Catch Amanda Crumley at The Drake's Coq d'Or!

This south side kolbold was transformed into a sensitive urban sophisticate by a young girl and a guitarist at the Cog d'Or in the Drake Hotel last night. Amanda Crumley and guitarist Kregor are two young artists with a powerful understanding of artistic intent - they actually honor the songwriter.

The Beautiful Woman, who allows me to carry her books, was delighted to see her date not play with the silverware, the candle wax, or trowel handfuls of the peppery snack assortments from the bowl into his chop hole and instead morph into a Brooks Brothers jacketed gent - all due to Amanda Crumley's and John Kregor's respect for lyrics and lines of notes formed by Brazilian genius Jobin, Cole Porter, or Crumley herself.

Amanda Crumley is a soprano. She can coax a note into the empyrean without drawing attention to herself as most singers seem to do - the Jennifer Hudson 'it's all about me' quality that has destroyed the National Anthem and most liturgical music as well as the Great American Songbook.

John Kregold takes a standard solid-body Parler guitar and delicately shapes chords and notes into a framework of musical gossamer for Crumley.

Get to the Drake's Coq d' Or on Sunday nights and catch these artists.

Amanda Crumley's manner and caressing voice could make a warehouse full of Trappist Monks give a second look at their vows.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Amanda grew up singing in school choirs, writing songs on piano from a young age, (forming a short-lived but prolific rock band in the 3rd grade), and doing anything musical she could get ears on. She was formally introduced to jazz when she first attended the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in music education. While studying classical voice, she performed in the school’s top vocal jazz ensembles and was exposed to several master artists who came through town. Around the same time, she became captivated by Brazilian music, and has continued to cultivate her understanding of the music, the language, and immerse herself in the gorgeous sounds of the culture as much as possible. Before she finished college it became clear where her heart was and this beautiful, spontaneous element of improvisation that had always been part of her made her desire to pursue jazz a natural one.

Amanda moved to Chicago in 2003 upon receiving a scholarship to study jazz voice with Patricia Barber at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University from where she now holds her Master’s degree. New to the Chicago jazz scene, she feels privileged to make music with some of the greatest musicians in the city. Having cultivated a unique repertoire of Brazilian music, jazz standards and original arrangements, Amanda can be seen at many fine venues in the Chicago area. She performs every first Friday of the month at Katerina’s in Chicago. Other venues Amanda has performed at include Pete Miller’s Steakhouse, Gigi’s Jazz and Supper Club, the Smoke Daddy, Uncommon Ground, Wise Fool’s Pub, the Heartland, and the Drake Hotel.

Click my post title and link to each of these songs by Amanda!

mp3s:

Vivo Sonhando (Jobim)
I Loves You, Porgy (Gershwin, piano arr. by Jarrett)
Retrato em branco et prieto/ Pictures in Black and White (Jobim, arr. AC)
I Didn't Mean to Turn You On (Harris/ Lewis; arr AC)


Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Coq d'Or @ the Drake Hotel w/ guitarist John Kregor
Chicago, IL 8:30 PM
140 E. Walton Ave.
18:30-12:30pm
no cover or minimum
http://www.thedrakehotel.com

Sunday, May 17, 2009
The Coq d'Or @ the Drake Hotel w/ guitarist John Kregor
Chicago, IL 8:30 PM
140 E. Walton Ave.
8:30pm-12:30am
no cover or minimum
http://www.thedrakehotel.com

Friday, May 22, 2009
Mandy & Bandit(s) @ Lizard's Liquid Lounge
Chicago, IL 6:00 PM
6-8pm
no cover + fantabulous drink specials
3058 W. Irving Park Rd.
http://www.lizardsliquidlounge.com