Critically-acclaimed vocalist Kathy Kosins is a six-time ASCAP Award-winning songwriter, Artserve Michigan Jazz Composers Award recipient and noted jazz educator. Jazz TImes describes her as "a delightful surprise... reminiscent of Peggy Lee...worthy of Dinah Washington." She will perform with guitarist A. Spencer Barefield and bassist Paul Keller.
In the 1980s she toured and recorded internationally with Was Not Was as vocalist and vocal arranger. She honed her skills as a jazz stylist with the Orchestras of JC Heard and Nelson Riddle, and recording as a lead vocalist on the Cararre (Sony), Schoolkids, Quality Record labels, and "Vintage" (Mahogany Jazz) Record labels.
Kosins is known for rediscovering little known songbook gems, which she places alongside a few widely known, yet unexpected tunes from outside the jazz tradition. She is supported by a stellar cast of instrumental talents including pianist/arranger Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers, drummer Eric Harland, guitarist Peter Bernstein, flugelhornist Jeremy Pelt and multi-instrumentalist John Ellis.
Torching her way through recording sessions and performances, and infusing her original material with the romance of the swing era has earned her admiration and great recognition. Will Friedwald of the New York Sun raves, "...her performance maintains a balance of swing and sensuality... great vintage songs... I wasn't expecting to fall in love..."
Learn more at kathykosins.com
Bassist, bandleader, composer/arranger Paul Keller is one of the busiest bassists in the Metro-Detroit/Ann Arbor area. Paul has been recognized internationally for his association with pianist/singer Diana Krall and guitarist Russell Malone. From 1993 to 1997 he toured the world, first with Malone, then with with Krall and Malone, and has performed and recorded with numerous jazz greats. Paul was honored by the West Michigan Jazz Society as their 2001 Jazz Musician of the Year and by the Detroit Music Awards as the 2002 Outstanding Jazz Instrumentalist. He leads the 15-piece Paul Keller Orchestra, which plays original, obscure and classic big band material from all periods of jazz history. The Paul Keller Orchestra has enjoyed two tours of Europe and have released a number of CDs.
A well-respected jazz composer and guitarist, A. Spencer Barefield has performed and recorded internationally with his own ensembles and with jazz luminaries such as Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Oliver Lake, Richard Davis and many others.
"Barefield's synthesis of African string music, jazz, and timbral investigations…coupled with his compositional versatility, merits special considerationæhe is nothing less than captivating," states Bill Shoemaker in downbeat magazine. Barefield has been awarded grants for composition and performance by National Endowment for the Arts, Arts International, Meet the Composer/ Lila Wallace Foundation/Readers Digest Commission USA, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, ArtServe and others. He is the Artistic Director of the Creative Arts Collective (CAC), which produces the Palmer Woods Music in Homes series. CAC was honored with the Governor’s Arts Award for most valuable arts organization, recognizing its13-year concert series at the Detroit Institute of Arts and its contribution to the arts in Michigan.
Barefield’s recordings “Live Detroit” and “Xenogenesis 2000” (CAC label), and his Sound Aspects (Germany) releases “After the End” and “Live at Leverkusen” have received rave international reviews and honors, including best new release in Cadence Critics’ Poll, Jazz Times (guitar issue), Metro Times Music Awards and others.
