The Young Divas with the Bill King Trio
Bill King
Pianist-composer-publisher Bill King is a multi-talented individual whose numerous recording and production credits include Sophie Milman's acclaimed debut CD which topped 100,000 sales worldwide. He also spearheaded the successful Real Divas concept and more recently, The Young Divas.
Born in Jeffersonville, Indiana in 1946 King spent his youth studying with W.C. Handy s former pianist Eva Smith at the Louisville Academy of Music s Don Murray and with Indiana University saxophonist-educator Jamey Aebersold. By the early '60s, King had won 16 first place awards in regional and state classical piano and clarinet competitions and a scholarship to Oscar Peterson's Advanced School of Contemporary music in 1963 and a scholarship to Berklee School of Music in 1964.
King began his career performing with local community orchestras and big bands. In 1966, King was a member of The Shadows and had their first Billboard Top 50 hit with jazz pianist's Bobby Timmons gospel romp, "Moanin'". This success led to working with many of the stars of the day - The Shangrilas, Dick and Dee Dee, Freddy Cannon, The Dovells, Ronnie Dove, opening for the Beach Boys on three occasions and work with the Dick Clark Caravan of Stars.
In 1968 he moved to Los Angeles to become music director and pianist for Linda Ronstadt. A year later he joined Janis Joplin's band in the same capacity. In 1976 Bill served as music director for vocalist Martha Reeves. After accompanying her on a European tour he joined The Pointer Sisters and spent the next year touring Japan and the U.S as their music director.
King returned to Toronto in the late '70s to form the rock group Kearney, King and McBride and recorded one self-titled album for Epic/CBS. By 1984 after a year-long stint with Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks, King opened his first independent jazz label Night Passage Records. King has also been a driving force in the success of the Beaches International Jazz Festival since it s inception in 1988. His duties as artistic director and emcee bring him in contact with some of the finest talent worldwide. Recently, King added artistic duties for the Toronto International BBQ & Blues Festival to his portfolio.
Lauren Margison
"...Shania and Celine, consider yourselves put on notice... (Margison has) the spicy, seasoned voice of a 30-year-old." - Hamilton Spectator
Sixteen-year-old Lauren Margison first attracted attention with her singing abilities when she joined the Canadian Childrens' Opera Chorus in 1999 at the age of seven. Quickly promoted to the principal chorus of the CCOC in 2000 (usually reserved for singers between thirteen and seventeen), Lauren appeared in the mainstage production of the Canadian Opera Company's production of La Boheme in that same year, resulting in her invitation to sing a solo recital at the International Childrens' Festival at the Harbourfront Centre and to make an appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jay Leno.
In June 2006, Lauren made her TD Toronto Jazz Festival solo debut as one of the Real Divas and shared the stage at Nathan Phillips Square with some of Canada's great jazz artists. In August 2006 she performed in the highly acclaimed Ottawa Chamber Music Festival in the opening gala concert of the season with her father, Richard Margison.
Recent appearances include: guest artist with international operatic tenor, Jose Cura, at the Pavilhao Atlantico in Lisbon, Portugal before a live audience of 8000 (January/ 07); performing in Opera Hamilton s production of Tosca (May/ 07), and a performance at the Princess of Wales Theatre with Ross Petty Productions, sharing the stage with distinguished artists such as Louise Pitre, Sheila McCarthy, Rex Harrington, and Mary Walsh. In July, '07, Lauren made her debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under the direction of Erich Kunzel.
Josephine Biundo
Josephine Biundo is an internationally renowned singer having performed all around the globe. She has reached great heights of success at a very young age and has dazzled audiences with her expressive vocal styling and dynamic stage presence. The versatility in Josephine's repertoire ranges from pop, jazz, musical theatre and even classical. Not to mention her ability to sing in the beautiful Italian language, for which Josephine truly has a passion. Her performances deliver a combination of great standards and original compositions. This five-foot brunette exudes confidence and charm and delights fellow musicians and audiences alike. Josephine is truly an elegant and sophisticated performer.
Josephine spent time studying with some of Canada's top vocal coaches, which augmented her versatility in performing in a spectrum of different musical genres. She has a passion for jazz and just recently graduated with honours from the Mohawk college jazz music program, where she was able to study with such professional and amazing musicians. She has also had the opportunity to work with the Mohawk college big band under the direction of Dave McMurdo.
She is currently working with the All Star Jazz Big Band and traveling to Europe with them for many exciting performances. Josephine has her first CD available entitled Protégé and is currently working on her second album.
Sophie Berkal-Sarbit
Backed by an A-list cast of some of Canada's finest jazz musicians, including bassist Dave Young, guitarist Jake Langley, trumpeter Kevin Turcotte and producer Bill King, on her debut disc The Gypsy in My Soul, Sophie Berkal-Sarbit's debut CD showcases herself impressively on chestnuts such as "The Man I Love," "Skylark" and "Someone to Watch Over Me."
