CONTEMPORARY SOUL – BLUES - DAVE KEYES AND STAN BRONSTEIN WITH SPECIAL GUEST VOCALS TICINO

Dave Keyes, keyboards and arranger Stan Bronstein, tenor sax Gary Frazier, bass Steve Rushton, drums Virginia Bevilacqua, vocals Vera Dale, vocals Irinia Simoneta, vocals

The young white artists who play the blues, by far the largest group of players both in America and in Europe, have created a high-energy music with strong links to rock, featuring the pyrotechnics of featured soloists. A world that, if not deliberately hostile to women artists did not particularly attract singers who found wider expressive possibilities in folk music. Over the last few years this has changed and now there is a whole generation of young women singers elbowing their under the spotlights with a soul based music very different from the Mississippi-Chicago matrix of their male colleagues. Blues to Bop is happy to bring to the attention of a wider public three young singers who are part of this evolution.

Irina Simoneta
Was born in Trieste in 1975 and began singing, piano lessons and playing the flute while still a child. As a teenager she made her first appearances in public with different formations playing different styles but at fifteen was already concentrating on Rhythm ‘n Blues. In 1992 she co-founded “Wanted Witches” which had considerable success, touring Switzerland and Italy. She has studied sport and gymnastics at the Zurich Polytechnic and modern singing techniques and styles in Milan. “I adore soul, Rhythm ‘n Blues and black styles in general, all of which has influenced me from the beginning but lately I have sung gospel-spirituals. A style that really draws you in emotionally,” Irina explains. The Blues to Bop public is sure to agree with her!

Vera Dale
The youngest of our three singers was born in Brissago in 1983. Drawn to music at an early age she appeared with a number of amateur groups for quite some time before coming to the attention of Max Dego in 2004. Max, a fixture on the local scene for years, realised how the Vera’s vocal talents could find full expression in a blues-soul style and she became his lead singer. Her appearances at Blues to Bop will bring her to the attention of a wider audience who will be surprised yet again at the talent to be found close to home.

Virginia Bevilacqua
Was born in Busto Arsizio in 1977 and began forma singing studies in 2003. She studied various styles, from pop music to jazz, before finding that the blues offered the ideal style through which she could channel her emotions and natural dynamics. Her stage presence and natural charm will complete the range of our vocal trio: VocalsTicino.