presents . . .
National Tour Manager: Mark Wolfram Email: Click HereCALENDAR TOUR PHOTOS Marilyn's TOUR BLOG TOUR SWAG ORDER CD RADIO REQUEST RECENT APPEARANCES
THERE SHE WENT: Marilyn Harris took on a 5-week, 31-state tour in support of her new Wrightwood Records CD. "Round Trip" (WRCD-1569) is Marilyn's 3rd jazz CD for Wrightwood Records, and features 10 great new Marilyn Harris songs (and 2 fabulous covers) - backed by the L. A. Jazz All-Stars Big Band (a gathering of the swingingest top studio cats in Los Angeles - led by producer/arranger Mark Wolfram) and wonderful instrumental solos by Bill Watrous, Pete Christlieb, Jim Fox, Dan Higgins, Warren Luening, Andy Martin, Don Shelton, as well as a special vocal duet with jazz songwriting legend Bob Dorough. Liner notes are by jazz DJ and journalist Neil Tesser.
RADIO PROMOTION: The CD is being serviced to radio nationally (to over 500 radio stations) by Josh Ellman & Mark Rini at Groov Marketing.
DISTRIBUTION: North Country Distributors - Local CD retailers will be contacted to make sure they're stocked - and local radio stations will be asked to promote Marilyn's performances at local venues - as well as the CD itself.
ALL TIMES ARE LOCAL
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY May 28 May 29
Memorial Day
ObservedMay 30
Memorial Day
Tucson to Los Angeles
The Gardenia
West Hollywood
Guest performer for Mary Jo Mundy's "Mundy on Tuesday"May 31
Los Angeles, CA
June 1
Los Angeles, CA
12:00noon
Marilyn appears on "Arts in Review"
w/Julio Martinez - KPFK-FM 90.7
Los Angeles, CAVisit rehearsals of upcoming musicals "The New Normal" & "Play It Cool"
June 2
Travel Day
to San Jose
Mtg. w/Dr. Brad Stone @ KSJS in San Jose
Drop-in @ KCSM San Mateo, CA
to San Francisco, CA
June 3
San Francisco, CA
Met with Larry Dunlap and Bobbe Norris
June 4
San Francisco, CA
June 5
Travel Day
to Ashland, OR - Portland, OR
Drop-in @ KMSF Ashland, OR
June 6
Travel Day
Drop-in @ KMHD Gresham, OR
to Seattle, WA
Drop-in with Jim Wilke @ Jazz After Hours
to Spokane, WA
June 7
Travel Day
to Billings, MT
June 8
9:30am - Interview on KBUL Newsradio 970-AM in Billings, MT
Travel Day
to St. Cloud, MN
June 9
Travel Day
to St. Paul, MN
Marilyn presents a jazz songwriter's workshop - MacPhail Center for Music - Mpls. Rm. 327 -5pm
June 10
Travel Day
to Chicago, IL
June 11
Chicago, IL
CD Release Party @ Davenport's 7:00pm
June 12
Chicago, IL
June 13
Travel Day
to Rochester, NY
June 14
Flag Day
Rochester, NY
June 15
Rochester, NY
JazzWeek
Summit
Rochester, NY3:00pm - Marilyn has Featured Performance
10:10pm-KSDS Radio Interview with Vince Outlaw (phoner)
June 16
Rochester, NY
JazzWeek
Summit
Rochester, NY4:00pm-WGMC Radio Interview @ Rochester JazzFest
June 17
Rochester, NY
JazzWeek
Summit
Rochester, NYTravel Day
to New York, NY
June 18
New York, NY
June 19
New York, NY
Jazz Journalists Association
Awards - NYC 3:15pm - 7pm @ B.B. King'sJune 20
New York, NY
JJA Meeting - NYC-12:00noon
7:15pm-WDVR Radio Interview (phoner)
to Providence, RI
June 21
Providence, RI
Mtg. w/Jack Perricone - Berklee College of Music-Boston,MA
to New York, NY
June 22
New York, NY
Day Off
June 23
New York, NY
CD Release Party @ Don't Tell Mama
NYC
6:30pm
1 show only
(doors open @ 6)June 24
Travel Day
to Fayetteville, NC
June 25
Travel Day
to Jacksonville, FL
June 26
Jacksonville, FL
Lunch with Bob Stockton of Modern Jazz Classics
June 27
Travel Day
To Orlando, FL & Tampa, FL
Radio Interview with Bob Seymour at WUSF in Tampa, FL
To Gainsville, FL
June 28
Travel Day
to Baton Rouge, LA
June 29
Travel Day
to Houston, TX & Austin, TX
June 30
Travel Day
9:23am-
Radio Interview on "Break A Leg" (phoner) WSTC in Stamford, CTto Van Horn, TX
July 1
Travel Day
to El Paso, TX - Tucson, AZ
TOUR
COMPLETEJuly 2 July 3 July 4
4th of July
July 5 July 6 July 7 July 8 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
ALL TIMES ARE LOCALTOP
Marilyn and Good Morning! Arizona Co-Host Dan Davis pose
after Marilyn's May 12, 2006 appearance on the show.
