Biography
Roseanna Vitro – Biography
Roseanna is currently working on a new project with her Grammy Nominated Band, The Music of Clare Fischer. Mark Soskin and Roseanna are deep into arranging the music in preparation for the new recording. Many thanks to Brent and Donna Fischer for their help with this in depth study of a master of music. More information soon.
In 2011, Roseanna joined the Motéma Music label and released, “The Music of Randy Newman” which earned a Grammy Nomination in the Vocal Jazz category. The Newman project featured re-imagined Randy Newman songs, arranged by pianist Mark Soskin, featuring Sara Caswell on violin, Dean Johnson bass & Tim Horner drums. (guitar sweetening- Steve Cardenas & percussion and four drum tracks Jamey Haddad)
http://www.Motema.com
Having toured the world as an esteemed performer, clinician, recording artist, vocal instructor and ambassador, she has proven herself a reigning member of the jazz community. Her collaborations, covering a wide range of music and stylistic directions, have been cited and celebrated, far and wide.
Roseanna is a soulful communicator, showcasing a thirst for swinging hard and possessing an ear for melodic invention. Her strengths include rhythmic acuity and free-spirited spontaneity, often heard in her improvisations, using both scat syllables and lyrics.
Ms. Vitro’s signature energy and grace can be heard on a host of recordings, notable among them, her breakout recording on Telarc (Passion Dance), which featured Elvin Jones, Christian McBride and longtime musical partner, Kenny Werner, and compelling tributes to Ray Charles (Catchin’ Some Rays), Bill Evans (Conviction), and Brazil (Tropical Postcards), The Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer on Half Note Records, 2008- is a live, blues-based recording of jazz and pop repertoire featuring Kenny Werner’s arrangements and an all-star band of Kenny Werner, James Carter, Randy Brecker, Ray Anderson, Adam Rogers, John Patitucci, Rocky Bryant, Geoff Countryman.
Her band mates – on stage and in the studio – have included Kenny Werner, Fred Hersch, George Coleman, ‘Fathead Newman,’ Eddie Gomez, Arnett Cobb, Elvin Jones, Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, Christian McBride, Eddie Daniels, Joey Baron, Al Foster, Rufus Reid, Buster Williams, Ben Riley, Allen Farnham, Dean Johnson, Tim Horner, Mark Soskin, Sara Caswell, Randy Brecker, Ray Anderson, Adam Rogers, John Patitucci.
Having served as an official Jazz Ambassador, sponsored in 2009 by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. State Department and in 2004 by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the U.S. State Department, she has presented concerts and workshops around the world. Her celebrated performance in the Jazzaar 2010 – The Aargau Youth Pops Orchestra playing The Great American Songbook, (arranged by Bob Freedman – and Kevin Field conductor in Aarau, Switzerland will be aired on Swiss PBS Concert Series in 2011. The Maribor Philharmonic in Slovenia was a televised Christmas ‘Special’ in Eastern Europe in 2001 . Her studies of Indian vocal technique are documented in an article, “From Bebop To Bombay,” heralded by the International Association For Jazz Education Magazine.
Given her lifelong commitment to the art of jazz singing – exemplified by her myriad of achievements on the bandstand, in the studio, and in classrooms fronting jazz’s next generation – Roseanna displays a heart and a soul rare by any standards. She is a consummate artist whose professional outreach improves us all.
Roseanna Vitro – Resume
Concerts, Festivals, Tours and Clubs (USA/Int’l):
Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola 2011, 2010 Jazz at Newport Festival, Jazzaar 2010 – Aarau, Switzerland Great American Songbook with orchestra, NJCU Concert with Kevin Mahogany, Estoril Jazz Festival, 2009 Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. State Department Tour of South America; Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, Jazz Festivals 2009 Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan, Caldwell University, Bucknell University, William Patterson University, Cape Cod Jazz Festival, IAJE – Delirium Blues Show, 2008, Toronto, Los Gatos, Ca. 2007, The Blue Note, NYC (two weeks 07 /08), Wakefield, UK, The Boxford Fleece, UK – 2007, Rio Grande / Porto Alegre, Brazil 2006, The Kennedy Center 2005 • NJPAC with Joe Lovano, 2007 • Queenstown, New Zealand Jazz Festival 2005• Ankara Jazz Festival, Turkey 2005 • 2004 UK Tour • US. State Department Jazz Ambassadors Tour 2004: Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Albania, Cypress, Jazz Yatra Festival Bombay, India • Maribor Philharmonic, Maribor / Ljubljana, Slovenia • Davidoff International Jazz Festival, Cape town, SA • Angra Jazz Festival, Portugal, featuring Gary Bartz • Women in Jazz Festival, The Kennedy Center, Washington, DC • Women In Jazz, NJCU • Cross Cultural Theater, Beirut, Lebanon • International Jazz Educators Convention • JazzTimes Convention • Town Hall, New York • The Hollywood Friars Club, LA with Steve Allen • Lionel Hampton Tour • Harriet Gimmel Theater, West Palm Beach, FL • WBGO Children’s Concerts • The Telluride Jazz Festival • The Clearwater Jazz Festival • The Houston Jazz Festival • Galveston Jazz Festival • Roswell Cultural Center, Atlanta, GA. with Freddy Cole • The Virginia Arts Festival • Kings College, NY • Croton on the Hudson Festival • The East Coast Jazz Festival • The Santa Barbara Jazz Festival • The Dallas Museum of Art • Charles Earland’s Jazz Cruise • The Newark Jazz Festival • The USAF Big Band, Washington, DC. • Jazz Alley, Seattle • Finale, St. Louis • The Jazz Standard, NYC • Sweet Rhythm, NYC • Birdland, NYC • Catalina Bar & Grill, Los Angeles • The Jazz Bakery, Los Angeles • Yoshi’s, San Francisco • Blues Alley, Washington, DC • Triple Door, Seattle • The Green Mill, Chicago • The Dakota, St Paul • The Caravan of Dreams, Dallas • Cezanne, Houston • Nardis, Istanbul • Hot Club, Lisbon • Club Red, Cypress.
