Musings on a night off
Well, I'm almost at the end of one of my most musically eclectic months in some time. Five gigs more before it's over. I am still buzzing from the pleasure of being Dawnie Love's backup singer this past Thursday. I spend most of my time in the jazz world, and it was a great experience to work with a talented pop band. As a backup singer I got to half-watch the show from my spot on the sidelines, and by the end I was a huge fan! Happily I'll get a chance to play with them again next month at their next show. Aw yeah!
That same night, I met Brad back in Manhattan at WOR's radio station, to sing on The Joey Reynolds Show at midnight. I almost fell asleep on the couch before we went on, but as soon as we started I was wide awake and happy to be there. What a curious and interesting guy Joey Reynolds is. He comes across as a curmudgeon, and says wild, sweeping statements about anything that crosses his mind. But he is super smart and can back up everything he says. He is as honest and plain spoken a person as I have met. So, that was a nice end to the night: we played some tunes on his show and then headed for home. And my band played last night at The 55 Bar for our monthly spot. Man, what a great place to play, and how much do I appreciate the guys I play with? More than I can say, that's for sure. They bring such a good vibe and so much good music to the table. We played some new arrangements last night, made some new fans, saw some friends. I can't wait to record again with them, and really hope that our tour plans come together. I must admit, I'm writing this in my pajamas, at 9pm, glass of wine in hand. I am so happy for this day off! All I did was work on my website and bake cookies today :) It's been a lot of rehearsals and new music and shows lately. Some of the prep has been for these next ones coming up, for which I have to be up to speed on all the Latin music I know and some I don't know. I like being so busy and having deadlines, and it makes having a day off extremely pleasant!  A new review, just in
Hi folks,
I just got word of some new press for The Water is Wide, this time from jazz journalist and author Kevin Lynch. Here's what he wrote:
 Shows this week...Hi, it's getting late here on a Wednesday night. I thought I'd post about some upcoming shows and invite readers to come out for a show and a hang. Here's the latest... The organ quintet is back at the 55 Bar on Friday the 26th - (this Friday). It's free and early (6 to 9pm) and we'll play some great tunes for you from a range of genres in a small assortment of languages. A reviewer recently described our music as "wide-ranging straight ahead"; I would add "lyrical, soulful and groovy". We'll be drawing on Latin folk music and rhythms, 70's r&b and pop, gospel traditionals and American songbook jazz. I really hope you can make it out! The 55 Bar is at 55 Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, and there is a clickable list of shows at the bottom of this email with more details.
A little further down the line, on Tuesday and Wednesday June 30th and July 1st, I'll be joining Gabriel Alegria's Afro-Peruvian Sextet for the 8pm set at Tutuma Social Club. The band is fantastic; I'm excited to get a chance to play with them. The place is a new semi-hidden spot on 56th and 3rd Avenue in Manhattan. They never charge a cover and since it's still their soft opening, mixed drinks and food are practically being given away. They are online at tutumasocialclub.com for more info.
Also, I'm happy to report some new press for our cd, The Water is Wide. Frequent Downbeat contributor John Mcdonough emailed to say that the album is "a first class work." And jazz critic Scott Yanow just published a review in Los Angeles Jazz Scene, saying,
"Singers rarely perform that extensively with organists, but Kelsey Jillette has the power and the spirit to do quite well in that setting and has led an organ group for over seven years. On The Water Is Wide she is joined by organist Brad Whiteley, baritonist Tom Abbott, guitarist Hiro Honma and drummer Adam Pache, and although she is first among equals, the singer is part of the band rather than acting as a diva with sidemen. Ms. Jillette arranged most of the songs, resulting in surprising versions of such songs as Bill Evans’ “Turn Out The Stars,” “Hot House” (which is given a Latin feel), “Honeysuckle Rose” and a medley of “The Water Is Wide” and Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma.” The performances are consistently full of unexpected grooves but without a drop in musical quality. Kelsey Jillette’s phrasing is very appealing, her voice is flexible and easy to understand, and the musicians are excellent. While this is her third recording, The Water Is Wide is Kelsey Jillette’s first widely available CD. It serves as a very impressive introduction to the potentially significant singer, available from WWW.KELSEYJILLETTE.COM."
Well, that is all the news for now. Thanks for being a fan, and hope to see you at these shows. Warmly, Kelsey  New review from Scott Yanow, in May's issue of Los Angeles Jazz Scene
"Singers rarely perform that extensively with organists, but Kelsey Jillette has the power and the spirit to do quite well in that setting and has led an organ group for over seven years. On The Water Is Wide she is joined by organist Brad Whiteley, baritonist Tom Abbott, guitarist Hiro Honma and drummer Adam Pache, and although she is first among equals, the singer is part of the band rather than acting as a diva with sidemen. Ms. Jillette arranged most of the songs, resulting in surprising versions of such songs as Bill Evans’ “Turn Out The Stars,” “Hot House” (which is given a Latin feel), “Honeysuckle Rose” and a medley of “The Water Is Wide” and Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma.” The performances are consistently full of unexpected grooves but without a drop in musical quality. Kelsey Jillette’s phrasing is very appealing, her voice is flexible and easy to understand, and the musicians are excellent. While this is her third recording, The Water Is Wide is Kelsey Jillette’s first widely available CD. It serves as a very impressive introduction to the potentially significant singer, available from www.kelseyjillette.com."
 
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