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A multi-faceted and eclectic song interpreter who counts Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Etta James, and Tanya Maria among her influences, award-winning singer/songwriter/pianist Bett Butler authored two critically-acclaimed albums of original music: SHORT STORIES, which earned a “recommended” rating from All Music Guide; and MYTHS & FABLES, winner of a performance grant from the Artist Foundation. She recently released AMERICAN SAMPLER, her first recorded collection of standards, which “breathes new life into old songs with fresh arrangements and a flair for the exotic” (KUT Radio host Jay Trachtenburg, Austin Chronicle) and features “what might well be the most honest, haunting and intense version of ‘Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?’ committed to CD.” (Jim Beal, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS). “Never has the song been recorded with such tension and edge,” writes Enrique Lopetegui of THE CURRENT.
A multi-faceted and eclectic song interpreter who counts Billie Holiday, Abbey Lincoln, Etta James, and Tanya Maria among her influences, award-winning singer/songwriter/pianist Bett Butler authored two critically-acclaimed albums of original music: SHORT STORIES, which earned a “recommended” rating from All Music Guide; and MYTHS & FABLES, winner of a performance grant from the Artist Foundation. She recently released AMERICAN SAMPLER, her first recorded collection of standards, which “breathes new life into old songs with fresh arrangements and a flair for the exotic” (KUT Radio host Jay Trachtenburg, Austin Chronicle) and features “what might well be the most honest, haunting and intense version of ‘Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?’ committed to CD.” (Jim Beal, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS). “Never has the song been recorded with such tension and edge,” writes Enrique Lopetegui of THE CURRENT.
A recipient of numerous local and regional awards, her song “When Love Has Left the Room” placed first in the Jazz category of the 2006 International Songwriting Competition. She was named a Woman of Influence in the Arts by the San Antonio Business Journal and chosen Artist of the Month by the City of San Antonio Office of Cultural Affairs. The Texas Music Coalition awarded her the inaugural Fred Weiss Memorial Grant for Professional Development, and she is an inductee in the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame.
Recent recording projects include BOLEROS, a fusion of traditional Latin American music and jazz with Trio Azul; and A NEW WORLD, a world fusion project with Joël Dilley.
Awards
"When Love Has Left the Room" 1st Place, Jazz Category, 2006
International Songwriting Competition; Performance Grant, San
Antonio Artist Foundation; Fred Weiss Memorial Grant for
Professional Development,Texas Music Coalition; San Antonio
Women's Hall of Fame; Artist of the Month, City of San Antonio.
“Butler is a unique package....Her voice, a smooth, slightly
husky alto that can slide up to thrilling high notes, has a
comfortable, soothing timbre; but she changes attitudes from
song to song with the facility of a trained actor, striking a
balance somewhere between the silken elegance of Norah
Jones and the edginess of Patricia Barber....I marveled at the
spell this singer could weave...recalling similar moments
listening to Billie Holiday, Betty Carter, Laura Nyro and Joni
Mitchell. Bett Butler brought me to that place where music can
salve the deepest wound, mend the heart most broken.--
John Swenson, United Press International
“As made clear on 'When Love Has Left the Room' from the
new 'Myths & Fables' CD, this San Antonio singer/pianist is a
true artist....Her forte is creating rich story songs fluttering
over a South American/South Philly soundscape we have to
call jazz because the right word hasn't been invented.--
Micael Corcoran, Austin American Statesman
“Visiting Texas jazz vocalist shining star Bett Butler does the
seemingly impossible: incorporate traits of Ella and Billie and
the same time; Fitzgerald’s flowing grace and cadence with a
bit of Holiday’s smoky husk.--Austin.com
“Butler is a unique package....Her voice, a smooth, slightly
husky alto that can slide up to thrilling high notes, has a
comfortable, soothing timbre; but she changes attitudes from
song to song with the facility of a trained actor, striking a
balance somewhere between the silken elegance of Norah
Jones and the edginess of Patricia Barber....I marveled at the
spell this singer could weave...recalling similar moments
listening to Billie Holiday, Betty Carter, Laura Nyro and Joni
Mitchell. Bett Butler brought me to that place where music can
salve the deepest wound, mend the heart most broken.--
John Swenson, United Press International
“As made clear on 'When Love Has Left the Room' from the
new 'Myths & Fables' CD, this San Antonio singer/pianist is a
true artist....Her forte is creating rich story songs fluttering
over a South American/South Philly soundscape we have to
call jazz because the right word hasn't been invented.--
Micael Corcoran, Austin American Statesman
“Visiting Texas jazz vocalist shining star Bett Butler does the
seemingly impossible: incorporate traits of Ella and Billie and
the same time; Fitzgerald’s flowing grace and cadence with a
bit of Holiday’s smoky husk.--Austin.com
“Don’t expect “lite jazz” here. The Houston-bred Bett Butler’s
voice is sometimes hoarse and downright growly, but that’s
usually the prelude for an unexpectedly soothing wail or a left-
field, smirky stage whisper. She makes spontaneous, thrilling,
but unflashy vocal choices based on the material, which she
has usually written herself or with her partner Dilley....In its
most acid moments, Butler’s voice recalls the late-career
performances of jazz great Annie Ross in Robert Altman’s
sprawling flick “Short Cuts.” For the most part, though, Butler
is warmer, fuller, and more agile in her phrasing of a lyric.
Miss this Texas vocal powerhouse at your peril.--Jimmy
Fowler, Fort Worth Weekly
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