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Monica Ramey

“When you see Monica Ramey step onto the stage, you're not quite sure what to expect. But when this Nashvillian opens her mouth, a smooth, velvety voice formed by years of study and countless performances comes tumbling out, putting her own fresh spin on jazz standards.” Angela Patterson - The Tennessean

This kind of reaction is a reoccurring theme in the case of Midwest native Monica Ramey and artists like Donna McElroy, Jim Ferguson, Denis Solee, Jeff Steinberg, Lori Mechem, Roger Spencer, George Tidwell, Sandra Dudley and Beegie Adair are just a few who are singing her praise.

Monica is a native of Francesville, one of Indiana’s smallest town. The youngest of three children, her father is a retired farmer and her mother a retired music teacher. As a child, Monica would sing and dance on stage with her mother’s high school show choir, and at the age of 3, she stood on the grand piano at the school’s cabaret and performed Tomorrow from the musical, Annie. By the age of 11, she had become well known in Indiana after starring in several local and professional Broadway musical productions. As a teenager, she studied at the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts, and in 1995, Monica was selected to become a member of the GRAMMY National All American High School Jazz Band and Choir.

This break would become one of the most important opportunities in Monica's life. Being one of 12 selected nationally for the choir, Monica had little jazz experience, but while performing with some of the music industry's finest, she discovered the impact of jazz music in her own life and in our society. The responsibility all performers have to its preservation and authenticity left a profound and lasting impact on her.

Monica studied Music Performance at Indiana State University and was a member of the ISU Jazz Singers. She became a favorite singer among many faculty members and even the President of the university. This led to many performances at university functions and sporting events. She interned for the NARAS Foundation in Los Angeles, where the preservation of jazz music became a focal point of her responsibilities.

In 2000, she moved to Nashville to pursue her singing career, where she discovered the Nashville Jazz Workshop. NJW has given Monica the opportunity to study under some of Nashville finest musicians including Lori Mechem, Roger Spencer, Sandra Dudley, Beegie Adair, Jeff Steinberg, Rod McGaha, Jim Ferguson, Roy Agee, Annie Sellick and Jeff Hall as well as create a family away from home.

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Beegie Adair makes rare NYC appearance at Birdland with vocalist Monica Ramey, January 13, 6PM

Beegie Adair makes rare NYC appearance at Birdland with vocalist Monica Ramey, January 13, 6PM

Source: Maxx Myrick

Monica Ramey makes NYC debut at Birdland with special guest Beegie Adair Monica Ramey's CD “Make Someone Happy," is receiving nationwide airplay on jazz radio, including Music Choice and DMX. She makes her New York City debut, January 13, 2011, at Birdland with special guest the legendary Beegie Adair, a 2010 Billboard Japan Jazz Artist of the Year, who Michael Feinstein calls “a marvelously understated player whose interpretations of standards are just brilliant," jazz great Helen Merrill  salutes her “inventive jazz sense, her wonderful ...

Now that the trend of aging rockers cutting albums of show tunes and standards seems thankfully to have run its course, we're back to vocalists with a real feel for and understanding of the jazz tradition doing them justice. Nashville's Monica Ramey is a shining example. Her excellent release Make Someone Happy offers resourceful, soaring and engaging interpretations of material from The Great American Songbook.

Ramey, who'll appear Friday night at F. Scott's, credits her producers Nashville Jazz Workshop co-founders bassist Roger Spencer and pianist Lori Mechem ��" as well as vocal mentor Sandra Dudley and ace instrumentalists George Tidwell and Denis Solee ��" with giving her the guidance and assistance necessary to make memorable versions of classic and numbers.

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