Toronto audiences got a taste of this young diva last summer when she appeared on the Real Divas bill at the Toronto and Beaches International Jazz Festivals. Another chance to look and listen came with Berkal-Sarbit performances at the 2007 National Jazz Awards.
The young songstress, who started off singing with her grandfather (a respected cantor who recorded his first CD at age 87), is also an award-winning dancer whose first turn centre stage was playing the lead in Annie in a Grade 4 production.
According to her bio, musicality came early: "Apparently in utero, I would kick and stop in synch with whatever music (my parents) were listening to."
Kinga
Kinga found herself stung with a particular affinity for the sound of jazz rather early as she was first introduced to the world of jazz by none other then her mother who would constantly play songs by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, the Platters, and other jazz greats. With her father, still to this day, playing in his own cabaret, it was difficult for Kinga not to be immersed into the soothing sounds of jazz as a child.
Kinga has long established herself as a rather versatile vocalist, with a studied background in both classical and contemporary music as well as classical piano and voice theory by the age of thirteen. Kinga began sharing her gift through recitals and musical competitions shortly thereafter. From pop to jazz, she has gained a true appreciation for the latter and developed great admiration for the jazz greats of yesterday and today. Naturally, Kinga has found her element in the spotlight, paying homage to her musical influences: Natalie Cole, Sarah Vaughan, Diana Krall, Dianne Reeves, Ranee Lee and the incomparable Ella Fitzgerald as they all have homes in her repertoire.
It was in high school where she performed her first jazz song with the group, West Berlin, a jazz band assembled by her and three friends. Kinga also sang with The Brian Downey Big Band in Ottawa at the Tulip Festival in April of 1998
Eventually, providence and her love for music brought Kinga to Humber College, where she would continue to refine her vocal talents through uncounted hours of instruction and dedication rehearsal. Kinga soon managed to find herself studying under numerous professionals such as Trish Colter, Lisa Martinelli, and Lisa Sullivan. Building on her extensive training, she would go on to perform with contemporary icons like Renee Rosnes, Guido Basso, and the legendary Don Thompson. Fortune followed quickly, and found Kinga lending her vocals to Don Thompson and his own jazz ensemble, as well as Denny Christianson s Big Band at Humber College.
Throughout Ontario, Kinga can regularly be found performing live with her trio, quartet or quintet at various famous establishments. Playing alongside her Kinga draws from such backing layers as long time Juno award winner Don Thompson, as well as Bill King, Terry Clarke, Jim Vivian, Reg Schwager, Kelly Jefferson, Ted Quinlan and Richard Whiteman to name a few. In fact, chances are you may have already seen, and heard her waxing lyrical at select restaurants, pubs, lounges, private parties, weddings, arenas, stadiums and summer festivals throughout Ontario
Jessica Lalonde
A native of Midland Ontario, Jessica Lalonde has been singing since early childhood in local music festivals and eventually with jazz ensembles and as the vocalist for the Music Maker's Big Band in Midland. Following her passion for music, she completed her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and attained her Opera Diploma at Wilfrid Laurier University.
At Laurier, Jessica held the title role in Puccini's Suor Angelica, and performed La Princesse in Ravel's L'enfant et les sortilèges, Lady Billows in Albert Herring, and Sarah Good in The Crucible. Also dedicated to the oratorio repertory, she was the featured soloist for Brahm's Ein Deutsches Requiem with the Wilfrid Laurier Choir in the spring of 2007. In addition, Ms. Lalonde has been featured soloist at various charity venues, galas, and choral concerts.
She has recorded and been broadcast in the world première of Craig Galbraith's The Spell of the Rose on CBC Radio Two's Two New Hours in 2004, and recently created the role of Rebecca Reid in the première of a new Canadian opera, To Daniel, by Glenn James.
In 2006, she was the winner of the Laurier Concerto Competition, the Stratford Civic Orchestra's Concerto Competition, a finalist in the Guelph Spring Festival, and the recipient of the Keith Knight Memorial Award for Performance at Laurier. In the summer of 2007, she traveled to Italy and participated in the renowned Centro Studi Lirica opera programme, under the direction of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell.
This spring she's been engaged to sing Poulenc's Gloria with the Stratford Civic Orchestra, Mozart's Exultate Jubilate in her hometown, and in the summer she will be the featured soloist with the Via Salzburg Orchestra at Cedar Ridge Pops Benefit Concert.
Her deep-rooted love and passion for music in all its forms combined with her versatile voice continue to provide Jessica with flowering opportunities.
