Artist InformationBiography
www.christinesperogroup.com
Even before Christine Spero began recording with her dynamic quartet, she was earning numerous accolades for her melodic, emotionally powerful and soulful songwriting and was Winner of the USA Songwriting Competition/Jazz category for her song, "He Wasn't Always That Way".
She was also a Finalist with "Caribbean Nights," a festive tropical celebration that typifies the joyful exotica that drives her second recording, "My Spanish Dream", a rich Brazilian/Latin/world fusion offering that dances blithely between pop and jazz.
The project was produced by Elliot Spero, who does multiple duties on soprano and tenor saxes as well as percussion. Christine's piece, "Therapy" has been published by Wild Whirled Music for use in film and television.
The group has shared the stage with Kevin Eubanks, Dr. John, Rickie Lee Jones, Blood, Sweat and Tears,The Woody Herman Orchestra, Kim Waters, Walter Beasley, Mike Phillips (of Prince), Melanie, Ray Vega, Bobby Mattos, Andrea Brachfield.
Christine has been written about in USA Today, Billboard, Jazz Times, JAZZIZ, Keyboard and Recording Magazines, Time Out New York, Village Voice, Woodstock Times and ASCAP Playback.
"My Spanish Dream" is being played in 20 countries and receiving rave reviews.
Christine's song, "I'd Come Home Anywhere" is #8 on the Australian Indie Chart!
"..exciting Latin jazz grooves producing an intoxicating and vibrant sound." (ejazznews)
" ...transports you to a loftier place." (Chronogram, New York)
"Yet as compelling and poetic as her writing is, her joyful live vocal performances and rich piano chordings and improvisations really bring the music to memorable life." (allmusicguide)
"Their musicianship was outstanding and their diverse musical styles really had the crowd excited." (Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz)
"...top notch..." (Woodstock Times)
"Christine has an amazing voice and an awesome band!" smoothjazz.com
Christine and her group performed live on NPR WAMC 90.3 FM, Albany and on cable broadcasts including Time Warner.
Recording Magazine featured Christine in their Artist Profile.This can be viewed at:www.taxi.com/transmitter/0611/headlineB0611.html
Also, smoothjazz.com interview can be viewed at: http://smoothindiestar.com/interviews/interview.php?id=1465
Each one of Christine's pieces is a unique vehicle for creative improvisation. Add to that her evocative, soulful singing and you've got a smooth runway for the piano, saxophone, bass, drums and percussion to take off!
Christine is the granddaughter of classical and ragtime pianists. She recorded her first songs with Neil Sedaka and Don Kirschner on the RCA label as a teen, then moved from New York to San Francisco to further study music and botany. There, she was a member of Bob Braye's Peace and Rhythm Unit. Her eclectic and personal style of composing was influenced by many classical, pop and jazz musicians. She has performed with her own quartets and sextets over the years and now lives in the Catskill Mountains of New York, where she continues to write, record, and perform with her band.
Saxophonist, percussionist and producer Elliot Spero founded his own ensembles in San Francisco. He engineered and produced Christine's CD's, "We Call It Music" and produced "My Spanish Dream" with Scott Petito (Michael Franks, James Taylor). He is the owner of a recording studio in New York.
Currently our rhythm section is:
Drummer T. Xiques- Savoy Brown, Mike Maineri, Larry Coryell, Jewel,Garth Hudson, Robbie Dupree
and bassist, Charlie Kniceley who has played with Ron Carter, Joe Beck, Jack DeJohnette, Warren Berhardt and bassist, Scott Petito (James and Livingston Taylor, Michael Franks, Stevie Wonder).
Instrumentation
Christine Spero- piano and vocals
Elliot Spero- tenor and soprano saxophones/ percussion
Scott Petito and Charlie Kniceley- bass
T. Xiques - drums
Burnside Distribution Corporation:
Portland,Oregon 503-231-0876
RadioDirectX:
International Radio Promotion and Advertising campaigns
Label: Collective Works Media.com
www.christinesperogroup.com
Booking: (Colleges, Performing Art Centers, Etc.)
