"Imaginative and daring." -Steve Futterman, THE NEW YORKER
"Kendra Shank sounds like sunlight shining through a stained-glass window, her crystalline tone illuminating each song. Working her voice like a horn, she phrases inventively, whether crisp and sizzling or sensuously smoky. She's definitely an original." -Patricia Myers, JAZZ TIMES
KENDRA SHANK's seven CDs have won numerous “Best of the Year” citations, a New York Times Critics’ Choice, DownBeat poll recognition, and accolades for her “delectable voice” (TIME magazine) and “breathtakingly original concept” (Boston Globe). Her career began as a folk singer-guitarist busking in Paris. When her passion turned to jazz, she studied with vocalist Jay Clayton while honing her craft in Seattle and Paris jazz clubs. Shank soon caught the attention of three other mentors: Bob Dorough who took her on tour in 1991; Shirley Horn who co-produced Shank’s debut CD and showcased her at New York’s Village Vanguard in 1992; and Abbey Lincoln who endorsed her as “an original; a singer with a sound” and hired her as guest guitarist on Lincoln’s "Over The Years" CD and live at the Blue Note. Shank’s ground-breaking 2007 release “A Spirit Free: Abbey Lincoln Songbook” reimagines songs composed by Lincoln. Her most recent recording “Half Moon” is a live concert with pianist Geoffrey Keezer. Since moving to New York in 1997 Shank has become a mainstay on the city’s jazz scene, headlining at the Blue Note, Birdland, Jazz Standard, Iridium and holding a 19-year residency at the historic 55 Bar. She’s appeared on NPR's "JazzSet" and Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" and has toured in Europe, Japan, South Africa, Australia, Canada and the U.S. at clubs, concert halls, and festivals. Shank has also performed and/or recorded with Frank Kimbrough, Dean Johnson, Fred Hersch, Larry Willis, Bruce Barth, Joe Locke, Jay Clayton, Billy Drewes, Gary Bartz, Steve Wilson, Peter Leitch, John Stowell, Ben Monder, Victor Lewis, Matt Wilson, and many more. http://kendrashank.com
GARY VERSACE: Since basing himself in NYC in 2002 (originally hailing from Cos Cob, CT) jazz pianist, organist and accordionist Gary Versace has become one of the busiest and most versatile musicians on the international jazz scene, often featured in bands led by musicians such as John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Al Foster, Regina Carter, Ellery Eskelin, Ray Anderson, John Hollenbeck, Ralph Alessi, Kurt Elling, Anat Cohen, Maria Schneider, Madeleine Peyroux, Matt Wilson, Brad Shepik, Ingrid Jensen and many others. Versace, along with bandmates vocalist Kate McGarry and guitarist Keith Ganz, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2019 for his work on The Subject Tonight is Love. He won the “Rising Star” category on the Hammond organ in DownBeat's Critics Poll in 2009 and 2010, and has placed in the primary Organ category in the readers and critics polls in DownBeat and JazzTimes consistently for the last 10 years. Versace won the Jazz Jounalists' Association's "Best Instrumentalist – Instruments Rare In Jazz (accordion)" award in 2018, and their “Organist of the Year” award in 2012. Gary has appeared twice as a guest on Marian McPartland's acclaimed NPR show Piano Jazz, and McPartland has described him as “...endlessly inventive...[Versace] really has an extraordinary talent.” He has several CDs as a leader on the Criss Cross and SteepleChase labels, the most recent being a piano trio recording, All for Now, featuring bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Obed Calvaire, which received a 4 star review in DownBeat and was included in their list of the best recordings of 2020. He has appeared on dozens of recordings as a sideman on various labels over the years with nationally and internationally known jazz artists. https://allaboutjazz.com/musicians/gary-versace
DEAN JOHNSON: In the last few years Dean has performed and recorded with numerous groups including the Paul Jost Quartet, Roseanna Vitro, Bill Mays, Kendra Shank, Hayes Greenfield, and in special concerts with jazz artists Fred Hersch, Jane Ira Bloom and Art Lande. He also performs regularly with pipa virtuoso Min Xiao-Fen and guitarist Steve Salerno in the Blue Pipa Trio, performing their eclectic combination of jazz, bluegrass and Chinese folk songs. As bassist for vocalist Roseanna Vitro, Dean has performed as a U.S. Jazz Ambassador in the Balkans, Kazahkstan and Kyrgystan, as well as a live recording at the Kennedy Center featuring pianist Kenny Werner, and a recording project celebrating the music of Randy Newman featuring Mark Soskin that was nominated for a Grammy. He has performed, recorded and toured for over six years with vibraphonist Mark Sherman and a quartet including drummer Tim Horner and pianist Allen Farnham. Dean has appeared on over 50 recordings and his debut recording as a leader titled “Triology,” featuring four different trios, was released in 2016. He has traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, and Israel and has freelanced with a variety of artists including Dave Liebman, Lee Konitz, Bob Brookmeyer, Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, Phil Woods, Grover Washington, Dave Grusin, Lew Tabackin, Wynton Marsalis, Steve Kuhn, Dave Douglas, Paul McCandless, Nguyen Le, Art Lande, Ray Anderson, Walter Norris, Vic Juris, Billy Harper, Art Farmer, Nick Brignola, Dave Kikoski, Bill Frisell, Mike Metheny, John McNeil, and vocalists Sheila Jordan, Jackie and Roy, Mark Murphy, Carol Sloane and Helen Merrill. Dean’s 10-year association with Gerry Mulligan encompassed a variety of musical settings including the Quartet, Nonet, Big Band, and with symphony orchestras, including the Israel Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra -- performing all over the world as well as on numerous recordings. https://deanjohnsonbassist.net
Kendra Shank - voice
Gary Versace - piano
Dean Johnson - bass
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