Jazz Vocalist Kathy Kosins Performs at Alma College
Critically acclaimed jazz vocalist Kathy Kosins has a voice
described as “a delightful surprise” by Jazz Times, “rich, filled with
that rare combination of range and resonance” by Sounds of Timeless
Jazz and which “communicates intimacy and focus,” according to
Ejazznews.
Kosins brings her musical talent to Alma College for an 8 p.m. Friday,
Sept. 21 performance in the Remick Heritage Center. Tickets are $10 for
adults and free for Alma College staff, students, and youth 18 and
under. Seating is reserved. Call (989) 463-7304 for ticket
information.
“With all my songs, I am trying to tell and sell a story,” says
Kosins. “I have to make it believable, so I try to stay away from
anything contrived, contrite and monochromatic. I just write and sing
out of my head.”
Kosins will be joined by “a talented group of musicians” — pianist
Cliff Monear, bassist Marlene Rosenburg and drummer Scott Kertezer.
Together they will perform various jazz standards as well a variety of
Kosins’s own compositions.
The first set of the concert will include a mixture of material from
Kosins’ past CDs and sneak-peak picks from her forthcoming albums.
During the second set, she will take and perform audience requests,
giving what she calls “a people’s concert.”
Named “Jazz Composer of the Year” in 2001 by the Michigan Council for
the Arts, Kosins has released several albums, performed in countless
concerts, and received six ACAP Songwriter Awards.
Her love of music began at an early age.
“As a young hippie, I saw rock-and-roll bands a lot,” she remembers,
which inspired her rock and R&B sound. “After seeing the
production of the musical ‘Hair,’ I became interested in musical
theater.”
Still, the jazz she is known for didn’t make its way into her
repertoire until later while she was trying to break into the New York
songwriting scene. When a co-writer and friend asked her to demo a jazz
tune, Kosins realized how well the sound and style suited her.
“With jazz, I color certain notes, hold a note, play with the phrases,”
she says. “It’s no different than an artist with canvas, only
audio.”
As a lead vocalist, Kosins recorded for both Cararre and Quality
Records, then toured with Was/Not Was. By the early 1990s, her musical
taste in R&B evolved to jazz. Stints with the JC Heard and Nelson
Riddle orchestras followed and led to the 1996 release of "All In A
Dreams Work," an impressive debut featuring a collection of nine
originals and a cover of Miles Davis' "Four." Her 2002 release,
"Mood Swings," continued to bring recognition and success at the
national level. Kosins' most recent album, "Vintage," was released in
2005.
This is Kosins’ first performance at Alma College since her campus
debut about eight years ago. She is on the road doing large venues and
teaching clinics and workshops much of the year.
“I love what I do,” she exclaims. “I love the music, and I love working with students.”
Kosins also is a visual artist. She does abstract acrylic on canvas, which she says inspires how she uses her voice.
Posted: Wed, September 5th, 2007 at 12:39AM
