Rondi Charleston - Jazz Singer

Monday, October 10th- Minneapolis, MN- Dakota Jazz Club and Restaurant

REVIEWS:
Jazz Police: Click here

LISTINGS

Examiner.com (Minneapolis): Click Here
Dallas News (Pick up from Examiner): Click Here
Minneapolis City Pages (listing): Click Here
WWOZ (Minneapolis listing): Click Here
VitaMN: Click Here
FOX KTSP (Listing w/ photo): Click Here
WN.Com (listing): Click Here

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Thursday, October 13th – Chicago, IL- Mayne Stage

LISTINGS:
Chicago Reader (Listing): Click Here
Time Out Chicago (listing): Click Here
ABC’s Windy City Live (Mention/listing): Click Here
Deli Magazine (Listing): Click Here
AOL Music (listing): Click Here
Goldstar (Listing): Click Here
Upcoming.Yahoo (Listing): Click Here

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Thursday, October 20th- New Orleans, LA- Snug Harbor

LISTINGS:

New Orleans Times-Picayune(Listing w/ photo): Click Here
New Orleans Times-Picayune (blurb/listing): Click Here
OffBeat Magazine (listing): Click Here
Outside in (listing): Click Here

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Tuesday, October 25th- Waleska, GA- Reinhardt University

LISTINGS:

Canton-GA Patch (listing): Click Here
Eventful (listing): Click Here
NBC WATL 11 (listing): Click Here
Town Leakere (Calendar listing): Click Here

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Friday,October 28th- Winnsboro, LA- Princess Theatre

FEATURE:
Monroe News Star: Click Here

LISTINGS:

Franklin Sun (Winnsboro preview/blurb): Click Here
American Towns (listing): Click Here
KEDM Public Radio (listing): Click Here
Reverb Nation (listing): Click Here

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Saturday, October 29th 2011- Lafayette, LA- Acadiana Center for the Arts

FEATURE:
The Times of Acadiana(Feature): Click Here
Lafayette Daily Advertiser (day of show feature w/ photo): Click Here

LISTINGS:

KLFY CBS 10 (Preview): Click Here
KATC ABC 3 (Listing): Click Here

Review by Jonathan Widran – Jazzologist. Read the original story below, or click here.

Are there any independent, up and coming jazz performers that are exciting your ears these days?

One of my greatest joys as a music journalist is opening mine to new sounds, artists and sonic adventures. It’s so easy to get stuck in the mode where I only attend shows by artists I have seen before or am super-familiar with. I’m glad I took up the offer by Rondi Charleston’s publicist to check out her show this week at Catalina Jazz Club – always one of my favorite hot spots in Hollywood. I went in without ever hearing her music – and was amply rewarded with one of my favorite club shows of the year so far. The night was a celebration of Who Knows Where The Time Goes, the debut release on Motema Records by the charming, vocally gifted and powerfully poetic singer/songwriter.

The Chicago raised, Julliard trained Charleston (how’s that for a great last name?) has a unique career back story which perfectly relates to the acute sense of observation and questioning she incorporates into her original songs. She worked as an opera singer but later got a Master’s at NYU’s School of Journalism and ultimately became an investigative reporter for ABC News and won an Emmy and Peabody Award for her work on Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer. Marriage and motherhood further delayed her musical dreams, but enrich her creative spirit as a songwriter well.

Besides her expressive, emotional and sensuous voice and crisp sense of phrasing, the most impressive thing about Rondi is the way she effortlessly blends heartfelt original material on unexpected subjects and covers chosen from a wide variety of genres. Let’s start with the originals. She wrote the easy swinging ballad “Telescope,” in which she explores the mysteries of the universe, after taking her daughter to a planetarium and hearing the expected questions about existence. The spiritually uplifting “The Land of Galilee” was inspired by a seemingly miraculous snowfall during a trip she took with her husband and daughter to Israel; it finds her imagining this odd occurrence as a metaphor for a more loving spirit in this troubled region of the world. “Dance of Time” is one of the most beautiful expressions about the enduring power of love I’ve ever heard, a clever array of musings about what makes love last; the song was inspired by a neighboring couple who had been married for 65 years. Equally lovely and poignant was “Your Spirit Lingers,” which was inspired by the image-rich life journey of Rondi’s great grandmother.

