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Antoinette Montague

In the music world, jazz and blues have a long history as close companions, but singer Antoinette Montague joins those genres in holy matrimony on her debut album, Pretty Blues.

The phrase “Pretty Blues” is simply another way of describing Antoinette’s jazzy-blues. Her strength is combining the heartfelt passion of the blues with the sophistication of jazz. Her style can be powerful one moment and soft-and-delicate the next. Her lusty and soulful voice reaches right into the heart of the listener.

“At times I have been called a jazz singer who can belt the blues, and other times they say I am a blues singer who can swing with a jazz band,” states Montague. “I don’t care. I am just happy to be a singer. Period. I’m just letting it flow however it goes. Of course I mix jazz and blues. It’s natural to take all of your inspirations and blend them together. You also might hear me throw in a little gospel, R&B, Motown soul or big-band stylings. We build on what came before. The classic example is Billie Holliday, who was influenced by Bessie Smith’s blues, but Billie took it into more of a jazz direction.”

Antoinette Montague’s new CD is on CAP Records (Consolidated Artists Productions) and is available in record stores nationwide, online at major webstores (including amazon.co, cdbaby.com and jazzbeat.com/html/montague) and at digital download sites such as iTunes.com.

“Blues originally came out of the moaning and spirituals first heard in the workfields, but then soon heard in churches and honky-tonks as well. The more life-dues you pay, the better you can sing the blues, no matter what your heritage or whether you are rich or poor. The blues have to be honest. Everyone can relate to the blues because we all have had trouble sometime in our life. Singing the blues looks so easy, but I found out it’s not. You need a little soulful heartache, some suffering and then a dab of grease to make it slide along. The blues reflect the lifeblood and the spirit. The blues are a great release for me, but also a healing experience,” explains Antoinette.

“Where the blues are a basic part of life, an almost primeval experience, jazz is an elevated artform. Jazz follows a rich artistic path of high caliber. Where blues is the solid foundation for so much other music, jazz goes its own way. Jazz is infinite in possibilities. The greatest jazz comes out when the musicians exchange ideas. Jazz combines lofty thought with spontaneous improvisation. That’s why I love the idea of combining the best of jazz and blues whenever possible. They compliment and balance each other.”

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Album Review

Bobby Sanabria: Vox Humana

Read "Vox Humana" reviewed by Cary Tenenbaum


The opening track on Vox Humana could easily have been the encore of this live performance recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, part of Jazz At Lincoln Center in New York City. It is a rousing version of the Duke Ellington crowd pleaser “Caravan" and a boisterous Latin tinged big band version it is, with Matthew Gonzalez's barril de bomba and requinto pandereta, bandleader and drummer Sanabria and others on congas, bongos and bells prominently leading the percussionists and portending ...

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Take Five With...

Take Five With Antoinette Montague

Read "Take Five With Antoinette Montague" reviewed by AAJ Staff


Meet Antoinette Montague:Antoinette Montague likes to say she simply sings “people music." Make no mistake about it, she is a jazz singer through and through, but one who pushes the genre's boundaries. On her new recording, Behind the Smile, Montague sings classic jazz standards (new and old), resurrects lovely-but-obscure melodies, blends in blues and gospel through her vocal shadings, and puts entirely new jazz arrangements to material from other genres such as R&B, classic soul and pop.

Working ...

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Album Review

Antoinette Montague: Behind The Smile

Read "Behind The Smile" reviewed by Marcia Hillman


Antoinette Montague shows what is Behind the Smile--eclectic taste and strong delivery. She is joined by choice company on this outing: Mulgrew Miller (piano), Bill Easley (saxophone, clarinet and flute), Peter Washington (bass) and drummer Kenny Washington, who doubles as producer. Montague's programmatic choices are a varied mix, including blues, soul, the Great American Songbook, two Motown numbers and the original title track. She travels through these different genres without being tied down to any of them, ...

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Album Review

Antoinette Montague: Behind the Smile

Read "Behind the Smile" reviewed by Woodrow Wilkins


With every smile is a story. Singer Antoinette Montague explores this concept with Behind the Smile, a collection of 13 songs that represent things that have influenced the smiles in her life. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Montague has performed at a variety of venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Jazzmobile's Summer Breeze concert series and the Zebra Room in Harlem's Lenox Lounge. Accompanying her on this effort are woodwind player Bill Easley, pianist ...

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Album Review

Antoinette Montague: Pretty Blues

Read "Pretty Blues" reviewed by Jim Santella


Antoinette Montague works with a top-notch ensemble for this project. The other musicians provide her vibrant voice with a cohesive sound that mellows all around her with a deeply felt blues spirit. Hence the title Pretty Blues, which emphasizes the luster that fills the room.

The New York-based singer has an active career that spans several genres. Gospel, blues, swing and jazz have armed her with innumerable tools that allow her to express herself naturally with strong emotions. ...

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Recording

Antoinette Montague Releases "Behind the Smile" on in the Groove Label

Antoinette Montague Releases "Behind the Smile" on in the Groove Label

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

New York, NY—Newark New Jersey native Antoinette Montague has come of age with her upcoming release Behind The Smile on In The Groove, distributed through Allegro Music. The album is set for release February 9, 2010.

The Behind The Smile album is a showcase for the vocalist' diverse range and abilities to take an R & B based tune and turn it into a jazz and pop classic. Veteran musicians Bill Easley (sax, flute, and clarinet), Mulgrew Miller (piano), Peter ...

