Primary Instrument: Bass, acoustic
”What's Your Story?” is currently charting on jazzWeek.
”WHAT’S YOUR STORY?”, the 6th album from internationally recognized jazz artist Kristin Korb answers that very question with 12 timeless tunes that celebrate her story as a jazz vocalist and bassist. The album was released on Korb’s own label, Double K Music in the U.S. and Europe on April 2, 2013.A singing double bassist with a deep sense of swing, Korb combines the instrumental influence of Ray Brown and Charles Mingus with the vocal styling of Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald to create a sound all her own. Exhilarating to watch live, she sings and plays as effortlessly as she breathes.
Each song performed on the “What's Your Story” has its own personal significance for Korb. Introduced by mentors, colleagues and idols, these songs tell the story of a young girl in a Montana middle school who sees her first jazz ensemble and grows up to become a consummate jazz artist.
Korb and her All-Star trio featuring musical powerhouses Bruce Forman on guitar and Jeff Hamilton on drums, share an inspired set of popular songs using innovative arrangements. From Porter to Pinkard, Grouya to Caymmi - What’s Your Story? treats listeners to fresh renditions of some of the all time great compositions and introduces an original song.
The album hits the groove running with track 1 “Will You Still Be Mine.” The big band arrangement for this version was a wedding present to Korb from jazz veteran Kim Richmond. She adds, “We were colleagues at University of Southern California for several years. I also played in his band. He’s a creative soul and a great writer. Playing in his band made me stretch beyond what I thought I could do and allowed me to color outside the lines.”
Another highlight is Track 6, a fun and unusual version of Cole Porter’s “Don’t Fence Me In.” Just when you think you’ve heard every possible version - Korb, Forman and Hamilton kick in the coolest, hippest jazz-on-the-prairie version yet.
Track 7 is a smoking hot take on Pinkard, Tracey and Tauber’s “Them There Eyes.” Kristin doesn’t merely perform the song made famous by Billy Holiday; she makes it fly in a new direction, re-inventing the song for a whole new generation of jazz lovers. When the song hits full-tilt and words loose all meaning, Korb’s skilled scatting completes the ride. (You can listen to it now in the Music Player above right.)
Track 12 brings the story current by introducing a new contemporary song “Always Searching for My Baby” written by Amber Navran.
Read more insights to the songs on Korb's blog wwww.kristinkorb.com.
What’s Your Story? has something for every fan of traditional and contemporary jazz and blues. Perhaps this collection of songs will become part of your own story.
Additional background information: Korb earned her Music Education degree at Eastern Montana College and her masters in Classical Bass Performance the University of California, San Diego. It was while she was a student at UCSD that her professor, Bertram Turetzky inspired her to sing and play bass at the same time. She also studied with Ray Brown, with whom she made her recording debut, Introducing Kristin Korb with the Ray Brown Trio released in 1996.
She has taught at the University of Southern California where she was coordinator of vocal jazz studies, Azuza Pacific University, Grossmont Community College and was Director of Jazz Studies at Central Washington University. Korb is still very involved in educational outreach and teaches at universities, jazz camps and festivals with young students.
As President-Elect of the International Society of Bassists, Korb is artistic director for the upcoming 2013 ISB Convention in Rochester, NY (Eastman School of Music).
Kristin tours across the world and has performed with jazz artists such as Llew Matthews, Kim Richmond, Pete Christlieb, Jeff Hamilton, Alex Riel and Jan Lundgren.
She now lives in Denmark with her Danish husband.