Rondi titled her album “Who Knows Where The Time Goes,” citing Judy Collins’ 1968 version of the Sandy Denny song as a big influence. I personally was more familiar with Eva Cassidy’s great version. She brought an aching, reflective melancholy (with just a twist of hope) to the song in her live performance. The other covers ranged from a percussive, slightly Latin tinged take on Stevie Wonder’s exuberant “Overjoyed” to a soaring search for truth on a translated version of Milton Nascimento’s Brazilian classic “Everything You Were Meant To Be.” She also did an elegant, sparsely arranged turn–with just guitarist Dave Stryker for accompaniment—on “This Nearly Was Mine” (a lesser known selection from “South Pacific”) and Bobby McFerrin’s rousing, gospel infused anthem “Freedom Is A Voice,” with a lot of African accents.

Catalina Jazz Club always features big name national acts on weekends (I recently saw Diane Schuur there), but during the week they showcase worthy artists who are often amazing but simply lack the big name recognition. I’m glad I took a chance on the delightful Rondi Charleston. Her show was a wonderful way to end a very jazzy June!

Check out some of the amazing things people are saying about Rondi Charleston! Download the quote sheet here, or scroll down to see the great review!

Downbeat:
Rondi Charleston is one of those rare artists for whom a song’s meaning is as important as its melody. Her personal, thought–provoking, original songs slow the heartbeat and raise the mental senses with a documentarian’s acuity.

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Hot House:
These are some of the most memorable new songs to come from a jazz singer since Abbey Lincoln. Charleston delivers vocal artistry at the highest level on this collection.

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Jazz Inside: Kicking off her national tour, the much lauded jazz vocalist and songwriter, Rondi Charleston, joyously celebrated the release of her new jazz CD, Who Knows Where The Time Goes, at Joe’s Pub on May 26, 2011.Charleston is the epitome of today’s contemporary singer, intelligent, multi-faceted, and dedicated. Backed by an exceptional group of renowned jazz musicians that featured the illustrious James Genus, the brilliant Lynne Arriale and the distinctive Dave Stryker, Charleston radiated polish, poise and personality on her opening number. Rondi’s original compositions aptly demonstrates an inherent natural ability to touch people where they live – she is an excellent communicator whose lyrics are vividly visual, poignant, inspiring and, accessible which gives her songs a commercial appeal as well. The band opened up jubilantly on Bobby McFerrin’s “Freedom Is A Voice,” with Rondi rising to a resounding crescendo and raising the spirits of everyone in the room before exiting the stage. Mrs. Charleston concluded her performance with her social anthem, “Song For The Ages”, and tied the final golden threads of her stunning performance into a beautiful bow of “better things to come”.

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Icon Magazine: Singer/songwriter Rondi Charleston makes music that’s close to jazz nirvana. Her voice has a wise, burnished patina that goes a long way in making this album accessible, which at times flirts with perfection.

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Beck/Smith Hollywood: Exquisite new album…Charleston is remarkable! Rondi Charleston has won rhapsodic praise from The New York Times, Downbeat and an array of other music publications. She’s being extolled as a songwriter with great storytelling gifts as well as for her plush voice. Small wonder her original work is en route to being used in a film – details later.

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Sound Of Timeless Jazz: Charleston exceeds the standard of vocal beauty set on her prior highly acclaimed album, In My Life.
This CD shows her excellence as a vocalist with the ability to convincingly tell a story because of her heartfelt phrasing and emotional
nuance…one of the best new voices on the jazz scene in many years.

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The Celebrity Cafe: Charleston evokes a sense of timelessness that is delivered effortlessly by her vocal command. Self penned tracks such as Your Spirit Lingers, pay homage to an ancestral past that are universally transcendent thanks to her descriptive
talents.

