supersonic
Artist Information
Biography
Elizabeth Tomboulian is now happily living near NYC and is digging the scene! Check her out at Sugar Bar, University of the Streets, Smalls Jazz, Perks, Cleopatra's Needle, and other jazz venues in the city. She's teaching in her home studio in Cliffside Park, NJ as well as at a location in UWS of Manhattan.
She has been a pro all of her life. A Southerner, she cut her teeth in Texas bars singing Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Phoebe Snow, and Carol King along with her folk and R&B compositions while gigging on guitar.
Her repertoire took a turn toward jazz in Houston where she studied vocal jazz, jazz piano and jazz improv. She sang for a couple of years atop the Shell building in the Plaza Club with Kip Galbraith, who called her Betty Bop, a name she used professionally for a number of years. Some of her vocal heroes discovered at that time were: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, and the group Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.
She found her way to Lucky Pierre's (piano bar) on Bourbon Street New Orleans, where she met Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers, and played piano with The Charles Neville House Band and sang with New Orleans Ladies at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
On a lark, she moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she was a local opener at The Blue Note, sharing the stage with Tom Scott and the LA Express, Charlie Musselwhite, and Richie Cole. Tom Scott dug her opening act and took her with him to Fort Collinsto open his show there. She enjoyed beating him at his favorite dice game after the show. Richie Cole was so impressed by her vocal scat that for his encore, he sent the band offstage and finished the night with a duet with Betty singing and comping on guitar. Charlie Musselwhite wanted to take her on the road with him, but she was afraid to be trapped in a car with that much gin, so she held back. She's happy to see Charlie doing so well now. Way to go, Charlie!
She spent seven years in Nashville doing studio work and trying to get a record deal for her groups, The Lost Renes and Whatever It Takes.
She met Lee Tomboulian, her husband, in Arkansas on a Monday jazz gig at the AfterThought. Lee introduced her to the music of Eddie Harris, and the soloists of the cool jazz era as well as the music of South America (Brazil and Uruguay). This piqued her interest in studying the music of Milton Nascimento, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Hugo Fattoruso and Toninho Horta. When she met Milton after a show in Albuquerque, he asked what her name was so he could sign her program. When she said it was Betty, he smiled a quizzical smile and asked if she had another name. He didn't want to sign it to Betty, because in Portuguese, it's slang for bitch!
She is featured on two cds by Circo - North/South Convergence and newly released Return to Whenever. North/South Convergence is a collaboration with her husband and a six-piece group, produced by Hugo Fattoruso. See www.circomusic.com or www.sonicbids.com/circo or click the Audio link above and then Viver de Amor or Garota de Ipanema to hear Elizabeth sing with Circo. She and Lee had the time of their lives visiting Hugo in Montevideo, Uruguay and gigging at Medio y Medio in Punto del Este.
While in Arkansas, she met and sang with Sheila Jordan at a concert in Fayetteville. Sheila dug her sound and recognized her talent so much that she gave her some tunes from her book. When Elizabeth ran into Sheila at her 75th birthday party at the Jazz Standard in NYC, Sheila thought back and said, "Yes, I remember you! You were hanging with the piano player and I gave you my book! I don't give anybody my book! You wanna sing with me tomorrow night?"
She had to board a flight the next day for Denton, where she was working in desktop publishing at UNT. She's now in process of developing producers for a "Tribute to Sheila" recording featuring interpretations by singers who have been blessed to hear and love Sheila's singing.
In Denton sh
Instrumentation
ET's tune, "Hope, Strength and Love" has advanced to the next round of judging in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition. Finalists will be announced in February and the winners will be announced in March. Stay tuned for more. Click the Audio link to hear the song.
Elizabeth plays piano or keyboard and sings for solo gigs.
Lee Tomboulian, Instructor of Improvisation and Jazz Piano at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, accompanies ET on duo gigs, allowing her to freely soar vocally with the best accompaniment. A talented composer, you can hear ET's scat on his tunes and Brazilian vocals at www.sonicbids.com/circo.
John Croakin from Green Bay adds lovely saxes, flutes, and harmonica. His rich bass flute or flute sounds bring a classy smoothness to the group, or he can be just as brilliant on alto, tenor or soprano sax. Then he'll surprise you by playing jazz harmonica, shades of Toots Thielman! In Texas, Pete Brewer is the first-call man on saxes and flutes (hear him play on Viver de Amor with Circo).
ET works with Northeast Wisconsin rhythm section players: Mark Urness-bass, John Gibson-bass, Jason Kruk-drums, Dane Richeson-drums, Derek Drier-drums. In Texas: Drew Phelps or Brian Warthen-bass, Dennis Durick or Mike Drake-Drums. Book available for pick-up section to save on travel expenses for sidemen.