The Showcase Agency
P.O. Box 675
Oneida, NY 13421
315.427.3199
Bill Dustin | President
www.thecnyshowcase.com
Booking@thecnyshowcase.com
Booking The Netherlands
The Music Reps / www.themusicreps.com
Chris Fraiken +31-345-848405
for all other bookings contact:
E.C.Spero Productions
P.O.Box 808
Tannersville, N.Y12485 (212) 886-5457
Discography
The new CD," My Spanish Dream" released in November, 2007 and "We Call It Music" 2002 are available at www.cdbaby.com/cd/christinespero2 ; Amazon; i-tunes; Rhapsody; Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Burnside Distribution for export.
We are happy to announce that Kanaljazz, an online radio station based in Paris in now included in our list of wonderful broadcasts around the world.
It is listened to in the USA, France, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, Eastern Europe and South America.
Radio Reviews from around the World:
5/1/09-Eric Cohen of WAER in Syracuse said:
"This group has set the bar at a very high level with
My Spanish Dream...seamlessly mixing elements
of Brazilian rhythms with Latin grooves....it's soulful...romantic….jazzy… and
guaranteed to give your ears an enjoyable listening
experience...and perhaps your dancing shoes too."
Australia: 1/06/09 Barry O'Sullivan BLU FM 89.1
"This is a fabulous and fiery, energetic album full of fine composition and excellent musicianship from a very professional ensemble. As summer stars to creep into our earth space of the southern hemisphere I have added "Caribbean Nights" and "My Spanish Dream" to my play lists for my national program "Jazz Hour" that are full of heat and passion 5 stars for igniting our souls down under!" Barry O'Sullivan Producer/presenter"Jazz Hour" via the CBAA Satellite to over 180 stations in the network.
"Dynamic vocals. Christine's writing abilities are very evident throughout this musical project. What a musical festival!"
Leon Reyes KVMR 89.5 FM Nevada City/Sacramento Ca Host: Leon's Jazz In A Box
"Fantastic Album. Great stuff for our Radio Station."
Alex Pijnen/BRTO Radio-The Netherlands
"We really love this stunning cooking sophisticated Jazz. Christine's style is powerful, evocative and very subtle. The choice of material backed up with a cooking band is marvelous and gels together into a big sound tinged with a wonderful Latin Groove that has you wanting more and our audiences most certainly will love your sound. This is a CD made to be heard, in fact, demands to be heard for it's infectious groove has one wanting to dance and party. It certainly struck us as one extraordinary CD and one that will be very well received by our astute audience."
Our station has over 400,000 listeners per week and over 6 million hits per month on our web site.
Peter Merrett- Music manager for PBS FM 106-7 Melbourne, Australia (one of the country's leading music stations.)
"Fusion Adult perfection... one of our new favorites for adult jazz programming" Asid Hi-Power Radio- Michigan
"A wonderful recording and I have no hesitation in adding it to my current play list."
Dick Hughes-Jazz Action Productions/Sydney, Australia
"The character of the music style gives this CD a unique feel, with an individual personality. Great work!"
Graham J Barclay/Soundwave FM-New Zealand
Skopje, Macedonia- Excellent material! I am interested to present more in the future.
Vasja Ivanovski Jazz Spaces
" A truly wonderful CD" Serge Kozlovsky-Minsk/Belarus
"Fresh and relaxing singing with a latin touch."-Pascal Dorban Radio ARA, Luxembourg
"This cd is so interesting and of great quality and lovers of good music will be enthralled." JOSEP PALMADA RED HOT BLUES RADIO VILAFANT SPAIN
"Great work on this disc full of wonderful song's and music. One to be proud of. " George Young
country club productions pty ltd, Australia
" What a great sound you have, we have played several of your tracks to date and plan to schedule more in future programs. Keep up the good work!". Michael Criddle OzRadio (President Radio Triple H-FM) Australia
"My Spanish Dream" is just that. This is a rich Brazilian/latin/World fusion that makes the "A" list from the very first track. Christine Spero has exceptional writing skills and a voice to match. Gloriously groovy arrangements full of wonderful textures, imagination, and musicality. Spero's song "He Wasn't Always That Way" won the jazz category of the USA songwriting Competition in 2004; and "Caribbean Nights", one my favourites on this album, was a finalist in 2002. Spero is brilliantly supported by Elliot Spero's sax & percussion with Mike Woinoski on bass and drummer Jody Sumber. Produced by Elliot Spero this second album clearly announces a new talent. Already headlining Festivals, The Christine Spero Group is set to go far. So let "The Festival" begin!!" Helen Simons- The JazzXpress Caravan 94.1FM Jazz Radio Gold Coast Queensland Australia
"The Christine Spero Group has brought some great new original music to Latin/World music. Many thanks for the opportunity to play and review this album."
