Members
- Rita Edmond - jazz vocalist
Additional Details
Member of the Recording Academy Grammy365
About RITA EDMOND
Biography, Rita Edmond - Jazz Vocalist
When she recorded her previous CD Sketches Of A Dream, it was as if Rita Edmond burst upon the jazz scene almost out of nowhere. Her talent was fully formed, she swung at every tempo, gave plenty of feeling to ballads, and came up with fresh and stimulating ideas on vintage material. Now with the release of A Glance At Destiny, she builds on her success, continues displaying her love of jazz, and gives her growing number of fans another reason to get excited. “Once I finally started singing jazz,” she says, “I knew that this is what I had to do, this is what I was put here for.”
Born in Ohio, Rita remembers that she grew up around music, with her close relatives particularly loving such singers as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson. When she was only five, Rita sang lead in the junior choir or her church. Her talent was obvious even then. At 15 she began taking lessons from the highly respected vocal teacher Evangeline Stewart. Rita, with her beautiful voice and a four-octave range, was a natural singer, one who could express the deepest emotions through music.
After high school, Rita sang in a variety of settings in such locations as Las Vegas, Nice, Cannes, Paris France, Monte Carlo and Italy. She opened for Cleo Lane and Prince as well. But her other talents dominated for a few years. Rita recorded R&B and Pop demos in Los Angeles for Motown, BET, MCA, EMI Publishing and Warner-Chappell. Behind the scene, Rita wrote and recorded and prodced music for various artists, shows and specials as well as ran her own music label. While she had commercial successes working on other artist's projects, it kept her away from singing the music she loved.
Rita Edmond, decided to return to singing full time in a big way. She quickly became a popular fixture in Southern California area jazz clubs, met lots of musicians, and recorded her solo debut, Sketches Of A Dream. She contributed the arrangements and memorable interpretations to such songs as “Dindi,” “Body And Soul,” surprising medium-tempo versions of “All The Way” and “My Romance,” a dazzling exploration of “Misty” and a heartfelt “Never Let Me Go.”
Rita's new CD, A Glance At Destiny, could have been subtitled “The Dream Continues.” Great care had to be taken to pick out musicians who were not only supportive accompanists but stimulating soloists. Rita utilized two overlapping rhythm sections featuring some powerhouse musicians on this project either; Nancy Wilson’s long time, music director, composer and arranger for Llew Matthews or Joel Scott on piano. James Leary (Count Bassie Orchestra) or Edwin Livingston (Natalie Cole) on bass. Albert "Tootie" Heath of the illustrious Heath Brothers on drums and either Greg Poree or Jacques LeSure on guitar and occasionally tenor-saxophonist Rickey Woodard and trumpeter Nolan Shaheed.
Each of the performances (classic standards plus two of the singer's originals) is worth a close listen for every selection is full of subtle surprises, there are no throwaways, and the renditions are fresh and memorable. “Sunny,” which is transformed into a swinging piece, is an excellent introduction to Rita's soulful vocalizing. She contributes beautiful ballad singing to a very expressive “You've Changed “ and “Gentle Rain.” “Might As Well Be Spring, is a joyful surprise, just listen to her powerful and passionate singing.
Rita Edmond's “In Case You Didn't Know” is a memorable love ballad that could very well become a standard for the 21st century. “It Could Happen To You” and
“'S Wonderful” have been around for many decades but Rita's swinging versions give these songs new life. “ Here’s To Life “ made famous by Shirley Horn, “Easy Living” (associated many years ago with Billie Holiday) has some especially tasteful vocalizing and Jobim's “Triste” is filled with joy. After a hard-swinging “Just Friends” and an emotional “You Don't Know What Love Is,” “This Can't Be Love” gives Rita's musicians an opportunity to stretch out. She concludes A Glance At Destiny by debuting her catchy bossa “You're My Wings.”
Jazz Magazine writes concerning two other songs on the CD “A Glance At Destiny “
“It Might As Well Be Spring” a tried and true standard. Not everyone can do this tune well, because it’s such a jazz staple it’s hard for a singer to put their personal stamp on it, whenever they try, they either over sing or under sing the tune. But Rita swings through effortlessly and makes it her own. King Pleasure himself would smile at her rendition.
Here's To Life is a beautiful ballad that's been done by some of the greatest singers who's ever lived, yet Ms Edmond's version is a good or better than any version of this tune that's ever been recorded. The soaring passion that she brings to this tune makes it almost impossible for anyone who's ever had to struggle through life's adversities and then manage to survive to continue to fight the good fight, to listen to with a dry eye. _
"The Multi Grammy Award winning composer of "Here's To Life" Artie Butler, wrote the following:
"Rita Edmond knows exactly what to do with a song like "Here's To Life." She brings the listener into the music as she sings, making you feel she's singing just for you. That's indeed a gift."
In recent years Rita Edmond, took to the International stage again where she has tour Russia, Israel and Bangkok, Thailand. Rita is looking forward to recording more CD’s and touring many more beautiful foreign countries. But, she is also looking forward to singing and touring at various Jazz Festivals and Jazz Clubs here in the USA.