Rosana Eckert is excited about visiting Lethbridge for the first time for the Lethbridge Jazz Festival.
She plays a show with HBO3 (Paul Holden, James Oldenburg and Brad Brouwer) and Vern Dorge, June 15 at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre.
“ I might also be making cameos on other stages,” said the Dallas based singer.
She is excited about singing with new people.
“It will be a little bit of traditional jazz and more contemporary jazz,” Eckert said, who teaches at her alma mater The University of West Texas.
“I also like to write so there is a lot of storytelling. I like to arrange music, so I like to take some of the ingredients and incorporate them into the music,” Eckert continued.
“I’m just excited to meet some of the local musicians and make music with them so I’m excited about that,” she said. She sent recordings to them to learn.
“We might also snag a rehearsal in there,” she added.
“ The style people will hear will be a range from swing to Brazilian, funk and a little bit of New Orleans jazz,” she described.
She has been singing professionally for approximately 17 years.
“ I went to college as a French Horn player and joined the jazz choir on a lark though I could sing but didn’t consider myself a singer. But it changed my path so i got a masters in jazz vocals at the University of west Texas where I currently teach,” she said.
“I love the depth of the music. I love that there are so many beautiful colours in jazz music. There is so much in it and I love the music. It is so free and I love the improvisation. 20,000 people can play the same song and it will never sound the same,” she enthused.
She cited Carmen McRae, Shirley Horne and Nancy Wilson as vocal influences and cats like Mile Davis, Stan Getz and J.J. Johnson as musical influences.
She is excited about visiting Lethbridge. She will be here from Thursday to Sunday.
“I’m looking forward to the festival, just hearing a lot of music and taking it all in. My stay will be a nice few days. I’m excited about performing with some of Lethbridge's musicians. I just want to take it all in and have a really good time,” she said.
“I do play a lot of a lot of jazz festivals,” she said adding she is just coming up here for this festival.
“ I just enjoy meeting musicians. Festivals are a good way to hear a lot of music in one short period of time,” she said.
Her show begins at 8 p.m. at the Sterndale Bennett Theatre with HBO3 and Vern Dorge. Tickets are $35.