Las Vegas Jazz Society President-Elect Jim Hagen (a swingin' trombonist)
receives his Bebop High diploma from Marilyn.
Marilyn performs with saxophonist Greg Armstrong at her ROUND TRIP
CD Release Party at COLORS in Tucson on May 27, 2006.
Marilyn fires up the Tourmobile and departs on her
ROUND TRIP AMERICA TOUR on May 30, 2006.
KPFK-FM "Arts In Review" host Julio Martinez poses with Marilyn after she
was interviewed on the show in Los Angeles, CA on June 1, 2006.
Marilyn meets with KSJS-FM music director Dr. Brad Stone on June 2, 2006.
Pianist/Arranger Larry Dunlap, Marilyn and Singer Bobbe Norris
pose on the beach in Pacifica, CA on June 3, 2006.
Marilyn and her sister (and host in San Francisco) Ellen pose
with a Round Trip frisbee.
Marilyn visits with Jim Wilke in the studio of "Jazz After Hours"
in Seattle, WA on June 6, 2006.
After being interviewed by Tommy & Bell Braaten on KBUL 970-AM in Billings, MT on June 8, 2006 Bell was nice enough to snap this photo of Marilyn and Tommy.
Mark's brother Ted and his wife Jane were Marilyn's hosts
while she was in Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Marilyn and Chicago bassist extraordinaire Larry Gray "back up" the L. A. Jazz All-Stars Big Band after their June 11th gig at Davenport's in Chicago.
Marilyn's radio promo guys Mark Rini & Josh Ellman of Groov Marketing pose at the JazzWeek Summit in Rochester, NY.
Radio promoter Fred Mancuso talks with WEMU's Linda Yohn at the JazzWeek Summit.
Musician/arranger/author/engineer Paul Combs & vocalist Shahida Nurullah
at the JazzWeek Summit.
Legendary jazz radio promoter Dick LaPalm talks with Mediaguide's Frank Johnson
at the JazzWeek Summit.
At the WGMC booth at the Rochester Jazz Festival Derrick Lucas and Rob Linton
manned the mics during Marilyn's on-air interview from the festival on Friday, June 16th.
The Mark Elf Trio plays at the JazzWeek Summit.
Tom "The Jazz Man" Mallison poses with Marilyn following the Jazz Journalists Association Awards at B. B. King's in NYC on Monday, June 19th.
Jazz pianist/composer Deanna Witkowski and Marilyn smile for the camera at the
Jazz Journalists Association Awards at B. B. King's in NYC on Monday, June 19th.
Jazz Journalists Association president Howard Mandel talks with Marilyn following the Jazz Journalists Association Annual Meeting in NYC on Tuesday, June 20th.
Berklee College of Music songwriting department chairman (and long time friend)
Jack Perricone proudly displays his ROUND TRIP frisbee.
Richard Del Belso, Mark Winkler and their friend Susan (from Paris - yeah, France!)
enjoy a late night repast with Marilyn at Joe Allen's in NYC.
Marilyn had a great time hanging out at Joe Allen's in NYC with Mark Winkler!
Marilyn and bassist Ritt Henn pose after their performance
at DON'T TELL MAMA in NYC.
Marilyn's uncle Larry and her aunt Katy were FABULOUS hosts while she was in Jacksonville, FL. Don't they look GREAT in their ROUND TRIP T-Shirts?
Bob Stockton, host of the syndicated series "Modern Jazz Classics", took Marilyn out to lunch in Jacksonville, FL - where they discussed the state of all things JAZZ!
Bob Seymour @ WUSF in Tampa, FL - the hour that he and Marilyn chatted
on-air and listened to music just flew by - it was great fun!
Marilyn stopped in Houston, TX and had a wonderful lunch with her aunt Helen.
