November 2015
So much has happened this year and my heart is full!
I started out the year with a reunion of sorts with two of my best NYC musical friends, as part of Kenny Werner’s Residency at The Stone, with the amazing Joe Lovano. We played solo, duo and trio with some fun and surprises along the way.
Then I played 2 nights at Birdland as part of Joe’s new Village Rhythms Band for the APAP convention. What a kick that was – Joe has written some amazing and compelling music and the band was killer! Look for his new recording on Blue Note out next year with all new music!
With my new CD just out, I had the thrill of playing several times with the amazing Michael Abene, first at Kitano, then Cornelia Street, the Falcon and then the fabulous new Mezzrow club! I had to work hard to find jazz rooms with Good Pianos for the Maestro to play! It was unique every time we played together and I am so grateful to Michael and Gretchen Abene for helping me realize this project of all Original songs. Michael certainly is an original himself and having him interpret my songs and improvising along with him was a big thrill – each and every time!
I also had an amazing year playing with my Zephyr Quintet which features guitar and sometimes horn… We played at the 55 Bar with Kenny Wessel, Adam Kolker, Peter Slavov and Anthony Pinciotti, at Nublu with Bruce Arnold, Oscar Noriega, Ratzo Harris and Lamy Istrefi, and then up in Beacon’s new Quinn’s venue with two guitars (Kenny Wessel and Bruce Arnold), Ratzo Harris on Bass and Bob Meyer on drums adding special guest Joe Lovano to the mix, which is always incredible! I also had a few gigs at the Why Not? Café reuniting with old buddy Tim Hagans on trumpet in June and with Claire Daly on bari sax in October before the club morphed into Dominique’s.
NEWS FLASH: I finally went into the studio and recorded this amazing Zephyr Band that I love so much!!!! We got 10 Original songs with new Original lyrics down, and although we have been playing a lot of the songs all year, there was also some brand new material that I brought to the session. With the amazing ears and enormous talent of Joe Lovano in the booth, the session ran smoothly and I could really focus on singing the challenging music that I had chosen. Exhausting and Fulfilled! So I continue to listen and work on postproduction details and hope to be able to release the new material in 2016!!!!
Other memorable gigs this year have been being part of the Arts for Art Pop-Up concerts that Patricia Nicholson put together at the Clemente Soto Velez center on the lower east side of NYC, Neil Alexander’s Joe Zawinul Birthday Tribute and having the unique opportunity to sing some of his amazing musical legacy, and also being part of a magical concert featuring the Songs of Mark Murphy as a love-letter to the ailing Master. It was a beautiful celebration including many vocalists who have been influenced by and studied with Mark through the years (including myself) and the high point was his dear colleague and friend, the amazing Sheila Jordan. Thanks to Ari Silverstein and Cha Cha for organizing the wonderful event. A film was made to document the occasion and shown to Mark, thankfully, before his sudden passing a few months later.
On the Art front… what can I say? I am still engrossed in study and passion for painting the world around me mostly in Oils and Watercolors this year with some of the area’s most accomplished artist/teachers. I have been part of many shows and exhibits throughout the year and enjoying the comradery and inspiration of the many creative and joyous people around me. I’ve been gratified to have sold a number of paintings which feels like people have generously “adopted” one of my children/creations. You can see some on my paintings page here on this website.
Our house is filled with art and music and love and I feel grateful every day! Thank you for being part of the experience! Happy Holidays to all!
March 2015
Happy New Year to all Music and Art Lovers Everywhere!
Thank you for your support of the creative arts and in particular of my work!
JANUARY 2015 saw the RELEASE of my 11th CD of recorded music: MY DANCE. I am thrilled to have documented these collaborations with the amazing pianist MICHAEL ABENE and to continue playing in live settings throughout this Spring and Summer. We had a deep and satisfying CD Release Party at “Jazz At Kitano”, a great listening room in NYC on February 26th and looking forward to more dates at Cornelia St Café on March 30th and a fabulous venue for music and art called The Falcon in the mid-hudson valley town of Marlboro on April 11th. A lot of NYC musicians are coming up there to play because of such a great vibe, plus they exhibit Paintings in the venue as well.
Other dates include April 14th Downtown at Arts for Art on the lower east side with my Zephyr Core Guitar Quintet and May 16th at The Vivaldi club.
