Patty Peterson Presents Jazz Women All Stars

The Jazz Women All Stars were created by Minnesota Music Hall of Fame vocalist and KBEM jazz radio personality Patty Peterson. In 2016, the Jazz Women All-Stars made a terrific debut at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival in Mears Park. This ensemble celebrates the great women of jazz artists in the Twin Cities, instrumentalists as well as vocalists.

Patty Peterson: Vocals

Laura Caviani: Piano

Joan Griffith: Bass

Sheila Earley: Drums

About Patty Peterson:

Patty began singing as a child at concerts and recording sessions, and today is an award winning vocalist, live jazz radio host, and inspirational speaker. Patty also appears in numerous live and in studio productions for national recording artists and commercials. Patty Peterson is a world class Jazz/ R&B vocalist, Jazz radio personality, and inspirational speaker. Patty Peterson was born into Minnesota’s First Family of Music; The Peterson Family. Along with her late parents, the legendary Willie and Jeanne Arland Peterson, the family members are sister Linda Peterson, and three brothers, Billy Peterson, Ricky Peterson and Paul Peterson, all of whom are recording artists and involved in the international music scene.

As a vocalist, Patty has performed to sold-out audiences all over the country such as The Dakota Jazz Club and Crooners Lounge in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Vibrato, Catalina’s Jazz Club and The Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, California. In addition, Patty received the coveted Minnesota Music Award 7 times for best vocalist as well as best jazz recording and in 2019, she was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame, along with her siblings. She was also named Minnesota's Jazz Hero of 2020 via the Jazz Journalists Association for all her contributions to the Jazz community in Minnesota. Patty has released 5 solo recordings which featuring luminaries Sheila E., David Hazeltine, Stokley Williams, and Ira Sullivan, as well as members of her entire family. Patty's latest CD is entitled, “Count Your Blessings”, which was released in time for the 2019 Holiday Season.

As a multi-faceted, sought-out talent, Patty Peterson has been a featured speaker for The John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health, The American Heart Association, Go Red for Women, University of Texas Aortic Symposium, Seagate Technologies, Rotary Clubs, Super Valu, Trane, St. Jude Medical and The Minneapolis Heart Institute.​ Patty is also the host of her own weekly contemporary jazz show on KBEM 88.5FM

www.pattypeterson.com

About Laura Caviani:

Laura Caviani has performed and recorded for over 15 years. The Minneapolis Star Tribune hailed her debut CD, Dreamlife as "...in a word, outstanding". Marian McPartland called it "...sparkling and inventive". Her second release, As One, was touted as "stunningly fresh" by Jazz Times. Her holiday album, Angels We Haven't Heard, was considered "this season's finest new jazz cd of holiday music" by the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The Star Tribune claimed her solo release, In Your Own Sweet Way was, "...poised right where the salon meets the saloon, with as much spunk as serenity." Going There, her fifth recording as a leader, is already receiving wide praise. Bob Protzman, Downbeat Contributor and WQLN-FM host called it "...piano trio jazz of the highest order."

As a sideman, Ms. Caviani has recorded and toured with the 2002 Grammy nominee Karrin Allyson (Concord Records) whose band, according to the Wall Street Journal, "...could waltz into any New York nightclub and tear up the joint...". Ms. Caviani has shared the stage with other greats as Toots Theilemans, Bob Mintzer, and Dave Liebman. Locally, she has recorded with numerous musicians, including Pete Whitman's Quintet and Xtet, and the jazz orchestra JazzMN, all on the Artegra label. She has also recorded with Twin Cities jazz vocal greats: Lucia Newell, Prudence Johnson, and Voice Trek and In '97, Caviani received a grant from the Atlantic Center for the Arts to study with renowned pianist and composer JoAnne Brackeen. The following year, she was selected to study in Japan at the Akiyoshidai International Art Village. As a composer, her commissions include numerous works for jazz ensembles and smaller jazz combos (some of which are currently available through Increase Music and Really Good Music) as well as orchestral works for both the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra and the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra

