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Linda Presgrave Linda Presgrave, jazz pianist, composer, and
arranger, relocated to New York City in 1998 leaving a very active music career
in her native city of St. Louis. Her debut jazz CD as a leader, In
Your Eyes,
on METROPOLITAN RECORDS, was released nationally in April, 2000 and featured
top jazz artists including John Stubblefield on tenor saxophone, Brian Lynch
on trumpet, Cecil Brooks III and Wade Barnes on drums, Harvie S and Carline
Ray on bass. May of 2004, marked the date of Linda’s second release
on METROPOLITAN RECORDS with, The Linda Presgrave Quartet - LIVE. This CD
features Linda’s working New York jazz quartet and was recorded live
during the group’s year long engagement at the famed Warwick New York
Hotel. 2006 marked the release of Linda’s third CD on METROPOLITAN RECORDS,
The Journey, which features the music of seven jazz musicians who happen to
be women. The musicians featured on the CD include Linda’s New York
quartet along with famed jazz artists including Oliver Lake on alto saxophone
and flute, Harvie S on bass and Eric Allen on drums. Linda is also featured
on Metropolitan's 2006 holiday compilation entitled A Jazz Christmas:
That Special Time of Year as well as on the 2008 compilation Ballads
in Jazz. December of 2003 marked Linda’s European performance debut as the pianist with Ritmi E Voci Dell’International Women in Jazz, New York in Frascati, Italy as a part of the festival ControCanto: Donne in Jazz sponsored by Fondazione Adkins Chiti: Donne in Musica. She was invited back to Italy on the same series with her own group, The Linda Presgrave Quartet, performing once again at Scuderie Aldobranzini (Frascati) 2004 & 2007, at the University of Rome (Rome) 2004 and at Casa Internazionale delle Donne (Rome) 2007. In October of 2005, through Donne in Musica, Linda was invited to perform on the Gala Concert: A Celebration of Women in Music of the first ever World Forum on Music in Los Angeles. In April of 2006, Linda’s quartet was honored to be featured at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at the famed Jazz at Lincoln Center for five nights in the “After Hours” series for the release of The Journey. In the summer of 2006, Linda was a featured jazz artist on the VI. FESTIVAL INTERNATIONALDE MUSIQUE EN CATALOGNE which took place in Ceret, France at Place Picasso and also in Le Boulou, France. Also during 2006, Linda performed with her quartet in St. Louis for two performances at Cookie’s Jazz and More and also at Washington University on the Jazz at Holmes Series. In July of 2007, her quartet with Stan Chovnick on soprano sax, Wei-Sheng Lin and Seiji Ochiai on drums were featured at the prestigious New York jazz venue The Iridium. Linda also serves as the pianist in Carol Sudhalter’s Astoria Big Band which was featured on the acclaimed Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. in May of 2004. Linda recorded with the same group on Last Train to Astoria on the Carolina Records label. Also In 2004, Linda recorded with the Acme Brass Co. on X-mas Xing. In 2005, she was the pianist for jazz vocalist Debbie Gifford’s recording So Many Songs About Love which features some of New York’s finest recording artists including Allison Miller on drums and Harvie S on bass. As an active member of the International Women in Jazz Linda has accompanied many outstanding women jazz vocalists in performances at famed New York jazz clubs including the Cornelia Street Cafe and Detour as well as at Saint Peter's Church ("The Jazz Church"). She also now holds the piano chair in the Blue Nitrous Big Band. Before arriving on the New York jazz scene, Linda performed with her own group, After Six Jazz, at the finest jazz venues in St. Louis including Jazz at the Bistro and Just Jazz. At the same time, she worked with the Sessions Big Band, the Modern Vintage Jazz Quartet and the Kim Portnoy Jazz Orchestra. As a former professional French Horn player, she performed regularly at the MUNY, FOX and RIVERPORT theaters in orchestral settings behind top entertainers, world class ballet ensembles and national theatrical productions. "Linda Presgrave is truly a discovery who is pouring her heart into
her first recording of national distribution." “The St. Louis transplant Linda Presgrave, a probing, resourceful
mainstream pianist with an impressive debut album, In Your Eyes, prowls
