Portland
Jazz Vocalist and Lyricist, Mitzi Zilka, Launches New CD On July
5th
June 24, 2003 - Portland-based jazz vocalist and lyricist, Mitzi
Zilka, releases her first CD entitled Two Sugars on July 5th at
8:00pm at Vine Leaves Jazz Bar and Restaurant located at 2221
S. E. Hawthorne. A relative newcomer to Portland’s vibrant
jazz scene, Mitzi has nevertheless made her mark among local jazz
audiences at The Sweetbrier Inn, Billy Reeds, Vine Leaves, Wine
Down and the Empire Room with her rich soprano voice and talent
as a lyricist. The words she has written for jazz instrumental
classics including Lament, Monk’s Mood, Lady Bird, Pent
Up House, Little B’s Poem and Blue Bossa add a fresh dimension
to a well-established musical tradition. Nationally-known guitarist,
Dan Balmer says this is one of the things that makes her stand
out. “Apart from her voice, what I admire and appreciate
about Mitzi is that she is bringing something new to the jazz
vocabulary.”
For her debut recording, Mitzi chose a
well-balanced selection of jazz ballads and up-beat numbers, which
offers a glimpse at her broad vocal range and feeling for the
music. As both a writer and a singer, Mitzi picked jazz songs
that reflect her love of good stories, blended with beautiful
melodies such as: What’s New, I Thought About You, Fine
& Mellow, and I Could Write A Book. The name of the CD, Two
Sugars, which comes from a line she wrote for one of the songs
on the recording, also refers to her two sons, to whom the CD
is dedicated.
Inspired from the age of 13 by Billie Holiday,
Sarah Vaughn and Peggy Lee, Mitzi says “It takes some courage
to sing jazz because you’re doing songs that have been done
a million times before. You’ve got to find a way to do something
creative with them. That’s what jazz is all about.”
According to renowned pianist Eddie Wied, Mitzi’s doing
just that, “She’s a fine singer with her own style;
I think she’s great.”
To
support her creative endeavor, Mitzi has brought together a who’s
who of local jazz talent including Peter Boe and Eddie Wied on
piano, Dan Balmer on guitar, Dan Schulte playing Bass and Tim
Rapp on drums. The result is a jazz CD with depth, polish and
passion, making Two Sugars a very sweet debut, indeed, for Mitzi
Zilka. |