Please check out my Paintings page and let me know if you are interested in finding out more about exhibits and/or sales of Originals or Giclee Fine Art Prints. I continue to paint new images all the time and planning for an exhibit this year of my series of paintings of Musicians and musical themes.
Please stay in touch! Love and music and peace.
November 2014
SPECIAL SALE for the end of the year and Holidays!
Purchase anything on my site and get a 2nd CD FREE from my catalogue! Just click on the cd of your choice and purchase it through JazzCorner/ JazzCares and then let me know which of my other cd’s you would like so I can send you both cd’s!!!! Make sure you include your email and street address!
I am thrilled to say that my new recording MY DANCE featuring the amazing pianist/arranger MICHAEL ABENE will be released officially on January 6, 2015!!! Look for appearances next Spring to present this Duo format of my original compositions, some with lyrics and others leaving the story line to the listener’s imagination.
It’s a duo project of deep collaborations and intimate moments interpreting my melodies and stories. We have worked in concert settings together for the past 3 years and finally went into the studio to capture our rapport on tape! After my last few projects of “famous music” and Standard songs (including the Trio recording INDIGO MOODS with Freddie Jacobs and Peter Tomlinson, of which I am very proud!!!) I feel motivated to document my own imagination at play and create some new ideas and sounds! There are some new songs and I’ve added lyrics to some older tunes which re-shaped them. Doing a few gigs was so much fun! Michael Abene is a true Original himself and his amazing re-harmonizations were wonderfully challenging… By the way, we recorded at The Upland Studio in Kingston, NY with John Menegon engineering and I can highly recommend them for any group up to a Quintet, I think!
In addition, I’m excited to be part of JOE LOVANO’s new VILLAGES RHYTHMS BAND that was recorded during our live engagement in June at the famed Blue Note Club in NYC: an explosively fabulous Lovano-led experience! A Blue Note Records recording is slated for release in late 2015 or early 2016. We will be travelling in Europe during late April and early May, and then in the USA during June.
I’ll also continue to show my PAINTINGS with new works emerging all the time. I continue to sstudy the mediums of Watercolor, Oils, Pastels and Encaustic Paints and have had several of my paintings hung in Galleries in New York and the Midwest this year. Please visit my Events Page to see if I’ll be coming to your area, and please come and say hello!!!!
So please visit the video’s combining my Music and Paintings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehNSgG9ei7A
It’s a pretty full life and one of my biggest joys is sharing life’s experiences with my amazing partner, Joe Lovano. We celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary this past year and I am grateful for all the blessings our partnership has allowed both of us.
May 2014
We are coming out of this Loooooong Winter and Spring is really taking it’s time this year! I’ve been so delighted by the flowering trees and bushes and now things are finally starting to POP into bloom all around… if it would just stop raining!
I have a new CD of my original songs played in duo with the Masterful pianist Michael Abene and very excited that the project is Mastered and ready to go! I’m working on a painting/ collage for the cover and not sure if I want to tackle getting the project on Kickstarter and pondering if I have the time and commitment to go that route. The CD is called OUR WORLD and I will keep you informed as things move along.
Also, I was pleasantly surprised to win FIRST PRIZE for one of my Pastel Paintings “Seventh Avenue South at Night” at the Mt. St. Mary College’s Artists on Campus annual show. It was a pleasure to exhibit about 20 of my watercolors, oils and pastels along with so many other artists and it was great that my husband Joe could hang out with me for the day enjoying the whole scene.
Speaking of Joe, I’m singing with Joe Lovano’s new VILLAGE RHYTHM BAND all next week at the Blue Note Club on West 3rd Street in NYC’s Greenwich Village… Tuesday May 26 – Sunday June 1; 2 shows a night, make reservations if you can make it down – Hope to see you there! I’m very excited about the amazing and groovulating music that Joe has written and excited to be part of his band which will feature: Liberty Ellman on guitar; Abdou M’Boop on percussion; Tim Hagans on trumpet; Otis Brown II on drums; Joe Lovano on reeds and myself finding a vocal groove to dance with!
Happy Spring everyone – peace and love to all – we are so blessed and practicing gratitude is the way to connect all our spirits as one.
