Jazz Saxophonist Grace Kelly

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Grace Kelly was born Grace Chung on May 15, 1992 in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Grace is of Korean descent. In 1997 her mother remarried Robert Kelly. He legally adopted grace a couple of years later that is how she got the name Grace Kelly. Grace was fortunate to grow up in a family that appreciated music and the arts. Grace’s parents would play Stan Getz while having brunch. Grace fell in love with the saxophone and wanted to play, but was too young. At the age of six Grace started taking classical piano, but she preferred jazz because she could make up her own melodies. When Grace was seven she wrote a song titled “On My Way Home”. While in the 4^th grade Grace tried the clarinet, but switch to the saxophone in the 5^th grade. The saxophone was the instrument she always wanted to play. Grace left High School at 16, got her G.E.D and went to Berklee College of Music where she got her degree in Professional Music in December 2011. Grace was the youngest musician ever to be voted by Down Beat Magazine’s Critics Poll in 2009, 2010 and 2011 as Alto Saxophone Rising Stars. Grace Kelly’s talents don’t stop at jazz saxophonist. Her other talents are vocalist, songwriter, arranger, and bandleader. This young lady does it all. Grace Kelly is truly an jazz saxophone prodigy she has been around the world and played with the likes of some of the greats Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Esperanza Spalding, Dianne Reeves, Phil Collins, Harry Connick Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Geri Allen, Ann Hampton Callaway, Cedar Walton Hank Jones, Keith Lockhart, Frank Morgan, Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, Terri Lynne Carrington Chris Potter and the list goes on.  Her debut CD “Dreaming” was released in 2004. She was only 12 years old. Seven CD’s later Grace Kelly released the self-titled CD “Grace” in 2011.She is 19 years old and still blowing the saxophone like she has been doing it for 30 years or more. I like Grace Kelly she is a talented musician that we’re going to hear from for a long time to come. You can listen to Grace Kelly on Streetwise Radio Jazz Café 12-1pm or on live365, Athena365, MyGen365 and iTunes.

LM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Kelly_%28musician%29

Saxophonist Jafar Idris

Jafar Idris is from Gary Indiana the birthplace of the late great Michael Jackson. Jafar Idris and his twin brother are the youngest of nine siblings. When Jafar Idris was ten years old he picked up the Saxophone. I know I’m glad he did and a lot of people are too, this young brother can blow! Jafar Idris his not only a talent on the Saxophone he is also a smart educated brother. While he was in high school he earned all A’s and became the first African American Valedictorian at Merrilville Senior High School in 90 years. Jafar Idris takes the covers of a variety of music artists like Chris Brown, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keyes, India Arie, Pleasure P, Keyisha Cole, Luther Vandross, Miguel, Usher, and Michael Jackson. Jafar Idris plays the saxophone to his interpretation of the song and it is truly wonderful. Jafar Idris plays the sax on some of the covers, I feel better than the artists singing them. I have listened to a lot of great saxophone players and I must say Jafar Idris is up there with them, he may be young but I know we will be well know real soon. Jafar is an unsigned independent artist, who needs to be signed. I can listen to Jafar Idris all day, the saxophone is one of my favorite instruments it’s so sexy! If you have never heard of Jafar Idris you need to tune into Streetwise Radio Jazz Café 12-1pm, you’re in for a treat. You can also tune into Streetwise Radio on iTunes, live365, Athena365, MyGen365.

LM

http://www.myspace.com/jafaridris

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jafar+idris+saxophone&oq=jafar+idri&aq=1&aqi=g4&aql=&gs_sm=1&gs_upl=1014524l1021821l0l1026322l10l10l0l3l3l0l314l1192l0.5.1.1l7l0