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Performance / Tour

Antoinette Montague at Jazz in the Garden (The Newark Museum) on June 25th

Antoinette Montague at Jazz in the Garden (The Newark Museum) on  June 25th

Source: All About Jazz

Antoinette Montague Thursday, June 25th, 2009 12:15 pm — 2:00 pm Jazz in the Garden with Bill Easley (sax) Tommy James (piano) Hassan Shakur (bass) Wally Gator (drums) Alice Ransom Dreyfuss Memorial Garden 100th Anniversary of the Newark Museum produced by Sheila Anderson 49 Washington Street (Central Avenue Entrance) Newark, NJ 07102 973-596-6550 RAIN or SHINE FREE ($3 ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz at the Baird Presents Antoinette Montague Quartet

Jazz at the Baird Presents Antoinette Montague Quartet

Source: All About Jazz

Jazz at The Baird presents jazz vocalist Antoinette Montague Quartet on Saturday, February, 28 at 8:00pm. The first of a four concert series held the last Saturday of each month, this event brings jazz greats up-close and personal Montagues first CD Pretty Blues combines passion and sophistication, making every song sound fresh, infectious and topical. Released in 2006, it has received high praise from both musicians and critics alike. A review by The Portland Observer states, Her ability to both ...

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Festival

Antoinette Montague Live!

Antoinette Montague Live!

Source: All About Jazz

Antoinette Montague will perform at The Many Colors of a W*O*M*A*N XXIV Free Jazz Festival (Aetna Theater at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Hartford, CT on Saturday Sept. 6 and at The September Concert: The Heart of Jazz in New York on Thursday, September 11. Born and raised in Newark, Antoinette Montague recently released her first CD, Pretty Blues but she has had many invaluable musical experiences. She worked in gospel and R&B ensembles after college, serves as the ...

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Performance / Tour

Antoinette Montague Summer Performance Schedule

Antoinette Montague Summer Performance Schedule

Source: All About Jazz

Antoinette Montague - Summer 2008 Performance Schedule - Live Jazz and Blues

Antoinette Montague will be swinging into Summer with a hot set of sessions presented by Jazzmobile -- in Brooklyn; Mt. Vernon, NY; and Newark, NJ. She'll also be appearing in Yonkers in their Jazz and Blues at Dusk Series and at New York City's famous The Kitano.

Born and raised in Newark, Antoinette Montague recently released her first CD, Pretty Blues but she has had many invaluable musical ...

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Event

Antoinette Montague Hosts the September Concert - The Heart of Jazz, Tuesday, 9/11/07

Antoinette Montague Hosts the September Concert - The Heart of Jazz, Tuesday, 9/11/07

Source: All About Jazz

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007 Time: 4 pm - 8 pm Event: The September Concert - The Heart of Jazz, Antoinette Montague, host Location: Creole Restaurant & Jazz Club 2167 Third Avenue corner of 3rd & East 118th Street, NYC 212-876-8838 Admission: FREE to the Public! Antoinette Montague will be the host of The September Concert: The Heart of Jazz, at Creole Restaurant & Jazz Club, one event ...

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Performance / Tour

Antoinette Montague with the Bill Easley Quartet Upcoming Appearances

Antoinette Montague with the Bill Easley Quartet Upcoming Appearances

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

NJPAC / JP MorganChase Presents: Sounds of the City with a WBGO Live Broadcast 88.3fm Antoinette Montague w the Bill Easley Quartet August 23, 2007 at 6:45pm - 7:30pm Free Outdoor Concert on Thursday, August 23, 2007 Antoinette Montague with the Bill Easley Quartet Bring a chair and prepare to swing to some good music. Two other amazing groups performing that night starting at 5:00pm - 9:30pm Consider purchasing Antoinette's cd Pretty Blues Sounds of the ...

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Performance / Tour

Antoinette Montague July Appearances

Antoinette Montague July Appearances

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

Antoinette Montague July Appearances

Tuesday, July 10, 2007 8:00 & 9:30 pm Antoinette Montague with the Mike Longo Trio with special guest Bill Easley

Sizzlin' at the Bahai in July John Birks Gillespie Bahai Auditorium 53 East 11th Street (btwn. University Pl. and Broadway) 212-222-5159 $15.00 Students $10.00

Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 7:30 sharp Antoinette w/ the Bill Easley Quartet

Jazz On The ...

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Performance / Tour

Antoinette Montague Tuesday, Feb. 27 Jazz @ NYC's Bahai Center

Antoinette Montague Tuesday, Feb. 27 Jazz @ NYC's Bahai Center

Source: Jim Eigo, Jazz Promo Services

Tuesday, Feb. 27 Jazz @ NYC's Bahai Center Tuesday, February 27, 2007 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM

Mike Longo's Trio featuring Antoinette Montague with Paul west (bass) and Ray Mosca (drums)

The John Birks Gillespie Auditorium Jazz @ NYC's Bahai Center 53 East 11th Street New York. NY 212-222-5159 http://www.bahainyc.org

Tickets: $15 (doors open early)

“Just do your life -- ...

“Antoinette Montague has a powerful voice, the ability to hold long notes without wavering, and a knack for making every song sound bluesy.” --Scott Yanow, Los Angeles Jazz Scene

“Jazz players love to accompany a genuine jazz singer and Antoinette is as real as they come: good range, phrasing and taste.” --Jazz Times

Bill Gati
saxophone

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