April 2014
With Spring finally inching forward to relieve us from this long and very cold winter... I have renewed Energy in my Musical Life! I'm having FUN putting together some ideas that I've sketched out the past few years and reconvened my QUINTET to premiere a number of NEW SONGS AND LYRICS, so I hope you can join us on April 6th at the WHY NOT? CAFÉ in NYC. I'm working on some more dates because this is one HOT band! I just love playing with Kenny Wessel, Adam Kolker, Ratzo B. Harris and Lamy Istrefi and their deep musicianship is a blessing in presenting my new material. Somehow my ideas have grown and changed and these songs are a little different. I've also started working with the wonderful JAY CLAYTON in her newly formed DIFFERENT VOICES vocal ensemble, and enjoying the warmth of A Capella vocalizing!
I'm almost ready to release a new album called OUR WORLD with the amazing pianist MICHAEL ABENE. It's a duo project of some deep collaboration and intimate moments interpreting some of my melodies and stories. We have worked in concert settings together for the past 3 years and captured our rapport on tape! After my last few projects of "famous music" (including the Trio recording INDIGO MOODS with Freddie Jacobs and Peter Tomlinson, of which I am very proud!!!) I feel motivated to document my own imagination at play and create some new ideas and sounds!
Highlights of the coming 6 months are that I'll be a guest singing with JOE LOVANO's VILLAGE RHYTHM band the last week in May at the famed Blue Note Club in NYC, which will surely be and explosively fabulous experience! I'll be showing my PAINTINGS both in NY and Cleveland in June, with new works emerging all the time. I'll be part of some Jazz Workshops with Karl Berger in June and Kenny Werner in July, so stay in touch with my Events page.
December 2013
It’s been another amazing year of Music and Art and I want to thank all the folks who have come out to share my songs and my paintings both in the US and in Europe! Somehow I’ve found a way to celebrate life in spite of losing my mother and mother in law and several dear friends. I am grateful for all the friends in my life and send Blessings and Love to you!
With the HOLIDAYS coming up, please consider buying from LOCAL ARTISTS. Some suggestions:
Music recordings or downloads from the artists you respect, available at many online sites and on their websites, (including mine: www.judisilvano.com). Music is a healing force and can make us happy and inspired, very important as Winter approaches!
Gift an Original Watercolor or Pastel Paintings by wonderful artists you may know. To view some of Judi’s paintings go to www.judisilvano.com to her Paintings page (a new site with the full inventory of Paintings and Giclee Art Prints is in the works for 2014!) I also suggest Represented Artists at the Wallkill River School of Art where my work has been exhibited and will be available on their site in 2014.
Greeting Cards with Judi Silvano Art (blank inside) are available at: www.etsy.com/shop/JudiSilvanoArtnCards
Please contact Judi directly if interested in purchasing any Original or Giclee Art Prints! Email contact: judi@judisilvano.com
And here are some links of music and art to enjoy on the internet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vOAfohDCzE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehNSgG9ei7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9aYIAqxHdE
May 2013
I’ve been busy this Spring and happy too, with my FIRST EVER ART SHOW…. Although I’ve been painting and drawing all my life, I just began studying a few years ago and loving it. My media are Watercolor and Pastels. To see them, you can check the Paintings tab here on my website or Click the link below for a video my friend (the amazingly talented Sarah James) put together as my birthday gift about my music and paintings together… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehNSgG9ei7A
I also have a new CD coming out in the Fall featuring the amazing pianist and arranger Michael Abene and I playing all my Original songs in Duo. There are some new ones and I’ve added lyrics to some older tunes which re-shaped them. Recording and doing a few gigs was so much fun and Michael is a true Original himself and his amazing re-harmonizations were wonderfully challenging… By the way, we recorded at The Upland Studio in Kingston, NY with John Menegon engineering and I can highly recommend them for any group up to a Quintet, I think!
We are also celebrating the one year anniversary of my mother Miriam’s death anniversary on May 25th and feeling her presence with me in everything I do. In the year since she has passed from her suffering I realize even more how she has influenced my whole being and I am honoring her life in every moment. We had her for 89 years!!!
It’s a pretty full life and one of my biggest joys is sharing life’s experiences with my amazing partner, Joe Lovano. We will celebrate our 20th Anniversary living in our Villa Paradiso (as we affectionately call our home) and our 29th Wedding Anniversary in late September. I am grateful for all my blessings, that’s for sure!!!!
