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http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/annarbornews/index.ssf?/base/features-0/120783848977830.xml&coll=2 - The Ann Arbor News
Jesse Palter has shared the stage with jazz and blues greats from Marcus Belgrave to Martha Reeves, yet at 20, she can't even buy herself a congratulatory drink. But Palter has too much on her plate at this point to worry about her lack of a proper martini.
Palter and her band (Mike Jellick on piano, Ben Williams on bass and Nate Winn on drums), known collectively as the Jesse Palter Quartet, play up to three gigs a week. And not at your local coffeehouse, either, but at solid jazz venues such as Seldom Blues and the legendary Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, both in Detroit, not to mention the crowd-heavy blues and jazz festival circuit. Add to that a hard push for a record deal by Palter and her manager, Detroit entertainment lawyer Howard Hertz, and you’ve got one busy lady. Maybe that's why she recently put her training at the University of Michigan's jazz vocal program on hold for the time being.
"My time at U of M was a really humbling experience," Palter says. "I might have been born singing, but I wasn’t born scatting altered scales over ii-Vs." (In case you're wondering, an altered scale is a modified major scale and an ii-V is the quintessential jazz chord progression, according to Palter. But whatever that means exactly, her knowledge of the esoteric language of jazz certainly elevates her above the realm of mere "singers.")
The jazz songstress spent her West Bloomfield childhood playing the oboe and trumpet in a jazz band, in addition to singing and acting in amateur and professional musical theater. By her midteens, she was this close to mainstream pop stardom – Palter says she was actually in the waiting room of a major record label, shopping a pop song she had just recorded, when she suddenly came to the realization that she'd rather sing meaty jazz tunes than frothy pop concoctions. But more than the genre issue, "the hardest part for me," she says, "was being 14 years old, recording until 3 a.m. in the studio and ... still trying to maintain a 4.0 GPA."
Her current repertoire features Palter originals as well as familiar songs One for My Baby and So Happy Together done in a decidedly un-familiar fashion. Jellick, who also serves as the band's musical director, works with Palter to put a unique slant on even the most cliched standard. "Mike is truly the mastermind," she says, "in terms of recreating a classic song to fit the vibe of the group and still do the song justice."
Recording an album to shop to record labels is taking up a good deal of Palter's time. "I don't go out on weekends with my friends," she says, "but man, I am having the best time playing with my band. In the long run, every sacrifice will be worth it." - Strut Magazine for Women
For many, the days of jazz being part of mainstream music seems to be in the distant past. Hometown songbird Jesse Palter may just change that perception.
The youthful Palter sings with the skill of an old soul on her forthcoming album Beginning to See the Light, but she’s not stuck in the past. “My original compositions have a more modern jazz sound,” she said, “and my pianist/musical director Mike Jellick (who does the arranging for the album) does a beautiful job at putting a modern spin on classic tunes. We call him the aftermarket guy because he has the unique talent of taking a song that has been done so many times before and reinventing it with a contemporary flair, but still doing the original song justice. It’s almost like going to your class reunion and seeing an old friend who you thought couldn’t look any better, yet looks just as good, if not better, with age. I’m really lucky to have Mike as a collaborator. It has helped expand my mind and even though we are doing an eclectic mix of songs on this album, there is definitely a constant in our sound amongst all the songs.”
While Palter puts a personal touch to the cover songs on the album, her original compositions really shine. Where does she find her inspiration? “I write about all sorts of things (relationships just so happened to be the subject matter behind the two originals that are on this CD) and I draw inspiration from not only my own experiences but from reading about other people’s experiences or overhearing conversations, talking to friends, watching television or my own imagination.” - Real Detroit Weekly
For this DJS Jazz Spotlight we're showcasing 21 year old vocal sensation Jesse Palter who, through both training and pure instinct, has grown into one of the most recently accomplished and dynamic singers (and songwriters) in the Detroit jazz scene.. Her voice is a flexible, facile instrument wielded by an ambitious and visionary player; it can be sweet or salty, polished or raw, wide in range and broad in stylistic scope, channeling and combining influences such as Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and Kurt Elling. It's the voice of someone who has a voracious appetite for growth and is fearless in that pursuit -- the perfect equation for a promising future. The musicians in Jesse's group include Mike Jellick on piano/Rhodes, Ben Williams on bass, and Nate Winn on Drums. Special guests include Dean Moore on Saxophone and Vincent Chandler on Trombone, both of Urban Transport, plus John Douglas of Jazzhead on Trumpet. - Detroit Jazz Stage
Last Thursday on the University of Michigan-Dearborn's University Center stage, renowned Detroit jazz vocalist Jesse Palter performed for students.
