Biography
Melissa Kate is an international vocalist, published songwriter, entertainer, trained stage and voice-actress, fiction writer, children's educator and highly demanded teaching artist.
"Great music, something for everyone!"
-Curtis Lee, Host WUFO 1080AM RhythmandBluesrevue.com
"Great stage presence and a vocal range to be envied"-Susan Marie, Host ThinktwiceRadio.com WNLO23 TV
Venues include:
NYC: The World Trade Center, Swing 46, Windows on the World, Pops Is Tops! At Louis Armstrong’s house, American Lindy Hop Championships, Rodeo Bar, Le Bar Bat, Lush
Buffalo, NY: The historic Colored Musicians Club, Langston Hughes Institute, The Tralf Café, The Town Ballroom, Seneca Niagara Casinos, Central Terminal, M&T Plaza concert series, Buffalo Music Awards (2 years) and the world-famous Anchor Bar.
International: Armed Forces Entertainment in—Turkey, Egpyt, Italy, Spain, Hawaii, Alaska, The Marshall Islands, Portugal, the Azores and Guam.
Band options include:
DCMK: Jazz Duo/Trio
Classic jazz standards and gorgeous ballads, perfect for dinner hours, romantic evenings and best when in front of intimate audiences.
Melissa Kate Project
4-8 piece band, funky soul, jazz and blues. Original music, engaging and get-up-and-clap-your-hands performance. Always professional, very classy.
Associations with:
The George Scott Big Band
Taylor Made Jazz
CDs include: Blind Faith, original music by Melissa, produced by TM International, Publicity Demo for rap-artist T-Nice, and several CDs under the Yalloppin Hounds collection.
More information is detailed at her website: www.MelissaKate.net
and you can see video of some performances at Youtube.com (search Melissa Kate).
Please call 716-992-7367 or email melquerto@yahoo.com
for a paper press kit and demo CD.
Personal Bio:
She started writing songs while studying musical theater, but was very quickly enlisted in the jazz bands, jazz quartets and finally engulged in the NYC jazz scene. She recorded on three albums with the hip-hop/swing band The Yalloppin Hounds, and was transformed from a blossoming coloratura soprano into a deep and soulful jazz vocalist.
Her work brought her to the international band Taylor Made Jazz. Under their strict instruction, she began touring the world armed with powerful R&B, Pop and Blues songs. The servicemen and women stationed across the globe were introduced to her unique style of songwriting-- an eclectic mix of pop hooks with intuitive lyrics and a jazz soul, with great success!
Overseas, she began to master the skills of entertaining audiences, and was proudly dubbed a singer of "Sultry Cabaret Blues".
She is committed to organizations such as The Hunger Project (empowering people to a sustainable end of hunger), Artfully Aware (re-awakening the possibilities of art for global communities), and for a quickly growing list of local philanthropic groups.
She sings regularly with The George Scott Big Band, a 15-piece big band, that regularly features Melissa as their sole vocalist.
Melissa is currently in the States, writing music for two more CDs, recording voiceovers,and completing writing a one-woman play. She is the founder of The Benched Players, a troupe of improvisers intent on engaging the creative minds of youth, and a favorite Teaching Artist of the Young Audiences of WNY.
We look forward to hearing from you!!
Instrumentation
Melissa is backed by a superior roster of musical and talent. The following is representative of those who regularly appear with Melissa Kate (courtesy of Van Taylor Production):
Keyboard: Van Taylor, (manager, producer and award-winning, international leader of Taylor Made Jazz), Walter Kemp III (leader of Gruvology)
Bass: Jerry Sampson, Jerry Livingston, Richie Valentino
Guitar: Jeff Nixon (former Buffalo Bills), Ron Walker (of the Exoutics), David Comtois (George Scott Big Band), Nelson Thomas (Best Guitarist, Buffalo Music Award 2006)
Sax: Will Holton (superb young talent)
Drums: Mike Crimes, Tim Webb (another young master)
The Melissa Kate project appears as a full-sounding trio for small venues, and can expand to a full 8-9 piece band with back-up vocals and full instrumentation.
Discography
Album: Blind Faith, 2006
Original Songs:
Midnight Blue
Blind Faith
What Intangible
Soulmate
Stand Up, Step Out
More Than Mean
I Found Someone
Prayer for a Christmas Eve
Messy**
Boo Hoo**
Time**
Breathe**
Western Jewel**
Sunshine (Just a little bit)**
After the Affair**
Step It Up**
Hold On**
All of the above songs have received some radio airplay, and many are part of internet streaming or podcasts available across the country.
**excepting starred songs, which are Live Shows only.
Songs are available as well through I-tunes, on CDbaby.com and at Borders Books and Music stores, and you can preview them at myspace.com/mksong.
Links
| http://www.melissakate.net |