Amanda Carr

Boston born daughter of Big Band vocalist, Nancy Carr and trumpet player, Nick Capezuto, Amanda Carr is a multi-styled vocalist/pianist that, although began early on in the rock and pop genre has more recently focused on fresh interpretations of the Great American Songbook, following in her parent’s musical footsteps. For three decades she has recorded and performed internationally, adding her own musical gems as well which have received critical acclaim from a tough bevy of jazz reviewers including 4-stars from All Music Guide,Jazz Review.com donned her “…a first rate vocalist” and she was featured and praised by Nat Hentoff in a back-page story/article in the September 2007 issue of The Wall Street Journal.

Among her many performances,she is currently starring in “A Tribute to Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman” with the Everett Longstreth Orchestra., starting an official U.S. Tour in 2008, traveling to various states and cities nationwide with this 14 -piece big band. Amanda frequently is the featured vocalist with The Artie Shaw Orchestra (led by Dick Johnson), Harry James Orchestra (Fred Radke) and has appeared with the Glenn Miller Band (Larry O'Brien).

Boston based daughter of a big band vocalist and trumpeter (Nick Capezuto, most known for Herb Pomeroy Band), Amanda Carr is a multi-styled vocalist/pianist that began early on in her teens in the rock and pop genre, but has in recent years focused on fresh interpretations of the Great American Songbook, following in her parent’s musical footsteps. For over three decades she’s performed and recorded both in the U.S. and Italy. Both her and her CD’s have received critical acclaim from a tough bevy of jazz reviewers. Her 2005 recording, TENDER TRAP debuted on the National Jazz Charts at 55 and received 4-stars from All Music Guide. Her follow-up recording in 2007 was a feature story by Nat Hentoff in The Wall Street Journal which catapulted her to global exposure with sales and airplay. She’s also featured in Nat Hentoff’s upcoming Biography, “At the Jazz Band Ball: 60 Years on the Jazz Scene” due out in 2010 (Univ. of California Press)

Among her varied performances, she stars in “A Tribute to Peggy Lee and Benny Goodman” a big band show that has travelled to various cities nationwide completing a 30-date 2008-09 touring season. Amanda has been featured with The Artie Shaw Orchestra, Harry James Band and has also appeared with the Glenn Miller Band among her many other guest vocal appearances. In 1998, she headlined at the EuroJazz Festival in Italy along with James Moody and George Mraz, returning the following year to record “Live in San Giorgio” with Trio Martinale. Amanda has composed and performed award-winning music for two PBS documentaries and received an Emmy nomination for “The Story of Golf”, a CBS special narrated by Jim McKay. She’s won awards for her musical contributions to “Boston Red Sox: 100 Years of Baseball History”. In 1999 she was awarded the Videographer Award by the NTA for excellence in Music Composition in addition to her multiple“Telly’s”. She has dozens of T.V. and Radio commercials to her credit and owns and operates a successful recording studio in the Boston area along with the OMS record label.

Among her own recordings, her eclectic album credits include the late Dave Guard from the Kingston Trio on his final album “Up & In”, a year long project in the early 1980’s. Since then she has a long list of album credits as both a music composer and a vocalist. Along with 4 other CD releases since 1995, Amanda is releasing a big band CD “Common Thread” in October of ‘09, which is the third project with drummer/producer Kenny Hadley. Their previous effort, SOON, soared on Amazon’s Jazz Bestseller list at #2 and remained on their Top 100 for weeks. With distribution and airplay in over a dozen countries, including Japan and the Netherlands, and a growing International fanship, Amanda continues to perform with her own group and is becoming a popular guest vocalist with many other ensembles. This new Big Band record features the works of Grammy-winnning arrangers like Bob Freedman and world-class players like trumpeter, Lin Biviano. Amanda is the CEO of the newly formed not for profit organization American Big Band Preservation Society, Inc. which has a mission of preserving and promoting Big Band music through performance and education and aquiring a library of unpublished Big Band arrangements to share with the public. Please visit www.AmericanBigBand.ORG

