Denise Leslie - You Don't Know What Love Is (2012)

QUOTES: "...sultry singer Denise Leslie thrills her audience with her original sound as she performs..." Heather Brissenden, Mississauga News Denise Leslie's jazz is unique, musical and captivating. Her scat SOARS. It's a pleasure to work with a musician who cares so much about the music and the performance." Brian Farrell Artistic Director Calgary Choral I thoroughly enjoyed my studio experience with Denise Leslie. She is a talented, passionate singer with a voice that records beautifully." Bob McAlpine - Guitarist/Producer "Denise Leslie brings warmth, intensity and fluid phrasing to her performance. Her enthusiasm and impeccable sense of swing shows up what jazz is all about." Bruce Jantzie - Transera Corp. Musicians: Denise Leslie vocals Mark Kieswetter piano John McMurchy tenor saxophone Daniel Barnes drums Ross MacIntyre stand up & electric bass Anthony Panacci percussion, organ Bob McAlpine guitar (Bonus tracks) Bio - Denise Leslie Raised in east Toronto, Canada, there was almost always music blaring from our house - throbbing from my brother's massive Cerwin Veg a speakers. I had a very musical father who was an avid jazz fan. This had a huge impact on all of his children, especially me. All 5 of us enjoyed dancing in our Scarberian basement rec-room to Glenn Miller, Stan Getz/Juan Gilberto, Herb Alpert, and George Benson just as much as Michael Jackson, the BeeGees, Madonna and Tragically Hip. I sang in the Scarborough Choir and received my grade 9 in piano from the Royal Conservatory of Music. I received a BA from University of Western Ontario and later a degree in Interior Design from Ryerson, but over the years, while practising interior design, I remained a devoted jazz fan, and listened, listened listened. I eventually learned to play the guitar but it was several years later, when I married and began raising a family in Calgary that I began to sing seriously. After much encouragement from friends, family and musicians, and time put in to vocal lessons and workshops I made it my goal to establish a career as a jazz vocalist. I have made raising a family a goal as well, so it's been slow, but very promising - and quite thrilling! Pursuing this goal while trying to "be there" for my children has been a challenge, but a challenge that I have enjoyed immensely. I still have a long way to go on my journey as a vocalist, but the completion of this recording was an incredibly rewarding leg of that trip - it was tough at times, but overall an absolutely thrilling process and I know that there will be another in the very near future. My Sound? I'm a jazz vocalist and I approach much of my repertoire with an R&B bent, while leaving plenty of room for some serious blues, swing and scat. I love doing standards but like to keep injecting new life into my set list so I do experiment occasionally with arrangements and include tunes from artists of today such as Duffy, Amy Winehouse, Melody Gardot and Sting. I mostly work in a trio format (piano/bass/voice). Major influences would be Ella Fitzgerald, George Benson, Ray Charles, Billi Holiday, Bonnie Raitt, Diana Krall, Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox. Accomplishments: Starting with the Beatniq Jazz Club in Calgary Alberta, and a sold out performance at the Jack Singer Concert Hall with the Calgary Choral, I've been gigging regularly at jazz clubs and private functions for the past 9 years now. I've played many functions/clubs in and around the Toronto area, such as the Carlu, Healy's, The Ritz Carlton, The Hard Rock Cafe, Gate 403, Ten Feet Tall, Joe Mama's, The Trane, Ten Feet Tall, The Annex Live, Thornhill Golf & Country Club, Mississauga and Islongton Golf Clubs and Toronto Lawn Tennis Club. I've enjoyed fronting 2 large charity R&B bands over a 3 year period, and have developed a children's jazz workshop that I've so far brought to Maurice Cody Public School, Purple Tree Daycare and Girl Guides of Canada. I've broadened my range with some choral work, performing with the Calgary Choral, the Art of Jazz Singers with Barry Harris at the helm, and last year with Sarah John's Vespera Choir.