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Inside World Music: Charleston’s latest release of jazz music is one for the ages. Her four originals with languid vocals make
the songs last forever, but that is a good thing… find the time to enjoy Rondi’s timeless music.

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UnratedNYC.com: Charleston provides listeners with an enchanting narrative about love, hope, and strength. She has valiantly earned the title of songwriter with four songs that hold a perfectly magical quality that makes time stand still.

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The Pace Report: Rondi Charleston’s record release party at Joe’s Pub in New York City, showcased her Motéma Music debut release, Who Knows Where The Time Goes, which is mesmerizing from beginning to end. Her stage presence and passion shows immediately in her live performance. Her stage presence and passion shows immediately in her live performance. And she’s surrounded herself with some of the best jazz musicians who know how to bring out her full range of talent. Pianist Lynne Arriale’s collaborations with Rondi are reminiscent of the great writing partnerships of McCartney and Lennon and Strayhorn and Ellington. It’s about time that a vocalist like Rondi Charleston is on the scene. Her music isn’t industry driven and is back to the basics of original and authentic material.

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Step Tempest: The real strength of the CD can be found on the four originals. Charleston mines her life, family and experiences to create music that touches the heart. Her choice of material is inspired and impressive.

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Wind And Jazz Magazine: Charming, vocally gifted and powerfully poetic singer/songwriter, Rondi Charleston, effortlessly blends heartfelt original material and covers chosen from a wide variety of genres.

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Jazz Corner: Performing music is as natural as storytelling for Charleston, whose instincts provide the warm lucidity of
her work. Her luminous flexibility and immediate timbral richness are heard throughout the recording. Charleston writes and sings with
full engagement and zero pretense.

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The International Review Of Music: Charleston has an adventurous, probing spirit. Her version of Bobby McFerrin’s “Freedon Is A Voice” reminds you that jazz can careen joyfully between its folk, blues and Afro-latin roots; there is rhythm at its core and optimism at its soul.

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The Cincinnati Inquirer: The album has been well-received by the jazz music press. And to Charleston’s surprise, the highest praise has been for her four original compositions telling stories with lyrics by Charleston and music by pianist Lynne Arriale.

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Cape Cod Times: Charleston sings with an elegant grace and there’s an emotional depth to her readings and sly expressiveness to her phrasing. The disc has immediacy, as if it was cut live, and this only heightens the stunning clarity and richness of Charleston’s vocals.

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CD/DVD News & Notes: A refined jazz singer with a penchant for uncovering the essence of what makes a song a classic. Charleston
makes Who Knows Where The Time Goes radio friendly for a new generation of quiet storm jazzers.

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Jazz Police: The distinguishing aspect of Charleston’s singing career is her incisive storytelling. The resounding strength of her this recording is her ability to dive deep into the heart of the matter and bring each emotional nuance to the surface.

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The Daily News / In Tune: One of the best jazz vocalists plying her trade these days…equally adept at writing her stuff as she is interpreting the works of others. Charleston, like her music, is a treasure.

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BVS Reviews: Rondi Charleston is one of those rare talents that comes around far too seldom. She is a gifted storyteller. I became an instant fan.

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Jazz Times Magazine: A richer, smokier, more mature sound is now in full evidence on Charleston’s album. The title track sets the tone and serves as a lovely reminder of the purity of Charleston’s tone. The extent of her interpretive imaginativeness is realized, with sensuously sinuous “I Hear Music,” a bluesy “Please Send Me Someone to Love” and an insightful “This Nearly Was Mine” that, quietly appreciates the lyric’s desolation. All four originals are equally affecting, extending from the hushed might of “Your Spirit Lingers,” an ode to our forefathers’ fortitude, to the enduring fulfillment of “Dance of Time.”

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All About Jazz: This breathtaking album is a showcase for one of the most compelling artists in contemporary music. Her collection
of tunes is marked by honest words, skillful writing and intelligent music. Charleston’s unique style is a wonderfully accessible form of jazz and jazz inspired songs all delivered with the ease of a classic American standard or the brilliant simplicity of a Top 40 tune.

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