Here's Helen with her husband Gerry displaying some fine ROUND TRIP tour swag.
Marilyn had a great time in Austin, TX with her cousin Barbara who treated her to some great food and put Marilyn up in her beautiful home - and they stayed up way too late and talked! Here Barbara toasts to the success of the tour with her ROUND TRIP mug.
"The Band" looked none the less for wear (and happy to be home) - even though
they rode almost 9,000 miles on the tour.
A weary - but happy - Marilyn arrives home and is joyfully greeted by her puppies!
Marilyn and KKJZ DJ Megan Marlena pose on July 26, 2006 in Long Beach, California, after doing a "Spotlight Interview" regarding Marilyn's "Round Trip" CD and tour . TOP
July 1 - FINAL DAY OF TOUR - I got up early today to make the final push for home. Considering how much ground I covered over such a long period of time, it's amazing that I didn't see more accidents - today I saw 3 in the last 60 miles of the trip. There just might be something to those holiday travel caveats. I was thrilled to get home and see Mark - and, of course, cuddle with all my schnauzers!! It was a long, hard - but GOOD tour - and I'm happy I took the trip. But I'm also very happy to be HOME!
June 30 - I had a great phone-in interview with Peggy Nelson and Richard Pheneger of WSTC/WNLK in Stamford, CT for their show "Break A Leg" and then went out to breakfast courstesy of Barbara. She helped me get back on the highway going west and when I stopped for gas I met a beautiful Soft-coated Wheaton Terrier - boy do I miss my dogs! The 290 highway goes right through Fredricksburg, TX - which looks a lot like the movie set to "Blazing Saddles." When I got to the I-10, I encountered the highest speed limit so far on this trip - 80 MPH!! There was hardly anyone else on the road and it's so easy to get used to going that fast that when you have to slow to 65 MPH for construction zones, it feels like you're crawling - and when you're slowed to 55 MPH, it feels like you're standing still. I stopped and bought baby carrots and apples - the long distance driver's friend in a fast food world. I'm thrilled that ROUND TRIP has been added at KKJZ in Long Beach, CA!! My publisher friend Valerie Jones heard "The Cards Keep Comin'" on her morning commute and emailed us about it.
June 29 - There is major road reconstruction going on in Baton Rouge, LA - Hurricane Katrina is still being felt. I had a nice easy drive to Houston, TX and a lovely lunch with my aunt Helen. She and uncle Gerry posed for a photo-op and then I was off to battle Houston traffic leaving town - a formidable task indeed. I made it to cousin Barbara's beautiful home in Austin, TX by suppertime. We stayed up much too late talking - but it was fun!
June 28 - I had a very busy day of driving - lots of storms in the Florida panhandle - crossing through Alabama and into Mississippi, where they have the nicest rest stop I've ever been to. It looks like a museum - inside and out - and they give you free Coca-Cola and coffee. If I weren't in a hurry I would have stayed longer and checked it out closer. I went from Gainsville, Florida to Baton Rouge, Louisiana - from one Motel 6 to another - I'm sure glad they keep leaving the light on for me.
The first week's radio promo report came in today - 55 adds - stations all over the country - just missed JazzWeek's Chartbound and I was 2nd most added on the CMJ Jazz chart. I'm thrilled with the progress so far.
June 27 - What a rollercoaster day! After a delicious breakfast in Jacksonville, I took off for WUCF in Orlando, FL - it was hard for me to find the station and Dave Martin (the music director) was busy when I got there, so I left some swag and headed Southwest on the I-4 to Tampa, FL. I tried calling my cousin Jim many times but unfortunately wasn't able to connect with him and his wife Vicki. Sorry, Jim - maybe next time? I was also worried about the car, which was leaving pools of oil, so I took it in to the Pep Boys who checked it out and reassured me that it had just been overfilled yesterday at JiffyLube. I also found out that XM-Satellite Radio is planning to spin 7 cuts from ROUND TRIP - whoopee! So far the new CD is receiving a very warm welcome from radio and I'm thrilled!
My in-studio interview at WUSF in Tampa, FL with Bob Seymour was a blast. The hour we spent together on air zoomed by and I appreciate all the research he'd done on my music. As I drove past Gainsville, FL, I heard the announcer on 90.1-FM back-announce "Cool" - for me, there's nothing cooler than hearing one of my songs on the radio!