Caviani has both a bachelors of music in Composition from Lawrence University, and a masters of music in Improvisation from The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. She has taught at a number of schools, including St. John's University, the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire, The University of St. Thomas, and many middle schools in Minneapolis through the "Harman How to Listen Program", an outreach program co-founded by Wynton Marsalis. Currently, she is on faculty at both Carleton College and St. Olaf College, both located in Northfield, MN

https://www.lauracaviani.com/biography.php

About Joan Griffith:

Joan Griffith never met a string instrument she didn’t like. Growing up in Bellevue, Nebraska, she fell in love with the guitar while listening to Stan Getz and João Gilberto on their breakout Brazilian album. She immediately got her mother to purchase the record and, at age 14, proceeded to figure out how to play all the songs! “This is what I thought the guitar should sound like” she remembers. Joan went to the Conservatory at the University of Kansas City because it was one of the few schools that offered a guitar major. While she was there, she met another string instrument, the acoustic bass, and a whole new world of music opened to her. From there, the electric bass was soon introduced and she and friends from the Conservatory formed a disco/rock cover band called Airhart.

She has also played frequently with the Minnesota Orchestra. It was at the Children’s Theater that a mandolin part was included as a double with the guitar book. Never having played one before, she looked it over for a minute or two and promptly ripped off a few scales. The mandolin surrendered. She has since added the violin to her string resume. Joan has also followed her composer voice’s calling. This is where her first love, the music of Brazil, is her biggest influence. As one can hear on her recordings, the choros, the bossas, the baiãos and the sambas live deeply in her soul. A visiting friend, a Brazilian guitarist, said “Joan plays Brazilian music without an accent.” Passing on her love of music, Joan has taught at the University of St. Thomas and St. Catherine’s University among other schools. She is currently ensconced at Macalester College. She is a roster artist with COMPAS and the Minnesota State Arts Board.

https://www.joangriffith.com/about

About Sheila Earley:

A drummer and percussionist, born in New Richmond, WI and began playing drums at the age of 8. She has studied with Tom Green (Kingston Trio) and Ron Keezer (UW-Eau Claire) in High School and received a four-year scholarship in Music to the University of Arizona (Gary Cook). Sheila also studied jazz (with Chuck Marohnic) at ASU. She continued on in her musical studies and moved to Los Angeles, studying with jazz great Jeff Hamilton and famed drummer / world percussionist Alex Acuna. Sheila has performed in 48 states and 3 countries in many varying musical settings. She performs with the group "We3," featuring vocalist Renee Grant Patrick, violinist Suzanne Lansford, pianist Nicole Pesce, and drummer Sheila Earley. We3 and Sheila Earley have a history of sold-out performances in Arizona, including at The Nash and the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM).She also performs regularly with Patty Peterson’s Jazz Women All Stars to sold out crowds at Crooner’s in Minneapolis, MN and the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ

Sheila has also performed in venues across the USA like the Flamingo Hilton Lounge in Las Vegas, Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club in New York, NY, Skullers in Boston, Mass, Duke Ellington Legacy Band – Various jazz festivals in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida, Worked with Norman Simmons Quintet – Venues in New York, New Jersey, and Arizona Worked with Glenn Campbell – Phoenix, AZ., Debbie Duncan – Venues in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Tony Sandler and Columbia Artist Tours – 48 states in the U.S. and on the QEII cruise ship in the Caribbean Bobby Shew and Reuel Lubag – Washington, Mike Scott Funk Band (Justin Timberlake Guitarist) – Minnesota, New York Pops Organization – New York, NY, Carl Thompson and Friends – Brooklyn, NY, Shoko Amano & Paul Bollenbeck at the Blue Note in New York, NY – just to name a few

https://4pulse.wixsite.com/band/sheila-earley

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