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Album Reviews

Common Thread: Amanda Carr and the Kenny Hadley Big Band by Nicholas F. Mondello
Soon by Nicholas F. Mondello
Tender Trap by Michael P. Gladstone

“Many of the most resoundingly exciting sounds in music and joyous rhythms came from the big jazz bands. They are still alive in the new CD, “Common Thread’....” Nat Hentoff

“...Common Thread is a class act... the complete package packed with local stars and stars-to-be, and not to be missed by any jazz fan.” Kevin Convey, THE BOSTON HERALD

“... The swing is undeniable, her freedom around the beat, the aptness of her phrasing, her ability to blend with the other musicians.” Jon Garelick THE BOSTON PHOENIX

WALL STREET JOURNAL “Amanda Carr, a true jazz singer in a time of wannabes

“Many of the most resoundingly exciting sounds in music and joyous rhythms came from the big jazz bands. They are still alive in the new CD, “Common Thread’....” Nat Hentoff

“...Common Thread is a class act... the complete package packed with local stars and stars-to-be, and not to be missed by any jazz fan.” Kevin Convey, THE BOSTON HERALD

“... The swing is undeniable, her freedom around the beat, the aptness of her phrasing, her ability to blend with the other musicians.” Jon Garelick THE BOSTON PHOENIX

WALL STREET JOURNAL “Amanda Carr, a true jazz singer in a time of wannabes. . . she sings and swings with the unaffected confidence of a genuine jazz improviser. Unlike some of the present alleged jazz vocalists, Ms. Carr does not try to imitate a horn. She is an authentic musician in the front line with her longtime colleagues on Soon!” Nat Hentoff “ 9/5/2007

BRAZIL DAILY TRIBUNE JAZZ STATION RECORD POLL: Top 3 Jazz Vocalists of 2007- SOON TOP 5 Jazz records

JAZZ IMPROV MAGAZINE While a “new standards” movement has been brewing for a while, there are still plenty of musicians guarding and promoting the old chestnuts from the Great American Songbook. Vocalist Amanda Carr is one such person.. and she does so with great style and class.... While the popularity and longevity of these songs is based on their lyrical and musical content, the ultimate success lies in the delivery and Carr proves to be an ace in this department. Dan Bilawsky 2008

L.A. JAZZ SCENE November 2007 Amanda Carr gives the Great American Songbook quite and uplifting interpretation.... She’s original!!... this singer is well on her way to international renown. Soon predicts her future with certainty... Carr has the right stuff, and her album proves that beyond a doubt. Jim Santella

TOKYO Jazz Critique Magazine, November 2007 “... although the CD jacket is really wonderful, the music inside is even better. This is one of the best records I’ve purchased recently. ...Amanda has “real” singing ability and treats the material in a delightfully unique way. …It’s hard not to like her voice on everything she sings.” Iwanami

THE NEW YORK SUN “….Amanda Carr, a talented female vocalist” Will Friedwald

THE HARTFORD COURANT, “…Amanda Carr is a rare singer who gets inside a song's lyrics, convincing you that all the emotions expressed have actually been lived by her. ..she never goes for overkill, that common compulsion to mercilessly inflict every single item in your musical tool kit on your audience as if you're competing on “American Idol.” Carr finds success without excess. … Carr and her partners in swing are a true collective, a musical family. Seasoned pros, they checked their egos but not their creativity at the door.” Owen McNally 11/07

“...A voice that was meant to sing in this genre.... She’s fast emerging from a hidden jewel to a shining gem!” —- Ernie Santosuosso, — The Boston Globe

BOSTON HERALD “.....From the oversize gig to the warm confines of a jazz club, last evening I sat and watched Amanda Carr sing a mix of standards and lesser known tunes that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the power of desire. Her voice is like a soft blanket that surrounds you and instantly provides a sense of comfort and contentment. Blessed with a wonderful range, you hear every word, and the lowest notes are the sweetest. The pop culture landscape may be filled to the brim with fakers who can’t hold a note, but Amanda Carr is the real thing, and yes, I would pay to hear her sing the phone book.” —- Tai Irwin 11/06