Here is a new video that came through from the Puebla, Mexico E-Jazz Festival that I did with the Amazing Janice Friedman and some wonderful Mexican jazz musicians: Alberto Jimenez, Emilio Colonel and Vladimir Colonel. There is concert footage and Interview excerpts that I hope you’ll enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9aYIAqxHdE
March 2013
Hello dear friends of Music! Spring is almost here, and yet we get so many snow storms in the NY area that it is best to look inward to find Warmth and Calm! Fortunately, I have so many creative interests that I am always busy and finding gratification. I have had a string of wonderful concerts both as a Leader and as a side-person and that really keeps me going! Please visit my Photos and Video's page to see updates!
I was just in Paris and got to meet some wonderful young musicians and teach some private lessons there, and to see some old friends as well. I must admit I also got away from the winter cold and had a few sunshine vacations, too. YES!
These past few years, it was a pleasure to sing the amazing old Standards from my INDIGO MOODS CD released last Spring and travelling all around the country, it was great fun to share the love of music with so many folks! ! If you haven't heard this CD, it's a lovely Trio with Voice, Trumpet and Piano of which I'm very proud! What an amazing repertoire we are so fortunate to have! I continue to add new "old" songs and find new inspiration!
Also, I have a new Recording in the works! This time it's a DUO of my Original songs with the great pianist/arranger Michael Abene. It's a joy to work with Michael's amazing imagination and I have been writing new material and also adding new lyrics to some of my older tunes. I am really enjoying shifting gears into my own material once again and playing with a more open concept of improvisation. I hope to have this CD complete by the end of the summer, for release.
Another big project that has occupied much of my time and energy is that I'm studying Painting for the first time in my life. I have been painting and drawing with watercolor and pastels since my childhood, and this is the first time I am actually studying the composition and perspective and color mixing that is so necessary to incorporate into one's skills. I have been blessed to live in a community of many accomplished artists and teachers and have been the recipient of their generosity. I will have my first-ever show of my works during the month of May, at the Wallkill River School of Art, in Montgomery, NY in the scenic Hudson Valley. The show's opening reception is Saturday May 4th, 2013 from 5 -7 pm and you are cordially invited to see not only my works as the "Emerging Artist" for the month, but also the works of 2 extraordinary and fabulous artists, Mary Sealfon and George Hayes. I have posted some of my early paintings on this website, so I hope you will come to the show to see my newer pieces sometime in May! Visit: www.WallkillRiverSchool.com for more information.
I have some gigs coming up with some amazing NY area musicians and some travelling planned to Denmark and Israel, so I hope you will stay in touch.
Love and Music - Judi
August 2012
Summer just flies when it’s so beautiful out… I just back from a great trip in California playing with some wonderful musicians there. The Northern crew were Harvey Wainapel in trio with Randy Vincent and I up in the wine country at Healdsburg and then as a Quintet down in Oakland with the killing Adam Shulman, Peter Barshay and Jason Lewis. Whew, we had a ball and Harvey’s Bass Clarinet especially knocked me out! Great bands! Then I headed south to LA where my Indigo Moods collaborator, trumpeter Fred Jacobs and I teamed up with the amazing Theo Saunders first with Darek Oles and Steve Hass in Seal Beach and then with Pat Senatore and Kendall Kay at Vibrato’s in Bel Air. A few days later vocalist and educator Cathy Segal Garcia and I hosted a special fund-raiser along with another 8 talented singers supported by Theo and Kendall with Ryan McGillicuddy to honor the great Nancy King! We really grooved on lots of different styles of music and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing and playing with my West Coast cousins!
Heading back east to the homestead, or Villa Paradiso as we call it, I was thrilled that I came home to a very nice Review in DownBeat Magazine of my “Indigo Moods” CD and I took a breather for a few days to enjoy my gardens. Now I’m on my way to Denmark to work with some talented young people in a workshop setting for a week, along with The Fringe, Rebecca Martin and Larry Grenadier, Joe Lovano, Enrico Pieranunzi and others. Nice work if you can get it! Wishing you all a wonderful rest of the month… Stay in touch! And Stay in the music!