June 26 - Well, it looks like I timed my drive south along the eastern seaboard perfectly - I managed to miss all the HEAVY storms that have been swamping Baltimore and D.C. the past couple days!
Bob Stockton is a very knowledgable and outspoken fellow whose opinions I agree with, so we had a VERY amiable lunch today! I spent the rest of the time this afternoon taking care of the car, which still has a couple thousand miles to go to get me home this week - and having great conversation with my Florida fan club, Uncle Larry and Aunt Kay. After my fan club treated me to a delicious steak dinner, Cousin George and his wife Brenda came by again tonight for yet another spirited conversation.
I'm scheduled to meet with Bob Seymour in Tampa tomorrow night, but not before seeing my cousin Jim and meeting his wife Vicki, who I've heard so much about. Connecting with family has been one of the best aspects of this trip - all my hosts have been wonderful, but it's just so cool to see KIN, even if not all of them are rabid jazz fans!
June 24/25 - What wild and wet weather the past couple days! I had to slow down quite a bit on the I-95 south because every 10 minutes, it seemed, I encountered another storm. Made me wish I had flip-up/flip-down shades for my driving glasses! But Tom Bodett left the light on for me last night in Fayetteville,NC and my aunt Katie and uncle Larry have rolled out the red carpet for me at their home in Jacksonville, FL tonight. My cousin George and his wife Brenda came over after dinner and it was a lot of fun - the Harris clan is an enthusiastic and opinionated bunch and we love to laugh!
Bob Stockton (from Modern Jazz Classics - a syndicated radio show based out of Jacksonville) called and we're to meet over lunch tomorrow - I want to hear more about his philosophy about how education is affecting the jazz biz and tell him a little about my experiences in Rochester and NYC on this trip. There's no doubt in my mind that jazz will persevere, but I have some questions about exactly HOW, since everything appears to be shifting for everyone in the music business!? There's probably actually a HUGE audience for jazz, but folks don't know how to find and engage them. I think it's through new songs, but then, as a songwriter, I always think new songs are the answer!
June 23 - This morning I had to get up early to move the car - then got stuff ready for rehearsal with bassist Ritt Henn. He's just as talented and upbeat as I recall him from L. A. and I knew the gig (at Don't Tell Mama) would go great! We had a lovely audience for the show, including old friends Anne Bryant, Denise Utt, Marc Donatelle and Amy Nelson, Joe Lovano and Judi Silvano, Rick Cummins, Richard Del Belso and his friends, Ritt Henn's parents, sisters Linda and Caron - Caron's husband Bob Auld - and other friends. It was a real joy for me playing and singing together with Ritt. Now to pack up my stuff for the drive down the East coast tomorrow.
June 22 - I took it easy today - slept in, did a little email and then took a nap before meeting my sister Caron for dinner. After she left for home I met with Mark Winkler, Richard Del Belso and their friend Susan (from Paris) for an after-dinner repast. Stayed up too late talking with Mark (Winkler) about his hit show, "Play It Cool."
June 21 - Traffic to Boston was unbelievably heavy in the morning so I was a little late to my meeting with my dear friend Jack Perricone. I've know Jack from my early NYC days and was delighted to meet his daughter Sonja, who is now a student at the Berklee College of Music, where Jack chairs the songwriting department. After a nice breakfast where we traded stories, we then played each other our latest songs in Jack's office. Then I headed west and south through Connecticut - always gorgeous in June. I have so many vivid memories of the I-84 - running across it with friends to explore the woods southeast of the highway when I was 10 - hitchhiking to school when I attended UConn - going back to visit my folks in Hartford and Waterbury after I graduated - no doubt about it, Connecticut was a pretty beautiful place to grow up! I wound up getting lost in New Jersey and had to amend my previous plan to include a real day off tomorrow. I've been pretty much non-stop on the go for over 3 weeks now! But it was sure great to spend some time with Peter and Cathy and Jack!
June 20 - There were only 13 people at the Jazz Journalists Association meeting at the New School today. JJA president Howard Mandel, along with his colleagues, is struggling to make the organization fiscally viable. Although everyone seemed to enjoy the celebration of jazz last night at the awards banquet, it appears that everyone within the jazz community struggles with how to get attention and remuneration for our efforts. The JJA wants to extend regional activity by producing additional publications to hightlight the activities and festivals in each chapter's area, but considering all the difficulties in securing advertising to pay for such publications, I wonder if we'd be better served by producing special inserts for jazz festivals within already established regional magazines such as "New York," "Chicago," "Los Angeles," etc. While the JJA wants to further the cause of jazz writers, jazz itself needs more attention from the general public. From my own experiences serving on various boards and committees, I can see that Howard and company have their work cut out for them.