FOUR STARS: All MUSIC GUIDE!!! “With so many female vocalists releasing new jazz CDs in a given year, it is extremely difficult to grab one's attention; Amanda Carr's CD, though released by a small label, has the ingredients necessary to do so......Amanda Carr deserves greater attention in the jazz world.” — Ken Dryden

ALL ABOUT JAZZ.com “Recently, I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Carr perform an impromptu duet with the great jazz vocalist Giacomo Gates at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in New York… I was so impressed by her talent, spirit and onstage charm that I felt compelled to pick up her latest CD. I'm very glad I did.” — Nick Mondello

RADIOPHONE, GREECE As an offspring of jazz musicians the Bostonian singer knew how to choose classical songs from the American repertoire to present in her forth album. The compositions she opted for are the ones with which the average listener would confirm the jazz perform stereotype.. Her new release is exceptional and has received a great response. George Politopoulis, October 2007

BOSTON MAGAZINE“Amanda Carr’s rich alto, expressive lyrics and intimate stage presence are marks of an exciting new jazz vocalist.”

JAZZ USA ....“Soon” is worth multiple spins! Matthew Robinson 07/ 07

RHAPSODY.com “Amanda is a very good jazz singer who displays Carmen McRae's control and Diana Krall's sporty good looks She is more daring than Krall.getting into Bop, but like McRae Carr keeps the experimentation focused on the song at hand. Along with standards, Carr has written a few tasty originals.” — Nick Dedina

JAZZREVIEW.com “Female jazz vocalists seem all the rage at the moment, yet despite this fact, few seem to gain much attention from the general public....Her warm alto voice coupled with her expressive phrasing make her a first-rate vocalist.....Carr’s fine delivery and easy swinging style elevates what could be standard jazz vocal album to an exceptional listening experience. This is one CD that I’m sure you’ll play over and over again.” — Lawrence Williams

“ Amanda Carr has captivated Italy with her voice, charm and personality. We are insatiable for her”, Sergio Gioletti, La Sentinella Italia

JAZZ MATINEE “Amanda Carr, jazz vocalist, has raised the bar on interpreting the American Songbook! In her fourth excursion as leader, ”Soon”, she avoids the common practices of excessive scatting, melody altering and emotionalism. Amanda's understated, comfortable approach and shear vocal beauty urge you to keep listening…”Soon” rises to the top of an ocean of new vocal CDs. If you don't pick it up “Soon”, you might be too late.” Monica Hatch, Vocalist & Host of Radio 90.5 FM (npr)

SOUNDS OF TIMELESS JAZZ.com “Amanda Carr has a wonderful voice and with her 'dinner-party' ambient style, you're sure to return to the CD after the guests are all gone for your own late night understanding. Her melding of intimate sound, seductive phrasings and satisfying tones are unique and with her fresh style, she is sure to tantalize a few more fans into her ever growing den of lyricism.”— Jason Moran

EARBUZZ.COM “Siren and smooth vocal delivery, in the style of the mid 20th century crooners, complete with the edge of rasp that can denote cigarette and martini lifestyles is the gist of the wonderful, Amanda Carr's, CD “Tender Trap”. Add the deft professional singing ability and musicianship of her band, to her obvious attractive presence - and you have the best of all worlds - great music, great voice, and a live stage performance that is easy on the ears and the eyes.”

“Amanda Carr dazzled the audience with the music of Peggy Lee at a sold- out performance in the Carr Amphitheater.” .. Laura Carleton, South Shore Conservatory

“Carr negotiates key changes with perfect intonation with a voice that is warm and unpretentious. Her down-to-earth stage presence and interesting introductions put the audience at ease immediately - no small feat for a singer.” Cape Cod Times

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