Melody Breyer-Grell
Biography
“Best Vocal CDs of 2004” - The Right Time - All About Jazz New York Annual Top 5 Critics' Poll
“An expressive voice, at times warm and throaty, at times pure and delicate, that brings intimacy and a touching vulnerability!” - Roy Sander, formerly of Back Stage
“Melody has done an astounding transfer of vocal sound over to the world of Jazz...Pick up Melody's lovely CD, it's kinda sexy too!” - Mark Murphy
For extensive reviews please go to www.melodybreyerGrell.com or Jazzcorner.com
MELODY BREYER-GRELL's Blujazz label debut CD, The Right Time Sweet Rhythm tells a story. While vocalizing in a traditional melodic style, her clever arrangements and simple improvisations add freshness to some familiar and lesser-known jazz and “Great American Songbook” standards. Each piece is specifically selected and ordered to create a mood and a sense of direction.
Following the realease of this debut CD, Melody has performed this past year at, Sweet Rhythm, Iridium, Trumpets, Traid amoung other venues.
Melody's theatrical background is responsible for her bent towards telling stories. Born in New York City and raised in Long Beach, Long Island, she was deemed a “natural” singer and was already at the Manhattan School of Music at 12 years old. Theater songs and classical music were her first introductions to music, but she eventually found true compatibility with “The Great American Songbook,” (voraciously listening to the late great WNEW and QEW. While at conservatory she already showed a propensity for backphrasing and singing over the bar lines in general. When she started to seriously listen to jazz, she realized she found a vehicle for her natural style of phrasing and interpretation.
Melody appeared in many of New York's music room's while honing in on her skills. During that time, she listened to a wide variety of jazz singers, observing Jay Clayton, Sheila Jordan. Mark Murphy, Blossom Dearie and every local singer she could find. Sinatra, June Christie, Carmen McRae, Ella - all the great ones were in her CD player. In time, Melody found her own personal style, “a happy meeting of cabaret and jazz...full of pleasures...
Melody communicates words with clarity and warmth, while letting the composer's intentions shine through.” --James Gavin, critic and author.
In the past few years, Melody has been extremely busy as the musical director of the Jazz/Supper Club, “Chez Suzette.” She also works as producer, and last year's show “Sing Jazz” (based on the book that is edited by Dr. Gloria Cooper) played to a full house, offering a chance to hear a wide variety of singers - Giacomo Gates, Linda Ciofalo, Audrey Silver, Miles Griffith and Seth Fruiterman - All singing these newly published tunes under the Musical Direction of Dr. Cooper, herself a singer and pianist, as well as educator.
Chez Suzette was sold but Melody was immediately hired at the Triad Performance Space and night club.
She co-produced Shiela Jordan's “Live at the Traid” and hosted singers from Julius La Rosa all the way to the Modern Sounds Of California based Phenom Rhiannon.
Melody also sees the humorous side to jazz. She has penned many parodies to familiar tunes and is completing a show titled “What's So Funny About Jazz?” She will be answering that question in “good time.”
