An exciting quintet with two vocalists:
SHANNA CARLSON:
With a warm, slightly husky and intimate voice, Shanna Carlson delivers a lyric invested with her love of song. A natural balladeer, who also swings like mad and has a playful side. A native San Franciscan, she played piano from a young age and later became a songwriter and band-leader.
Shanna has two of her own CD's as well as two compilations. Her vocals have been heard on radio stations both nationally and internationally, as well as in movies, television shows and most recently her title song from her latest CD, “Lost in Your Eyes”, as a promo for a theater company in Olympia, WA.
An educator at heart, she loves to relay tales of a song’s origins or a golden nugget of information about the writers and/or lyricists. Shanna also coaches privately and, for 14 years, accompanied and taught at Jazz Camp West (now Living Jazz)in La Honda, California. Giving back is something that comes naturally and she enjoys working with Young At Heart Project, an organization that brings professional musicians into senior facilities. Shanna has played on some of the most respected stages in jazz: Yoshi’s, Dizzy's, Enrico's, The Stanford Jazz Vocal Series, The Topeka Jazz Workshop, and the San Jose Jazz Festival, to name but a few. She performs on the West Coast as well as England, Sweden and Switzerland.
LARRY SMITH:
A rich, elegant voice that will stir your soul and melt your cares.
Larry is a singer of great feeling and depth with no fear of going to his impish side - anything can happen and usually does - and judging from the sold-out houses he has played to, the audience loves every minute of it,
A native of Berkeley, Larry was immersed in the dance world for many years, but always sang. He studied voice with Esther Hughes and Mary Cobb-Hill. His local mentors were Faye Carol, Martha Young and Sheila Smith. He has performed in Nagoya, Japan, and other local clubs. He has sold out house concerts in Oakland (Bird's Nest Jazz) and in Sacramento.
Personnel:
Shanna Carlson — vocals
Larry Smith — vocals
Lee Bloom — piano
Matt FInders — bass
David Rokeach — drums
