack,” “Pot Mom,” “Day Drinkers”) and a classically trained pianist. Lisa Jenio (alto), lead singer and songwriter for L.A. pop band Candypants, has also collaborated with the Negro Problem and Ronnie Spector. Kristi Callan uses her varied experience working with a wide range of artists from David Gray to Dave Davies to her own alt-country band, Dime Box and 80s girl group Wednesday Week, to inform her role as the emotive soprano in the group. 

The Roswell Sisters are backed by Kristian Hoffman (Ann Magnuson, Prince Poppycock, Rufus Wainwright, Mumps, Klaus Nomi) on piano and Pierre Smith (El Vez, Ann Magnuson, New Marines, Human Hands) on guitar. The response to this young combo has been wildly enthusiastic, and audiences have been transfixed by the gorgeous harmonies the Roswells bring to classic 30s songs like “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” and modern pop gems like the Mumps’ “Just Look, Don’t Touch.”

From their show-stopping version of “42nd Street” to their spectacular original “Imaginary Friend,” the group delivers a mesmerizing performance every time. The Roswells have played eclectic venues all over the greater Los Angeles area and are currently in the studio recording their debut.

And on 11/3 they’ll be with us!

JASON LUCKETT  

Subscribe: RSS | iCal

Katie was recommended to me by my friend, Nick Vincent, with whom I’ve done the Nilsson Tribute shows. Most recently he did the arrangement for “Nevertheless” for the 8th Annual show. (See it here.)

Katie, it turns out was part of Kenny Burrell’s 85th birthday concert, which gives us something in common, as I sang with him at the 75th and 80th!

She’ll be solo on the 6th, and here’s how she describes her music:

Katie Ward imagines a world in which jazz harmony and glittery synthesizers enmesh in a dreamy balancing act of consonance and dissonance. At times her musical world is chaotic and challenging, but it is matched with a lyrical sincerity that is unabashedly girly and whimsical. She aims to push musical boundaries as far as possible without straying from an emotional core.

I’m looking forward to hearing her live!

Gary is someone I find a delight to be around! His voice is pure and his songs are witty, poignant, and effortlessly musical. I’m exited to have him join us on the 6th for a set.

Read some about him below:

GARY STOCKDALE is a 2-time Emmy-nominated composer, songwriter and singer who composed music for many TV shows and films, including Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Penn & Teller: Bullshit, Spongebob Squarepants, and The Aristocrats (not to be confused with the AristoCATS – this is the one about the world’s dirtiest joke told by the world’s funniest comedians). For some of these, he also wrote and was the primary vocalist on original songs. He was also the composer and Musical Director for the Emmy-nominated Penn & Teller’s Sin City Spectacular, one of the last true TV variety shows. Gary won a BMI Award for Music Composition for his work on the Penn & Teller show.

As a veteran studio singer, his voice can be heard on The Prince of Egypt, Star Wars: Rogue One, Star Trek: Beyond, The Spongebob Squarepants Movie, The Simpsons, & Family Guy. He has sung with Justin Timberlake, Adele, Aaron Neville, Neil Young, David Crosby & Johnny Mathis, and backed up Mary J. Blige on the 2018 Oscars. Gary’s onscreen performances include a featured solo in the cult-classic musical TV seriesCop/Rock, a lead vocal in the film Lucy In The Sky (as a singing Shriner),  a singing retiree in the first episode of B Positive, as well as wearing a pink choir robe, backing up Camila Cabello on the Ellen show in 2019.

With Spencer Green, Gary co-wrote the irreverent adult musical BUKOWSICAL, which won Outstanding Musical at the2007 New York International Fringe Festival. Gary also composed the score for the original Off-Broadway productionof PLAYDEAD, directed and co-written by Teller. He was the original keyboard player in the Brian Setzer Orchestra.

Gary’s latest record, Keep Letting Go was released in 2018. After working with Gary, award-winning songwriters Barry Mann & Cynthia Weill (You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’, Somewhere Out There) called Gary “…one of the greatest singers on the planet.” That quote sure looks nice on a bio!

Garystockdale.com

JASON LUCKETT  

Subscribe: RSS | iCal