Helen Jarroe Cairns FM 89.1 Australia
"This original Latin jazz album is imaginative and irresistible...enlivening and reflective...fiery yet sweet....and beautifully accessible. If you inhale all of its multifaceted colors and textures, it will enter your heart, transport your spirit and dance your body into the mysterious places where only inspiring music can carry you."- CDBaby Review of "My Spanish Dream"
"My Spanish Dream" is one of six featured jazz albums in Japan on: www.garagebandjapan.com
Ison TV/Radio in NewCastle, Australia(www.isonliveradio.com) has been playing, "We Call It Music" for five years.
Radio: (for complete list visit website)
East Coast: WAMC NPR 90.3 FM- Albany, N.Y. WCVF;WAER-Syracuse; WGMC Jazz 90.1 FM- Rochester, New York;
XMRadio, Sirius Radio, "AcousticCafe"; WKZE;
WRHO,WVOF,Ct; WCVF-FM New York WRIP,NY;WDST,Woodstock;WPDH, Poughkeepsie; WHRW 90.5FM Binghamton,NY; WRTC and
WDIT-Hartford, Ct; WWUH Radio-W. Hartford Ct; WICN-Public Radio-Worcester,MA WRHU-The Jazz Cafe,-Hempstead,NY; WRCU 90.1; WKCR,89.9-Columbia U.NY,NY; KUSP,Pacifica Radio-WPFW 89.3FM-Washington,DC; WOMR 92.1FM- MA;WPKN-Bridgeport,Ct; WMBR-Cambridge,MA;WBRS 100.1FM-Waltham,MA;WERSand WRBB-Boston,MA; WUML-Lowell, MA;WECS-Willimantic,CT;
WESU 88.1FM-Middletown,CT;WKDU 91.7FM-Phila,PA;WRCT 88.3FM-Pittsburgh,PA;WUSR 99.5FM-Scranton,PA; WMEB 91.9FM-Orono,ME;WMHB-Waterville,ME;WMPG-Portland,ME;WRIU-Kingston,RI;WRUV 90.1FM-Burlington,VT;WUMD 89.3-Dartmouth,MA;Lion Radio 90.7FM-University Park,PA; WOMR 92.1FM-Provincetown,MA; WMWM-Salem, MA;WRUW-FM-Ohio;WTCC-Springfield,MA; WPRB FM- Princeton, N.J.
WMPG-Maine
West Coast: Calif-KVMR Radio;
KXPT 97.1 Las Vegas,DMX-Los Angeles
KAOS 89.3fm Olympia Community Radio-Washington; KTSU-Houston,TX;
KRTU-San Antonio;
KYSJ-Coos Bay/Oregon
Santa Cruz,CA; KCLU, Thousand Oaks,CA.; WKRMEL,Carmel,CA ;KALX-Berkeley,CA;KCR-San Diego;KCSB FM-Santa Barabara,CA;KDVS-90.3FM Davis,CA;KSDS FM-San Diego,CA;KEWU 89.1FM-Cheney,WA;KPSU-Portland,OR; KBCS- Bellevue,WA
Southeast: WDNA 88.9 FM-Miami,Fla; Jazz Radio27.7-St Augustine,Fla;Little Rock, Arkansas;WDCE-Richmond,VA;BZOO Homegrown Radio-Jackson,KY;
Georgia- WHCJ 90.3; KSU Owl Radio
KASU-FM Arkansas; FBCC Radio Louisiana; WGRV-Melbourne,Fla
Midwest: WDCB-Public Radio,IL; KCLU, KBEM Jazz 88, Minneapolis,MN; KBCS Radio; KCCK 88.3-Cedar Rapids,IA; KABF, 88.1 WYCE-Grand Rapids,MI; KUMD 103.3-Duluth,MN; WDBX-Carbondale,IL; WDCB Radio 90.9 FM, IL; WSUM-Madison,WI;Free Radio Jackson-Jackson,MI; ASID-Hi Power Radio Michigan
Nebraska-NET Radio; WWSP 89.9/90 FM Wiscon.
