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KATHY KOSINS - "The Ladies of Cool" Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center Tickets: 877.311.SHOW (Toll-free) or purchase online HERE.
In addition to her extremely busy touring performance schedule, Kathy is equally in demand as a clinician in collegiate vocal jazz programs throughout the country. Education is a passion with her, but so is bringing fresh interpretations to some remarkable music that resonates with all audiences, especially those who are familiar with these ladies: Anita O’Day – The most prominent female jazz singer not named Billy Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan, Anita was a pistol. Her career got jump-started in the early 1940s with Gene Krupa’s band, followed by stints with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton before embarking on a solo career. She had a soft, raspy voice and sang with the tonal qualities of an alto saxophone. Her rhythmic feel was propulsive, and thus unique. She could improvise at any tempo. She might have been the dean of the cool school of vocalists, but she still found herself frequently on suspension. June Christy – this warm and smooth-voiced blond, who began singing with big bands at age 13, followed Anita O’Day into the Stan Kenton Orchestra in 1945 where she remained for the better part of seven years. Her style was ultra-cool and sexy. Her inflections made her instantly recognizable. June had a successful solo career, mentored by husband and master saxophonist-arranger, Bob Cooper, and also band leader/arranger Pete Rugolo who was a close collaborator. She is best remembered for her interpretations of “Something Cool” and “Midnight Sun.” Chris Connor – Another attractive blond, Chris was singing with bandleader Claude Thornhill and was discovered by June Christy, who was planning on leaving the Kenton band for a solo career. June recommended her to her boss and Chris spent a year on the band before going off on her own. She enjoyed moderate popularity for years and played the major jazz rooms around the country in addition to recording more than 40 records. Her signature song was “All About Ronnie.” Julie London – A statuesque beauty and pin-up girl, Juli parlayed some acting talent and an intimate, sultry voice into a successful career. She studied acting and music in her teens. After her marriage to actor and producer Jack Webb dissolved, she took up with pianist Bobby Troup who groomed her singing career that paralleled and surpassed her acting efforts. Billboard named her Most Popular Female Singer from 1955 through 1957. She is likely best remembered for her interpretation of the plaintive ballad, “Cry Me A River.” ### Funding for South Florida JAZZ is provided in part by a grant from the Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Division |
A Detroit, Michigan native, Kathy Kosins has explored the vocal jazz idiom of the West Coast “cool school,” with particular emphasis on those extraordinary singers of the 1940s and 1950s that were household names to jazz and pop fans alike in that era. Kathy is an accomplished interpreter of jazz, who has a voice and style that shares that intimate and alluring quality found in “The Ladies of Cool.”