the bebop landscape for all the stylistic diversity it can offer.” "With her lyrical playing and a stellar ensemble, Presgrave adeptly
mines the secular and spiritual side of the music while paying homage to
her heroines." “She (Linda Presgrave) tells beautiful stories in the music she writes”
LINDA PRESGRAVE
(JAZZ PIANO) as a leader DEBBIE GIFFORD: Cleveland/New York KAMPINI RECORDS: New Jersey CAROLINA RECORDS: Astoria, New York KIM PORTNOY JAZZ ORCHESTRA: St. Louis, MO
IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB (2007) FONDAZIONE ADKINS-CHITI: DONNE IN MUSICA: Frascati & Rome
Italy VI. FESTIVALE INTERNATIONALDE MUSIQUE EN CATALOGNE: Ceret, France & Le Boulou, France (2006) WORLD FORUM ON MUSIC: Los Angeles, CA MARY LOU WILLIAMS JAZZ FESTIVAL: Washington D.C. JVC JAZZ FESTIVAL, NEW YORK: New York, NY WARWICK HOTEL: New York, NY
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Reviews When Linda Presgrave toured with members of the Presgrave nods to trombonist and composer Melba Liston on the ballad "Billy", with Chovnick's soprano telling the story above Presgrave's delicate piano and Ochiai's brushwork. Her own "West End Samba" is a delight, with more muscular plucking by Harvie S. Liston's "Zagreb This" is an Eastern European bopper with raga-type solos by Chovnick and Lin playing arco. Presgrave gives Marian McPartland's ballad "In the Days of Our Love" a beautiful solo treatment and Harvie S' foreboding bass leads the march into Alice Coltrane's "Ptah, the El Daoud" with more fine soloing by Chovnick, Presgrave, Allen and Lake. With her lyrical playing and a stellar ensemble, Presgrave adeptly mines the secular and spiritual side of the music while paying homage to her heroines. For more information, visit www.metropolitanrecordsnyc.com 30 May 2006 | ALLABOUTJAZZ-NEW YORK
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Featured Artist: Linda Presgrave
Reviewed by: Scott Yanow - ALL MUSIC GUIDE Featured Artist: Linda Presgrave Musicians: Linda Presgrave: Piano; John Stubblefield: Tenor Sax; Brian Lynch: Trumpet; Harvie Swartz: Bass; Carline Ray: Bass; Cecil Brooks III: Drums; Wade Barnes: Drums Review: Linda Presgrave is a skilled pianist with a sense of melody and a penchant for choosing a wonderful supportive group. This recording hangs together because of the synergistic manner in which the group performs. Horace Silver's "Cape Verdean Blues" begins with a bouncy arrangement. What better way to introduce the piano chops of Linda Presgrave than through a South American influenced number. Linda cooks here with thoughtful patterns and quick thinking along the way. Drummer Cecil Brooks III compliments her playing throughout and also takes a tricky solo. This piece comes together when the rest of the band joins into take it out. Linda captures Horace's intent beautifully by swinging throughout in her smooth yet direct style. Linda's original "55th Street Rhythm" harkens back to a time when Bebop was king. This is a wonderful opportunity for the rest of the group to join in and have some fun (something which runs throughout the CD). Wes Montgomery's "So Do It" clearly shows how good of a writer he was. Known mostly for his playing, his many compositions have gone largely unnoticed over the years. It's nice to see this tune included here. Linda pays her respects to this great talent throughout. Brian Lynch (trumpet), and John Stubblefield (tenor sax) take solos before Linda's Shearing like excursion. While listening to this piece I started to think that maybe George Shearing and Ahmad Jamal were both influences on her style. Her low key version of "I Love You" bring the candles into focus, dim lighting, and oh yes, the music. Sailing though this classic as if gliding on air. This is a memorable moment. The closing number "Blues For Stan" is a silky arrangement played with skill and devotion. Stubblefield's solo is noteworthy as he takes it from a simple beginning and then begins to work things through as Linda comps gently alongside him. Throughout, one can sense that Linda has a deep love for the music and is also willing to put her stamp on it as well. Having fun as well as gaining valuable experience is evident throughout. Here's hoping that we hear more from Linda in the future. Record Label Website: www.metropolitanrecordsnyc.com Reviewed by: Lee Prosser
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