The Student Activities Board brought Palter to campus as a part of their Thursday series, in which they host events for students to enjoy. Whether it is music, lectures or movies, the SAB tries to incorporate a little bit of everything for the students.
Palter graced the UC with her talent and charisma. Alongside her bandmates, pianist Mike Jellick and bassist, Ben Williams, Palter performed covers from some of her influences, including Joni Mitchell, as well as originals.
Palter is 22 years old and has been on the music scene in Detroit for a while, writing songs and performing jazz. Born into a musical family, Palter was raised on Motown classics.
Palter has been singing since she was five and learned piano at the age of six. She went to a middle school that specialized in the performing arts and started writing music at the age of 12.
Palter found her love for jazz when she was the narrator of a theatrical performance of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
She attended the University of Michigan School of Music for jazz and improvisational music before she started traveling and performing throughout the country.
Palter has performed in various venues in Denver, Philadelphia, New York, San Diego, Ann Arbor and Chicago.
Palter and her crew took Outstanding Jazz Vocalist honors at the 2006 Detroit Music Awards and have shared stages with many well-known names in the music industry.
Palter can be seen performing at Cliff Bell's night club in Detroit every Thursday at 9:30 p.m. and the Detroit MGM Grand Casino every Friday at 8 p.m.
Palter has just completed her first album, Beginning to See the Light. For more information on Palter, visit myspace.com/jessepalter. - The Michigan Journal
In case you haven't noticed, there's an alarming new trend in jazz — namely, a proliferation of hot young women trying to pass off watered-down folksy pop as jazz. Unlike these divas, vocalist Jesse Palter is more of a traditionalist. The award-winning, Detroit-bred chanteuse and her band take a more straightforward approach to jazz, which means there are no freaking bongos or inbred steel guitars muddying the mix — just piano, bass, drums and, of course, Palter's robust, soulful vocals. All too often, female jazz vocalists mimic their idols and end up doing a terrible disservice with what amounts to pale imitation. But Palter's smoky alto offers beautiful clarity, delivered with the skillful precision of a seasoned improviser. Tearing up solos that would make Ella grin, Palter can hold her own with just about any sax player. The 21-year-old phenom hits Dazzle following a stint at the Jazz Aspen Academy Summer Sessions. - Denver Westword
Jesse Palter
Beginning to See the Light — Self-released
I listened to this jazz album more than any other this
year. What a wonderful jazz vocalist, with a voice
that's as delicate as a bee making love to a flower."
-Charles L Latimer - Metro Times
For many, the days of jazz being part of mainstream
music seems to be in the distant past. Hometown
songbird Jesse Palter may just change that perception.
The youthful Palter sings with the skill of an old
soul on her forthcoming album Beginning to See the
Light, but she's not stuck in the past.
-Keith N. Dusenberry - Real Detroit Weekly
The exuberantly swinging title track, complete with tricky meter changes and a confident scat chorus, suggests Palter's exceptional promise. So does the drama she finds in Kermit the Frog's "It's Not Easy Being Green." The slinky, postmodern take on the Turtles' "So Happy Together" rides the coattails of
similar '60s covers by Cassandra Wilson and Patricia Barber.
-Mark Stryker - Detroit Free Press
Jazz snobs, please note: Dismiss Jesse Palter at your peril. Certainly, her youth and sultry good looks could lead one to write her off as yet another pop tart. But the West Bloomfield singer, pianist and songwriter removes all reservations the moment she opens her mouth to sing. Her debut CD, "Beginning to See the Light," will be released in the near future, revealing the 20-year-old Palter's surprisingly mature jazz sensibilities.
