Born: November 2 Primary Instrument: Vocal
Some say he was born with a microphone in his hand. That would explain why Jonathan Poretz is so comfortable performing his brand of great American jazz standards to audiences large and small. Whether appearing in an intimate club or a large outdoor venue, Jonathan brings an electric energy to any stage he’s on, a talent he’s been cultivating since his early teens, when he sang professionally in bands that featured jazz greats including Charlie Shavers, Chuck Wayne and Joe Puma in his home town of New York City.
Blending the swinging vocal stylings of Sinatra, Torme, Bennett and Darin, Jonathan is equally comfortable performing with a trio or a 17-piece big band, putting his own unique stamp on every song he sings and every story he tells through the great American standard songbook.
Jonathan has been appearing as Frank Sinatra in the “Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey & Dean (The Rat Pack)” in San Francisco, Las Vegas, Boston and Memphis. He also appears regularly at various Bay Area venues, including LJ’s Martini Club, Jazz @ Shanghai 1930 and The Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay.
He is also a regular vocalist with the Harold Jones Boss Men big band, led by legendary drummer Harold Jones, the beat behind Count Basie in the ‘70s and Sarah Vaughan in the ‘80s, and currently on tour with Tony Bennett. Past appearances with the Boss Men included performances at the Russian River and Calistoga Jazz Festivals in the fall of 2004.
Jonathan can also be heard as the featured vocalist for the Starduster Orchestra big band and the Joe Agro Sextet, performing swinging standards at public venues, such as the Sausalito Arts Fair, the Caledonia Street Fair and Jazz and Blues by the Bay in Sausalito as well as various private events in the Bay Area.
Disclaimer: All About Jazz is not responsible for the accuracy of the discographical data at the website(s) provided. If a link is no longer valid, please contact discography@allaboutjazz.com. Thank you.