I had a fun phone-in interview with Don Collester at WDVR in Sergeantsville, NJ. Don was very prepared and conducted an excellent interview - it was a real pleasure for me. I'm spending the night with my old UConn college buddies Peter and Cathy Bodner in Providence, RI - hanging out with old friends is a real plus on this trip.
June 19 - The Jazz Journalists Association Awards banquet was a little crowded, but I got to meet Maria Schneider - we've both come a long way since both being copyists for Gil Evans. It was good to see singers Tierney Sutton and Judi Silvano, and Linda Yohn (of WEMU) and Tom "The Jazz Man" Mallison both looked completely recovered from the JazzWeek Summit. Pianist-composer Deanna Witkowski posed for a photo op with me, as did Tom M. I got a chance to thank Jim Eigo for email promotional services and met Bob Protzman (of WQLN). Writer Andrew Velez and photographer Ben Johnson were amiable table mates. I don't know why some winners feel they have to complain at length about the state of the biz today - they're preaching to the converted, and it turns what should be a celebration into something punitive for the audience. I promise when I win my awards I'll be brief and upbeat!
June 18 - Today was a day off - hung with my sisters Linda and Caron. Also did the laundry. Resting up for the big week ahead.
June 17 - The JazzWeek Awards brunch was great, with all the winners excited about their awards - especially Russ Haines (of WWST) and Linda Yohn (of WEMU) who won the Duke DuBois Humanitarian Award. I really appreciated having a chance to spend more time with all the Summiters and getting to know them better. Mark Elf's trio was terrific! My drive down to New York City was quick and uneventful and I found a parking spot only a block away from my sister's apartment. I'm tired, though - and looking forward to "chilling" tomorrow before the Jazz Journalists Awards on Monday.
June 16 - After breakfast, Shaunna Morrison Machosky of WDUQ launched the discussion of HD radio - advanced technology is sure making things more interesting. The jury's still out, but if enough consumers purchase HD radio receivers, it's bound to change things having 2 more channels of programming at each current radio station location on the dial. MP2 format was discussed, too - already in use at cable TV's Music Choice. It offers much cleaner digital signal with no artifacts - could be the way we deliver new albums in the future! We then went into breakout sessions for promotion, Mediaguide, HD radio, and artists - the last of which consisted of vocalist Shahida Nurullah, musician/arranger/author/engineer Paul Combs and ME! We spent our time together talking about our experiences at the Summit so far and what we'd like to do at next year's Summit. The Paul Hoffman/Bob Sneider Duo played for us, after which I decided I needed a nap more than I needed lunch. I came back at 3:00pm to catch Josh Workman's quartet and then head to head out to the WGMC booth at the jazz festival for my on-air interview with Derrick Lucas and Rob Linton - thanks guys! I didn't get to see for myself how "Bebop High" was rated but managed to catch the second half of the Jukebox Jury when I returned. Watching the visceral reactions broadcasters were having to upcoming releases was most edifying - Linda Yohn literally dances in her seat when she's digging the music, and Neil Tesser can't help but bounce and nod with pleasure when he hears something he really likes. Certain recordings bring out very strong reactions both pro and con, and hearing music directors articulate what they found annoying or pleasing helped me understand why they may have passed on my last CD and might like this new one better.
A lovely reception and performance by the Avishai Cohen Trio followed, and then I found out that my performance at The Downstairs Cabaret for tomorrow had been cancelled. I made a few phone calls and adjusted my travel plans, then agreed to meet with Paul Combs at 7:30pm to play through some tunes together. We wound up jamming for about an hour and then talking for three more - we know a lot of musicians in common and Paul is very excited about his upcoming book on Tad Dameron and CD of 12 of Tad's unrecorded tunes. The thing that strikes me most about the folks I meet at the Summit and IAJE is their absolute passion for the music - something I share.