-Bruce Edward Walker - The Daily Tribune
Discography
1. Jesse Palter, Beginning To See The Light (2006)
2. John Nam, No Regrets (2007)
3. New Album (title to be determined) slated for a
late summer 2008 release
Photos
Bio
At 22 years old, through both training and pure instinct, Jesse has grown into one of the most accomplished and dynamic singers (and songwriters) in the Detroit jazz and overall music scenes. Her voice is a flexible, facile instrument wielded by an ambitious and visionary player; it can be sweet or salty, polished or raw, wide in range and broad in stylistic scope, channeling and combining influences such as Ella Fitzgerald, Betty Carter Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder and Carmen McRae. It's the voice of someone who has a voracious appetite for growth and is fearless in that pursuit -- the perfect equation for a promising future. "I've grown so much -- musically, harmonically, as a thinker in general," says Jesse, who took Outstanding Jazz Vocalist honors at the 2006 Detroit Music Awards. "Instead of just getting on the bandstand and playing off-the-cuff standards, we have our own unique interpretations of the classic songs as well as my original compositions. Working with such accomplished musicians, we are constantly pushing each other to expand outside of the box. This has taken our group to the next level".
It's fair to say that singing is in Jesse's blood. Her grandmother, Dorothea Raynor, was an opera prodigy in New York who continued singing throughout her life. Jesse's father, who harbored his own ambitions to be a DJ, was raised in a musical household, which he passed along to his family, keeping plenty of Motown, show tunes, Beatles, Michael Jackson, Prince, Carole King, Stevie Wonder and Tony Bennett on the home stereo. The precocious Jesse started singing publicly at age five and learning piano at six. She subsequently studied oboe and trumpet and attended a middle school that specialized in the performing arts, where she starred in a number of theatrical productions. In fact, the first public indication that jazz lay in her future came during rehearsals for "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," when Jesse, playing the narrator, began "embellishing" the melodies; although the director admonished her, she also told Jesse's mother that Jesse had a natural inclination towards improvisational singing. "That's when I started listening to a whole bunch of jazz records," Jesse recalls, "and really immersing myself in the language of improvisation." However, she was also conscious of the parade of adolescent and teen stars soaring up the pop charts and decided that maybe she could do that, too. She began contacting producers such as Detroit's Jeff and Marky Bass (Eminem, 50 Cent) as well as Andrew Gold (Linda Ronstadt, Celine Dion). But despite some interesting sessions, Jesse's path was already taking her in different directions. "I never felt quite at home," she says, "until I finally started performing jazz." Her persistence paid off in getting the University of Michigan School of Music to allow her to be part of its jazz program as a vocalist -- a course of study the school didn't offer at the time. But after hearing Jesse audition, they struck a compromise in which she agreed to take classical voice classes ("Working on my vocal hygiene," she says) while studying jazz theory and improvisation with legendary artist/instructors such as Donald Walden and Dennis Wilson.
During the past two years, Jesse has forged her reputation as a live performer throughout the Detroit area, racking up credentials by sharing stages with Geoffrey Keezer, Christian McBride, Greg Hutchinson, Avishai Cohen, Sean Jones, Rodney Whitaker, Ron Blake, Carl Allen, Wes Anderson, James Carter, Marcus Belgrave, Uri Caine, Dr. Teddy Harris, Keith Hall, Paul Keller and others. Now on leave from school, she's been studying at "Mike Jellick University," working tirelessly with the music director and pianist of her Jesse Palter Quartet to develop arrangements and stylistic touches. The group (which also includes Nate Winn on drums and Ben Williams on bass) are regulars at the world renowned Baker's Keyboard Lounge, have performed extensively around the Detroit Metropolitan area, had their New York debut to a sold out audience at The Blue Note and have played other venues such as Dazzle's (Denver), Ortlieb's (Philadelphia), The Living Room (New York), Dizzy's (San Diego), Firefly (Ann Arbor), Hothouse (Chicago), Cliff Bell's (Detroit), Andy's Jazz Club (Chicago) to name a few. The band was also 1 of 5 bands selected to be part of the JAS Aspen Academy 2007 with Christian McBride and his band, where they had the opportunity to open for Arturo Sandoval. JPQ has also played such festivals as: River Raisin Jazz Festival, Birmingham Jazz Festival (opening for yellowjackets), Boblo Island Jazz Festival (opening for Chuck Mangione), Jazz On The River Festival, Comerica Cityfest, Arts Beats & Eats, and will soon be playing the Detroit Jazz Festival with Greg Hutchinson joining on drums
Jesse and company have just completed her first album, Beginning to See the Light, which will include originals s
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