Television and Radio
The Aargau Youth Pops Orchestra-American Songbook Concert for PBS, Switzerland, WBGO Interview 2010, Radio Interview 2009 Javeriana University, Bogota, Colombia, WBAI interview 2008, Listen Here Radio interview Podcast, Toronto, Rio Grande, Brazil 2006, Scranton Public Television Concert 2006 • TV Noon Istanbul 2005 • Sozopol Jazz Concert • The Ramsey Lewis Show, BET • NBC • Artist Profile, CNN • Vocal Jazz documentary, Jim Lehrer, PBS • Marian McPartland Piano Jazz, NPR • The Telluride Jazz Festival, NPR • Frank Foster’s 70th Birthday Concert, NPR • Performance Space, WBEZ Chicago • Live at WBGO- Newark • Maribor Philharmonic Christmas Television Concert, Slovenian State Television , NBC -Fantasy with Steve Allen.
Recordings
The Music of Randy Newman (Motema Music 2011) , JazzStories (2010 TBA) with Kenny Werner and Roseanna Vitro, The Delirium Blues Project; Serve or Suffer (Half Note Records 2008), Live At The Kennedy Center (Challenge International, 2006) • Tropical Postcards (A Records, 2004) • Conviction: Thoughts of Bill Evans (A Records, 2001) • Catchin’ Some Rays: The Music Of Ray Charles (Telarc, 1997) • Passion Dance (Telarc, 1996) • Softly (Concord, 1994) • Reaching For The Moon (CMG, 1991) • A Quiet Place (Skyline, 1987) • The Time Of My Life: The Songs Of Steve Allen (Seabreeze, 1986) • Listen Here (Skyline, 1985). Among the artists featured on these recordings are: Joey Baron, Kenny Barron, Gary Bartz, Arnett Cobb, George Coleman, Eddie Daniels, Al Foster, Eddie Gomez, Eddie Henderson, Fred Hersch, Elvin Jones, Joe Lovano, Kevin Mahogany, Christian McBride, David “Fathead” Newman, Tim Ries, Trio da Paz, Kenny Werner, Kirk Whalum and Buster Williams.
Vocal Jazz Clinics
Workshops: The Jazz Educators Convention, New Orleans – 2011 – Giant Steps in Vocal Jazz, NJPAC 2011 The Business of Music and Jazz & Singing, 2010 Workshop Jazzaar–Aarau, Switzerland, 2009; Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. State Dept. Rhythm Road Tour and Workshops in South America: Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Ecuador, U.S. State Dept. Tour and Workshops in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, Caldwell University, NJCU’s Opera Department, Bucknell University, Lewisville, PA.; Singers Forum, London, UK.; Classical Music Academy in Skopje, Macedonia (Video available); Istanbul University, Ankara & Adana, Turkey; Arte Culturay Center, Nicosia, Cypress; Jazz Seminar, Queenstown, New Zealand; The International Jazz Educators Convention, NYC; JazzTimes Convention, NJ; New Jersey Music Educators Association; Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp, Chicago (recorded for NPR); Webster University, St. Louis, MO.; The Nashville, TN. Jazz Workshop; High School Performing and Visual Arts, Houston, TX; University of Miami. FL.; North Texas State University; Memphis State University; Kings College, Wilkes-Barre, PA; The East Coast Jazz Festival Clinic; Houston Community College, UNC, LA.; University of Cinncinati, OH.; The Jazz Workshop, Cape Town, South Africa
Internet Vocal Jazz Sites
http://www.facebook.com/pages/JVOICE-Jazz-Vocalists-Offering-Instructional-Curriculum-for-Education/106379385885 (this is an educational page started to discuss all issues concerning vocal jazz education)
http://jazziam.blogspot.com/ (the home of the JazzIam band tour and blog, plus Vitro current events)
Education
Vocal Jazz Improvisation, Rhiannon 2005-2008
Voice Technique, Barbara Maier 1990 -2010
Piano, Jason Teborek, 2006
Improvisation, Freddie Hendrix, 2005
Classical Indian Vocalese, Bombay, India 1998 -Teachers: Dhanashree Pandit Rae, Purvi Parikh, Uday Bhawalker
Piano, David Leonhart, 1997
Ear training and improvisation, Kenny Werner, 1990, 2007
Portugese lessons, Barbara Lubambo, 1990
Ear training, Fred Hersch, 1987
Voice Technique, Ann Marie Moss, 1982-1987
Classical Voice, Manhattan School of Music, Gabore Carelli, 1980-1982 (private applied lessons)
Jazz Voice, Ray Sullenger, 1972-1974
Piano, Sid Bernstein, 1972
Piano, basic theory, Texarkana Jr. College, 1970
Arkansas High School 1969
Teaching History
SUNY Purchase University, Vocal Jazz Teacher 1999-2002
New Jersey City University Vocal Chair, 1998 – current
The Wachovia Teens Jazz Program at The New Jersey Performing Arts Center 2000-current
Awards
Inducted into Arkansas Jazz Hall of Fame 1998, with Bob Dorough and John Stubblefield.
2009 - New Jersey Jazz Society Jazz Leadership Award for excellence in teaching.
IAJE Award; 2008, 1998 Performance and Workshop Awards.
2011 Grammy Nomination In Vocal Jazz - The Music of Randy Newman
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