June 15 - The JazzWeek Summit began with a breakfast "hang" - always a lot of fun to see old friends and meet new folks. While the keynote address and first panel didn't shy away from the realities of the currently chilly climate for jazz and jazz radio, Bert Gambini (of WBFO) kept things upbeat and solution-oriented. Radio hosts Neil Tesser, Bob Seymour, Bob Rogers, and Linda Yohn are finding ways to increase their listenership despite cutbacks in funding and support. Joe Locke and Geoff Keezer played a lovely short set and then I was off to drop promo materials for Jack Garner of The Democrat & Chronicle before lunch. B. H. Hudson's panel on broadening the audience was thought provoking and then it was time for MY short set, which was well-received - folks laughed at the funny stuff and misted up over "That Afternoon In Harlem." Josh Ellman of Groov Marketing shot an excellent video of my performance - thanks again, Josh!
The last panel of the day emphasized the importance of CDs getting repeated spins on 1 or 2 songs - a must for unknown artists like me to "break through" and become more established. After a tasty reception hosted by his label, pianist Eldar amazed and astonished us with his joyful speed and technique and his celestial feather-light touch. I'd enjoyed his earlier CD release but wasn't prepared to be so utterly enchanted with his live performance - he is an angel of the piano. I spoke with Fred Mancuso and Dick LaPalm who are promoting Eldar's new CD release and thanked them for bringing him to the Summit. Later in the evening I had a delightful phone-in interview with Vince Outlaw on KSDS (in San Diego) and then went to Marilyn Scott's suite party where many of the Summiters were cutting loose. Last I heard, they'd convinced Eldar to go over to the jam session at the Crowne Plaza and pass himself off as a local high school student. I was starting to turn into a pumpkin, so I called it a night, although it would have been fun to see their faces when Eldar started channeling Art Tatum!
June 14 - I slept like a top, took care of personal stuff in the morning, then lent a hand to Ed Trefzger, Devon Murphy and Linda Yohn (of WEMU) assembling the goodie bags and name badges for the JazzWeek Summit which starts tomorrow. I got a chance to practice piano for an hour - then ran into Arturo Gomez of KUVO, Tom "The Jazz Man" Mallison, Bob Rogers of WSHA and vocalist Shahida Nurullah in the hotel lobby. After another walk through the jazz festival, I had a lovely dinner with Linda Yohn and Blaise Lantana of KJZZ, then ran into Mitchell Feldman of KUVO, B. H. Hudson of WNCU, Frank Johnson of Mediaguide and Elizabeth Farriss of KEWU in the hotel lobby. So far I haven't run into anyone who says they're NOT going to spin the new CD - hooray!
June 13 - After numerous phone inquiries, Mark and I were unable to make any appointments at radio stations at Chicago, Indiana or Ohio, so we decided to route me straight through to Rochester, NY a day early. And why not? After all, they're in the middle of their jazz festival this week. Unfortunately, I found out too late that Fritz "The Night Owl" Peerenboom of WJZA in Columbus, OH wanted to meet me - drat! Next time, Fritz, for sure! I drove for 10 hours and am now comfortably ensconced at the hotel. After a bowl of soup and some salad, I'm going to check out the Rochester Jazz Festival tonight.
June 12 - I'm sipping a decaf at the ubiquitous Starbucks while waiting for an oil change for the car - "The Tourmobile" has performed admirably for me for the past couple weeks, but it needs attention because we've got many more miles to go together! Tonight I'm having dinner with my host,Scott Golinkin, and then resting up for the trip east - looking forward to meeting with more radio programmers!
June 11 - My gig at Davenport's was wonderful - Larry Gray (bass) is an absolutely superb musician - he aced all of the charts, none of which he'd ever seen before we performed them together. He even "covered" my flubs when I dropped a few bars here and there - apparently the audience had no idea that I'd "spaced out"! When the lights came up, I was SO surprised to see co-writer Leslie Brenner and her husband Rich in the audience! - they're L.A. friends who were in Chicago visiting family and decided to catch my act! Afterwards Ruth Tobias and I went to dinner at one of our favorite places - Reza's. She is an inspiration - totally in love with life and a joy to be around! (And I'd say that even if she hadn't paid for my meal - thanks again, Ruth!)
June 10 - Brother-in-law Ted and his wife Jane were wonderful hosts last night and this morning. I wanted to linger but had 7 hours driving ahead of me. Chicago is still lovely and still largely under construction. One thing that's struck me about this trip vs. the tour I took 2 years ago is that our infrastructure is much more in need of repair! The roads are a LOT bumpier!! I got to visit very briefly with my host, friend Scott Golinkin, who's very busy - hope we can spend more time before I hit the road again. And Mark Winkler reported by phone that the opening last night of his musical PLAY IT COOL went great - Hooray!!
