Back by popular demand! We were very excited to be able to present another house concert with world renowned jazz vocalist Laurel Massé!! Our first house concert with Laurel was so well received that Laurel happily agreed to return for another show. This time, KCBS news in Los Angeles attended with a camera crew to cover the show as part of a story they were doing on house concerts! You can view the full CBS story here (Real Media File).

From the moment of her debut as a founding member of The Manhattan Transfer, Laurel Massé has enjoyed the affection of audiences and the respect of critics worldwide. After seven years and five albums, she left the group to begin a solo career, headlining internationally at major jazz clubs, concert halls and festivals, and releasing three well received jazz recordings. "She has a marvelous sense of style, a purity of tone that is evident in everything she does... a dazzling performance." (John S. Wilson, The New York Times)

Ms. Massé has sung with many types of instrumentation, ranging from solo piano accompaniment to classical chamber ensemble to big band and full orchestra. In 1994, led by a series of dreams, she also began to perform without instrumental backing. Her exploration of the primal traditions of unaccompanied song embraces many cultures and spans many centuries. In her 1999 recording Feather and Bone, she weaves together song and myth, ancient chant and spontaneous improvisation, creating a trance-like atmosphere with music of profound beauty.

Laurel Massé has been a featured performer in events as diverse as the Chicago Jazz Festival and The Irish Summer/L'Ete Irlandais in Quebec City, the 1997 Summer Solstice Celebration in New York City with Layne Redmond and the Mob of Angels and the Blue Note Jazz Club a few blocks downtown, the 1997 International Conference on Music in Human Adaptation and the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Ms. Massé also leads workshops, clinics, and retreats in the art and power of song (Esalen Institute, Rowe Conference Center, The New York Open Center, Ashokan Fiddle and Dance Camp) and has taught music and mythology to elementary, middle, high school and college students throughout the country.

Everyone in our packed house, including special guests Tim Hauser and Alan Paul from The Manhattan Transfer, was totally in awe of Laurel's solo a cappella performance. Her amazing vocal talents and delightful story telling left quite an impression on everyone! Please be sure to visit Laurel's Web site at: www.laurelmasse.com to keep up on her upcoming activities.