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© 2007 Ed Keane Associates
All rights reserved
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“Price
is right for jazz stardom”
- Bob Young, The Boston Herald
“… it was impressive … she
is clearly a talent with extraordinary potential.”
- Don Heckman, The Los Angeles Times
"The
best young voice I've heard, period. No one around can even
touch her voice and style -- a style all her own."
- Kathryn Grayson of MGM fame
With
command performances for legends Sir Elton John at The Society
of Singers, Robert Goulet for the famed Shubert Organization,
among others, Rachael Price is proving early accolades to be
prophetic. In 2003, Price was tapped by the Grammy Foundation
as a vocalist with the High School Grammy Jazz Choir, and she
was a semi-finalist at the Montreux International Jazz Vocal
Competition in France. In 2004, Price wowed the audience (and
was the youngest competitor) at the Thelonious Monk International
Jazz Competition (the last vocal competition brought Jane Monheit
to prominence and Terry Thornton to resurgence). And August 2004
brought her professional U. S. jazz festival debut at Yale’s
Jazz On The Green– opening for Joshua
Redman (another Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition alum)!
Price
has dedicated her life to her love. She is a 2007 graduate
of the New England Conservatory in Massachusetts. In fact,
Massachusetts has played an ever-increasing role for the young
singer. Cambridge-born, multi-Grammy nominated jazz vocalist
Nnenna Freelon invited the young singer to sing for the audience
at a clinic at the Montreux Jazz Festival where her manager,
Ed Keane, heard Price. From that moment, the college-bound
singer has traveled the world experiencing notable ‘firsts’ with
her trio of four years: Erik Privert on bass, Warren Wolf on
piano, and Dave Brophy on drums.
So why
is this 22-year-old from Nashville, Tennessee singing jazz?
It’s a good question, but one that Rachael Price
finds easy to answer. “I appreciate all kinds of music,
but jazz hit an inner chord with me at the age of five. I heard
Ella Fitzgerald’s rendition of The Lady is a Tramp. I didn’t
understand the lyrics, but I liked the feeling it gave me.”
Rachael’s quick grasp of the subtleties of jazz has led
to the recording of an independent debut CD entitled: Dedicated
To You, a compendium of jazz standards the then-16 year old chose
herself. Pop the disc into tray and you’re transported
to a bygone era when “girl jazz singers” such as
Doris Day or Anita O’Day dominated the airwaves. Two years
later she recorded The Nashville Sessions, a set of songs associated
with the jazz genre yet backed by some of the hottest country
musicians. And recently she recorded The Good Hours with her
touring band, adding arranger to her growing list of credits.
Just listen to “That Old Black Magic” or the Judy
Garland staple “The Trolley Song” and you’ll
hear that Price has more to offer than most young singers anywhere.
She makes each song her own.
Her
voice is rich and accomplished and it goes without saying,
Rachael has more to give. And, this is not surprising because
all of the Prices (they moved to the U.S. from Sydney, Australia
when Rachael was three) are talented. Elizabeth Price, Rachael’s
mom, works for the Grand Ole Opry; sisters Juliette and Emily
are singer/actresses in musical theater and older brother, Joel,
studied music engineering. Bad Habits, the opening song from
Dedicated To You, was composed by dad, Tom Price.
“Jazz is sincere. It is real. You can convey—tell
a story with your voice.” And, Rachael Price is already
telling her story. |
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