June 9 - The Master Class/Workshop that Rhonda Laurie of JZVOC put together at the MacPhail Center for Music was a LOT of fun - about a dozen fellow jazz singers made for a very attentive audience. They asked interesting questions and later 3 of them sang for me - I hope I was able to give some constructive comments - for me, at least, the time just FLEW by! Many of them purchased CDs, too - I hope Yolande really wants to perform "Bebop High" like she said - that gal can SING!! :-)
June 8 - Tommy and Bell Braaten were terrific radio hosts - Tommy did a fun pre-recorded interview with me for KBUL, and then I embarked on TONS of driving - my longest day yet - 11 hours from Billings, MT to St. Cloud, MN where brother-in-law Tim and his family made me feel right at home. The drive took a lot out of me, though - I'm having serious reservations about my plan to drive straight through in one day from New York City to Jacksonville, FL in a couple weeks!
June 7 - Today was a travel day - lots of driving! I saw many beautiful sights and vistas. Northern Idaho and the western side of Montana are quite lovely. I saw a seaplane taking off from Lake Coeur d'Alene - cool! Contrary to what I was led to believe, Montana DOES have speed limits - rats!! It took longer to get to Billings, MT due to road construction and repair.
June 6 - I was a few minutes late and therefore didn't get to meet Deborah @ KMHD in Gresham, OR - but left a CD and swag in box at the station. Oregon is so lush and green! And Washington state is even more so!! I made it north to Seattle, WA where Jim Wilke welcomed me to his studio where he creates Jazz After Hours. I'm so glad I got to meet with him since he doesn't plan to attend the JazzWeek Summit or JJA Awards in NYC where he's been nominated for Jazz Broadcaster of the Year. The drive from Seattle through the Cascade Range is breathtakingly beautiful - each vista lovlier than the last - the whole region looks like a picture postcard! I spoke on the phone with Stanley Naftaly @ KCSB in Santa Barbara, CA and we should be able to coordinate an on-air interview in July.
June 5 - After driving north from San Francisco, I briefly dropped by to meet Eric Alan @ KSMF in Ashland, OR. He seemed amused by all of the swag. Made my way up to Portland, OR to reunite with our dear friend Peter Englander and meet his bride Ann Wagoner. Their dog Cosmos never truly accepted me, but their cat Pumpkin tried to push me out of bed. :-)
June 4 - Day off - spent time with my sister Ellen. What fun! ;-) Went to bed early - lotsa driving tomorrow.
June 3 - Ellen and I talked late into the night and got up around noon - gathered ourselves up and drove out to visit pianist-arranger Larry Dunlap and his wife, singer Bobbe Norris at their home in Pacifica - what a simply gorgeous place THAT town is! We had a great walk along the beach, ate a delicious dinner and told all sorts of stories about our various adventures in the music biz over the years - it was great fun! I also got to hear Bobbe and Larry's versions of MY DISSIPATION and THAT AFTERNOON IN HARLEM - Larry of course, plays like a dream, and Bobbe's interpretations are spot-on! Her voice is a perfect fit for my stuff - sing MORE, Bobbe!! :-)
June 2 - I filled up the car with gas and took off early for San Jose - connecting with Dr. Brad Stone at his home in Gilroy. Brad is a physicist and chemist in addition to being a jazz radio music director (at KSJS) with exquisite taste (read: he likes the new CD!) I'm glad I got a chance to see him since he unfortunately won't be able to do the "hang" at the JazzWeek Summit this year. I dropped by KCSM on my way up to visit my sister Ellen in San Francisco.
June 1 - I dropped off 4 huge boxes of swag (T-shirts and coffee mugs) at UPS first thing in the morning and then got ready for my radio interview with Julio Martinez @ KPFK - he featured 4 of my songs on his ARTS IN REVIEW show, and the half hour just flew by for me! I met with Mark Winkler after that to go over LUSH LIFE for a theatre benefit he's doing June 3rd. Later I got to attend rehearsal for Mark's new show PLAY IT COOL which opens next week at the Celebration Theater - I can't be there, since I'll be on the road, but it was very exciting to hear new voices perform our songs IN A LONELY PLACE and FUTURE STREET. I also got to hear a rehearsal for my song A NEW ROAD which closes the current incarnation of THE NEW NORMAL - those singers were truly thrilling!! I LOVE hearing other singers do my songs! Wish more of them would do so!
