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"I have realized the importance of maintaining patience with time while
studying the art form called jazz. Jazz is a lifetime journey in which you
are constantly out at sea searching for a new horizon abroad."
-LTanya Mari
Well respected on the East Coast as an inventive jazz singer,
arranger, songwriter and educator, L'Tanya Mari's (la-tanya-mar-ee) much-anticipated debut CD
as a leader, A Teardrop of Sun is due to be release early 2009. The project
is an eclectic mixture of songs that include fresh versions of standards
along with numbers that are lesser-known but quite worthy, ranging from
straightahead jazz to bossa novas, sambas, blues and modern fusion. "Of the
standards, I particularly love 'You Go To My Head,' says L'Tanya. "It
connects with and means a lot to many people even though it is decades old.
It tells a story that is still relevant and has a life of its own, qualities
that I hope are true of all of the songs that I perform."
L'Tanya Mari', who grew up in Philadelphia, has always been surrounded
by jazz. "I remember hearing Charlie Parker's recording of 'April In Paris'
early on. Noticing that I was resonating more with fusion in my teen years,
my father tried to tip the scales a bit by buying me some of the earlier
recordings of Sarah, Ella and Carmen. That did it! By the time I was 17, I
was out at record stores looking for other jazz vocal albums."
Early signs seemed to indicate L'Tanya was going to be an
instrumentalist, as she studied cello for seven year and then added piano
into the mix, "but as I tended to hum along with my cello playing, my cello
teacher suggested that I should add singing to my list of goals."
While earning a Bachelors Degree in Music Business at Howard University,
L'Tanya Mari' was also on her way to becoming a notable jazz singer. She
began studying with the celebrated drummer-singer Grady Tate who influenced
her phrasing, urging her to always connect with an audience by really
feeling the lyrics. While residing in Washington D.C. and the north east
corridor, sitting in at jam sessions helped her secure gigs, build up her
skills as a jazz singer, and increase her repertoire. Hungry for a deeper
musical knowledge, L'Tanya pursued a Masters degree in Jazz Studies at the
University Of The Arts while coming into her own as a jazz singer.
Since her graduation, L'Tanya has become an active music educator in
addition to performing regularly throughout the Philadelphia and Washington,
DC metro area. "I enjoy learning from my students. I have a roster of 40
students on average, and everyone is different. Some are preparing to go to
school for jazz vocal and studies, others just want to learn specific things
like basic theory, while there are some who just want to learn how to feel
comfortable singing in front of people. It is rewarding finding what they
need and passing on the knowledge that I have."
Although her singular voice is well known in the DC area, with the
release of A Teardrop of Sun, her fan base will no doubt be increasing
exponentially. Remember the name - you'll be hearing a lot more from L'Tanya
Mari for years to come.
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