June Bisantz has two lives. One June is an artist and college professor at Eastern Connecticut State University. The other June is a gifted singer with a warm, vibrant vocal that can turn on a dime (Newsday), and has been compared to Nancy Wilson, Flora Purim and Phoebe Snow. I found the program was too delicious to resist, a tribute to Chet Baker, the great trumpeter/vocalist. So, I went to Hartford’s most popular music series, Dan Blow’s Music @Japanalia last year to experience the excitement for myself. The voice and program were both captivating to me. June has been writing and performing music for more than 20 years. She has recorded and co-written jazz albums with Lou Soloff, Mike Stern and Will Lee. People, USA Today and Jazziz have published reviews and articles about her work. She was a headliner in Brooklyn’s Mister Spats with her husband, pianist Steve Evans. They released several highly-reviewed albums and toured the country. She now creates art for public spaces from Willamantic in CT. “Although she sounds thoughtful and sensitive,..there’s an older but wiser maternal presence…in a later Rosemary Clooney mold.” (Rob Lester Sound Advice). “Her voice is pure honey. Consistently clear, strong and smoky when necessary. Her timing is impeccable …”. Her most popular CD, Let’s Fall in Love is inspired by Chet Baker. However, it’s not a knockoff or a radical departure. Baker’s essence remains, but there is an added freshness. The CD received a lot of international radio attention and Bisantz toured Japan last year with her group, which included Alex Nakhimovsky (Russian-born pianist/arranger), Norman Johnson (guitarist), Gabor Viragh (trumpet player), and Ben Bilello (drummer), all of whom will be appearing on our Mainstage this summer. I was just listening to a tribute to Nat Cole when I last got excited about a singer. This one is a tribute. Enjoy! from http://litchfieldjazzfest.com