In Texas, Uruguayan percussionist, Ricardo Bozas (who plays with Circo and also on demo tracks with ET) brings atmospheric elegance and vitality to the sound, supporting with exotic instruments played with expertise.
Discography
Lee Tomboulian and Circo - Return to Whenever
Circo - North South Convergence
ET Singer - Texas Recordings
Elijah - Denton Bach Choir
Mass in B Minor - Denton Bach Choir
Bill Haymes - Out into the Light
Whatever it Takes - It's all Done with Mirrors
Official Website
http://www.reverbnation.com/elizabethtomboulian
Links
Video
Press
Setlist
A Sleeping Bee
Blue Spanish Eyes
Falling In Love With Love-F
Torna a Sorriento
But Beautiful - Bb
Feel Like Making Love
A Woman Left Lonely -
Centerpiece - C
Fever-Am
After Midnight
Macheroni
Cheek to Cheek - F
Forro Brasil
All In Love Is Fair - Dm
Confirmation
Four - C
Tu Lo Sai
All My Life
Corre Nina
Georgia Bb
All of Me - F
Crazy
God Bless the Child-G
All the Things You Are - Eb
Cry Me a River - Gm/Bb
Good Ole Wagon - E
America
Goodbye Porkpie Hat -Cm
American Tune
Crystal Silence - Fm
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Perfidia
Danny's Song - G
Greensleeves
As Time Goes By - F
Day by Day - C
Guajira Candela
Romaria
Ask Me Now
Dear Prudence
Guantanamera
Mucuripe
Autumn Leaves -
Desafinado - F
Have A Heart
Baby Please Don't Go-E
Desperado
Beijo Partido - C
Diamonds And Rust - Em -
He's Funny That Way
Besame Mucho
Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me
Here, There, and Everywhere
Best of My Love-C
Dock O The Bay
Here's that Rainy Day -
Big Yellow Taxi
House of the Risin Sun -Am
Billie's Blues - G
How High the Moon
Birth of the Blues - G
Don't Get Around Much Anymore - F
How Insensitive - Dm
Birthday (Beatles)
Don't Know Much
Black Coffee - C
Don't Worry 'Bout Me -
I Can't Make You Love Me
Dreams - F
I Concentrate on You-Bb
Blue Motel Room - C
I Didn't Know What Time it Was -C
I Get a Kick Out of You - F
Evil Medley - E
I Fall To Pieces - A
I Got It Bad - Bb
Once I Loved - F#m
I Heard it Through the Grapevine
Love Came on Stealthy Fingers-C
One Hand, One Heart
One Note Samba - F
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight - G
Lover Man - C
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - G
Lucky to be Me-
Our Love is Here to Stay - Bb
I've Got the World on a String - F
Lullaby of Birdland - Fm
In My Life
In the Mood
Piece of My Heart-C
In the Midnight Hour
Question-G
In Walked Bud
Ipanema - c
Me and Bobby McGhee
It Might as Well be Spring-Db
Mean to Me - C
San Vicente-A
It's My Party-G
Meditation - G Satin Doll-
It's Too Hot for Words - G
Memories of Tomorrow
Second Time Around
Misty - Bb
Shaky in the Knees-E
Monk's Dream (Man, that was a dream)
Since I Fell for You- Ab
Kansas City
Killing Me Softly
My Funny Valentine
Someone to Watch over Me-G
Lady is a Tramp - G
Sophisticated Lady - Bb
Natural Woman - F
Spring Can Really... - Bb
Landslide - G
Never My Love-G
Stormy Monday Blues-G
Let It Be Me
Night and Day-
Summertime - Am
Let The Good Times Roll - E
Night Life/ Crazy - G
Light My Fire
O Vendedor De Sonhos-G
Sweet Substitute - G
Lo And Behold - E
Oh, Darling - G
Swing on A Star-F
Take It to The Limit
The Best Thing for You - Ab
What are you Doing the Rest...Dm
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
When Sunny Gets Blue-Bb
The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
Who Can I Turn To?
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - C
The Nearness of You - C
The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down -Am
You Are The Sunshine of my Life - C
The Shadow of Your Smile
You Don't Know Me-Ab
The Way We Were - F
You Don't Know What Love Is- Cm
There Will Never Be Another You - Bb
You Send Me
There'll Be Some Changes Made
You Took Advantage of Me-G
This Masquerade - Gm
You Turned the Tables on Me - C
Til I Met You (corner pocket)- F
You've Got A Friend - G
Travessia - Eb
Twist and Shout
Twisted - C
Unchained Melody
Undecided - C
Unforgettable
Viver De Amor
Watch What Happens - Db
Wave - D
Weaver of Dreams - F