Ohio- WVXU-FM; WCBE FM
International:
Europe:
Poland: JAZZ RADIO FM; Radio Merkury
Turkey:Radyo SDU
Macedonia: 94.1 FM RADIO 2
The Netherlands: Radio Stanavste; Radio RICK FM Uithoorn; BRTO Radio; Dutch Coast Radio; 105.4FM/Alphen Stadt, 103.4 Cable, Jazz and Blues Tour; Lokale Omroep Hoogeveen
Belgium: Radio TQV
Italy: Animajazz, Radio Incontro; Radio Gold Popular Network
France: Radio G-Angers;Radio Campus; VIRUS DE BLUES; Radio Rennes; Radio Boomerang
Spain: Radio Vilafant; RÀDIO DESPÍ; Radio Contadero;
Luxembourg- Radio ARA and Radio lu
Switzerland-SwissGroove Audio Channel
Denmark-Radio Holstebro
Germany- Alooga Radio;Radio Unerhört Marburg; Deutschlandradio Kultur
Armenia- City-FM
Greece- ERT / GREEK RADIO 2 (National)
U.K- Jazz Syndicate Radio and Real Love Radio; Vibes 90.6 FM
Minsk, Belarus
Hong Kong- Radio 3
Canada:
KFMU 88.1 FM/Hamilton,Ontario; CFBX Radio;CKMN-FM 96,5; Radio DirectX RDX Toronto,
Montreal- Swing2Jazz 101.9
New Foundland- CKSJ FM
New Zealand:Soundwave FM; World FM
Australia:
ILR Television and Radio; Relax Radio; Jazz Action Productions; PBS FM-106.7; 4CCR, 97.4 M; ISON Live Radio, NewCastle; Progressive Broadcasting Service; Triple H-FM; Valley FM 89.5; Radio 3ZZZ
Country Club Productions Pty ltd; 3CR; TripleU-FM, Nowra, N.S.W; Highlands 100.7FM; PBS FM- Progressive Broadcasting Service; Shoalhaven Community Radio Inc. (New South Wales); Highland FM;Jazz Radio Pty Ltd; The JazzXpress Caravan 94.1FM Jazz Radio Gold Coast Queensland Australia; Cairns FM 89.1; 2TEN FM; BLU FM 89.1; 2CCR FM 90.5; (Castle Hill NSW); West Gippsland Comm. Radio; 2NVR 105.9 FM; 2 bbb 93.3 FM; 2 NCR 92.9 FM; Radio Logan 101 FM; OKR 97.1 FM; (Victoria); Easy FM 87.6 (Port Broughton);
South America:
IUS Stereo; Emisora Cultural Luis Carlos Galán Sarmiento; Universidad Industrial de Santander-
Colombia
Argentina-FM Urquiza 91.7MHZ
Yellowbeat/Japan has been playing "We Call It Music".
Internet:
www.jazzradio247.com (New York)www.smoothjazz.com; www.seriousjazz.org
www.amrap.org-Australia
www.boomerradio.com; Live365.com ( 30 stations) www.jazz88online.org; Smother.net-Manassas,VA
Skyjazz Internet Radio - Ottawa ,Canada
Luver Radio-Berkeley,CA; M3 Radio-New York, NY
Links
| http://www.christinesperogroup.com |
| Record label |
| CD Baby |
| MySpace |
| Collective Works |