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Josephine Beavers

The Standard is back. And it’s forming a musical bridge linking generations from World War II through Post-Millennials together in perfect harmony. With the newly mixed, mastered and release of her breakthrough album “Prime Time,” Josephine Beavers crosses that bridge with a distinctive, timeless voice and preserves the hallowed sounds of American standards while presenting them in a fresh contemporary light.

You might not know her yet, but listen to “Prime Time” and that will change. Because Josephine Beavers imbues her singing with enough love, depth, and intimacy to make it seem as if you’re not so much listening to a recording but rather sharing time with a friend. And after just a few moments acquainting yourself with her timeless voice, you’ll quickly come to know how “Prime Time” suits a musical mood the way a silk glove slides onto a lady’s hand.

The need to sing enveloped Josephine Beavers early. While attending a jazz concert at Washington D.C.’s Howard Theater at age three, a family friend and vocalist had to actually restrain her from running to join the featured performer on stage. “She seemed to be calling to me,” Josephine recalls. “With her sequined dress, the crowd cheering her on, and especially her sound, I didn’t simply want to be with her on stage, I wanted to be her. I thought she was a queen.”

The family friend and vocalist that kept little Josephine from storming the stage was the great jazz and R&B artist Al Hibler.

The featured performer that night was indeed royal. It was Ella Fitzgerald.

Throughout her childhood, Josephine seemed to remain surrounded by jazz royalty. As the daughter of Laura Joy – an established jazz singer of the Washington D.C. club circuit – she was raised in the standard’s heyday watching her mother share the stage with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, The Charlie Byrd Trio, and other jazz immortals.

“To me these weren’t legends, but just part of the family,” Josephine says. It was a family, however, that was nurturing in Beavers not only a life-long love of music, but an indelible legacy to perform it as well.

Driven by her legacy throughout her formative years, Beavers performed in small groups and modeled herself after inspirations including Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, and Mel Torme – all strong contrasts to the winds of change dictated by Motown, the British invasion, and other contemporary influences. But having experienced a profession where rewards were rarely financial, Josephine’s mother encouraged her to explore more conventional ambitions. Subsequently, Josephine went to college, married, and raised four children.

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