Monika Ryan
Appearing @ The Metropolitan Room
Saturday, June 25, 9:30-10:30 pm
Tuesday, July 19th 7:00 pm
Monika Ryan: Vocals
David O'Rourke: Guitar
Appearing @ The Metropolitan Room
Saturday, June 25, 9:30-10:30 pm
Tuesday, July 19th 7:00 pm
Monika Ryan: Vocals
David O'Rourke: Guitar
Steve Einerson: Piano
Rene Hart: Bass
Joe Strasser: Drums
Tickets & Info
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Jazz
vocalist Monika Ryan, started singing professionally at the age of 15
and had management by 16, working around New York City and under
mentorship of musicians like Houston Person. With his recommendation,
she applied and entered the world renowned New School for Jazz and
Contemporary Music in Manhattan, where she further honed her craft
studying with Jackie Paris, Sheila Jordan, Buster Williams, Reggie
Workman, Chico Hamilton, Charli Persip, Junior Mance, Arnie Lawrence,
and many other jazz luminaries.
At
18 years old Monika started singing with Charli Persip’s big band,
“Precipitation,” and working at nightclubs and concert halls around New
York. Through these concerts, she met and started working at premier
clubs and venues in New York City with other greats, such as Al Grey,
Gene Bertoncini, and Larry Ham. At 23 Monika was hired by Carnegie Hall
to perform for 2 seasons of its “Neighborhood Concert Series.” During
that time she recorded in Carnegie Hall’s studio with legendary guitar
player Gene Bertoncini and Carnegie Hall studio engineer, Leszek
Wojcik.
In
2000, she produced her first solo recording of all original material,
“Love”. The album met with critical acclaim and brought her to the
Montreal Jazz Festival. A year later, she followed up with her second
album, “Duo,” a collection of standards and original material with
guitarist Satoshi Inoue, and then toured Japan with Jon Faddis, David
Hazeltine, Satoshi Inoue, Akira Tana and Kiyoshi Kitagawa as part of The
Big Apple In Nonoichi Jazz Festival. A year she later, returned to
Japan to tour with James Williams, John Lockwood, Bill Pierce, Satoshi
Inoue, and Tony Reedus. In 2014, Monika released her third recording,
“Involution." An eclectic and original collection of songs across a
variety of genres, "Involution" is a meditation on the cycle of
expansion and contraction in all things.
Earlier
in 2016, Monika completed a largely improvised jazz album with pianist
Chris White, titled "Sketches." Her latest recording, "Fly,” was just
released this month—a modern pop/jazz concept piece that aims to take
listeners on an intelligent journey, while remaining fun and accessible
listening.
Monika
will spend the balance of 2016 both recording and touring, with three
more recordings scheduled, and shows in Hong Kong, Chicago, New York,
Belfast, and Dublin. Stay tuned!
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