May 31 - I got up early to see Unitia in Santa Monica - she worked all the kinks out of my back AND my psyche! And then I got to have a late lunch with French hornist Stephanie O'Keefe, who always has the most insightful observations about the world in general and the music biz in specific. Later I met up with my host Mark Winkler for supper at the Farmer's Market, which has changed a LOT since I last went there.
May 30 - I drove FAST across the desert from Tucson to L.A. because I got a late start, but made it to The Gardenia in plenty of time to sing a duet version of COOL with co-writer Mark Winkler - and then THAT AFTERNOON IN HARLEM and I DON'T GAMBLE. Mary Jo Mundy was the perfect hostess, and I was so spaced-out after all that driving that I forgot to give her my new CD and swag! But I got to drop it off for her later - she'd sound wonderful doing THAT AFTERNOON IN HARLEM - hope she wants to sing it someday!
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Recent Appearances
on Marilyn Harris'
"Round Trip America" TourNovember 16, 2006 - Marilyn was featured on
Thursday Morning Jazz - WWUH Radio - 91.3 FM
West Hartford, CT - Host Mark Channon played
the entire "Round Trip" CD and more!!!October 8th, 2006 - Marilyn was featured
with Jeff Haskell's Tucson Jazz Orchestra and guest vocalist Paul Elia as part of the Tucson Jazz Society's Fall Concert Series at the Univ. of AZ's Crowder Hall.August 16th, 2006 - Marilyn appeared on
"Drivetime Jazz" with Alan Rock
on WUCF - 89.9 FM - Orlando, FL
CLICK HERE to listen to the full interviewAugust 10th, 2006 - Marilyn appeared on a
"Megan Marlena Spotlight Interview" on
KKJZ - 881.FM - Long Beach, CAAugust 6th, 2006 - Marilyn performed with the
Pete Swan Trio at Old Pueblo Grille in Tucson, AZAugust 2nd, 2006 - Marilyn appeared on
"Jazz Straight Ahead" with Stanley Naftaly
on KCSB - 91.1 FM - Santa Barbara, CAJuly 20th, 2006 - Marilyn appeared on
"New Morning Set" with John Bouille
on WSHA - 88.9 FM - Raleigh, North CarolinaJune 27th, 2006 - Marilyn appeared on
"Jazz with Bob Seymour"
on WUSF-89.7FM-Tampa, FLJune 23rd, 2006 - Round Trip CD Release Party
at Don't Tell Mama, NYC - Special guest: Ritt HennJune 15th-17th, 2006 - Marilyn attended & performed at the 2006 JazzWeek Summit in Rochester, NY.
This event was sponsored by JazzWeek.June 11th, 2006 - Round Trip CD Release Party
at DAVENPORT'S, Chicago, IL - Special guest:
Larry GrayJune 9th, 2006 - Marilyn gave a workshop entitled
Adding Pages to the Great American Songbook
It was presented by JZVOC-Midwest/Minnesota Chapter - MacPhail Center for Music-Minneapolis, MNJune 8th, 2006 - Marilyn appeared on
News Radio 970 AM - KBUL in Billings, MontanaJune 1st, 2006 - Marilyn appeared on "Arts in Review" with Julio Martinez - KPFK-FM 90.7 - Los Angeles, CA
May 30th, 2006 - Marilyn was Mary Jo Mundy's
special guest at THE GARDENIA - West Hollywood, CAMay 27th, 2006 - Round Trip CD Release Party
at COLORS , Tucson, AZ - Special guest: Greg ArmstrongMay 12th, 2006 ***TELEVISION APPEARANCE***
Marilyn was interviewed and performed LIVE on Fox-TV's
Good Morning! Arizona
(Arizona's largest morning talk show)
Live remote from Tucson's Antigone Book Store
ORDER CD HERE!
Our Low Price: $12.99
Availability: IN STOCK NOW!
Ships: Within 24 Hours
(USPS First Class Mail)
Audio CD #: WRCD-1569
Marilyn's hot CD of new original
jazz songs, big bands, kickass charts,
killer solos and swingin' vocals!
with the L. A. Jazz All-Stars Big Band
Featuring instrumental solos by Bill Watrous,
Pete Christlieb, Jim Fox, Dan Higgins,
Warren Luening, Andy Martin and Don SheltonAlso featuring jazz legend BOB DOROUGH
in a vocal duet with Marilyn!
To purchase selected big band & vocal charts from ROUND TRIP with arrangements by Mark Wolfram
CLICK HERE
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