Ernestine Anderson & Her Trio with Ed Reed August 1, 2009

"Ernestine's voice sounds like honey at dusk." -Quincy Jones
"Exactly how Anderson keeps her contralto so plush and supple ranks among the sweet imponderables of the art of jazz singing.... she remains an eloquent song interpreter with a broad array of expressive devices at her command. "
-Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune
"If Miles had a daughter, she'd sing like Ernestine Anderson ... like Miles, Ernestine heads straight for the music's core of harmony and melody." -Will Friedwald

An acknowledged virtuoso of the blues – her rendition of “Never Make Your Move Too Soon” is a classic – Ernestine Anderson is equally superb with ballads and swing. From intimate trio formats to big band, she does it all with seductive sophistication. Her sultry, sensuous voice is intimate in small club settings and soars with passionate intensity in the festival arena. Whether it's Ellington or Sting, Ms. Anderson's interpretation of a song is infectious. On stage, she's charming and vivacious, her joy in the music delighting audiences from Sweden to Japan.
Ms. Anderson has recorded more than 30 albums, performed at all the major jazz festivals, and has received four Grammy nominations. She was one of 75 women chosen for the book, I Dream a World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America, by Pulitzer Prize winning photographer Brian Lanker, joining such company as Rosa Parks, Leontyne Price, Barbara Jordan, and Toni Morrison.
When she was 18, she left Seattle to tour for a year with the Johnny Otis band. In 1952, she went on tour with Lionel Hampton's orchestra. After a year with the legendary band, she settled in New York. Her star rose rapidly; she was asked to perform in the first Monterey Jazz Festival in 1958, named "Best New Vocal Star" in Down Beat's 1959 Critics Poll, and was featured in Time magazine (She was recently invited to perform at the 50th Anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2007).
With the urging of bassist Ray Brown, she signed with Concord Records in 1976, and recorded nearly 20 albums. Two – Never Make Your Move Too Soon (1981) and Big City (1983) – received Grammy nominations. She then signed with Quincy Jones' label, Qwest, and recorded Now and Then in 1993 and Blues, Dues and Love News in 1996, both of which were nominated for Grammys.
Following up her 2003 release, Love Makes the Changes, Ernestine is celebrating both her 80th birthday and her 2009 High Note release, A Song For You, and continues to captivate old and new audiences worldwide.
Ernestine Anderson has earned her title of “jazz legend.” Years of singing and living have shaped a vocalist who can make your heart cry one moment and dance the next. Poignant ballads, sassy swing, and down-home blues – Ernestine Anderson is master of them all.

ernestineanderson.com

Official Website: http://yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artistpopup?showid=774