Donna Byrne is a jazz singer at the top of her game. With sultry good looks and a quick wit, Donna is not only a masterful singer, but also a true entertainer. She has performed with such renowned artists as: Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Herb Pomeroy, Dave McKenna, Dick Johnson, Frank Wess, Stanley Turrentine, Scott Hamilton, Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Bill Cunliffe, Harry Allen, Gray Sargent, Carmen Cicero, Dave Frishberg, Eddie Higgins, James Williams and The Artie Shaw Orchestra. She has opened for such performers as Lou Rawls, Bob Newhart and was recently invited by the great Tony Bennett to open for him on his national tour (the “thrill of a lifetime” for Donna). Her unforgettable performances have entertained audiences from L.A. to London, wowing audiences at such venues as: Blue Note Jazz Club, Tavern on the Green, Blues Alley, Scullers, Regattabar, Jazz Bakery, The Rainbow Room, and London’s Pizza on the Park. She’s also toured Florida, performing with Herb Pomeroy, Dave McKenna and Ruby Braff. Her audiences have been filled with such luminaries as the legendary Margaret Whiting, who “thoroughly enjoyed Donna's performance,” and Tony Bennett, who dropped in for his birthday just to hear Donna sing his classic “It Was Me.” Mr. Bennett became an ardent fan, once flying home early from the Super Bowl just to catch Donna perform.

Donna has recorded several albums for both Challenge Records and Arbors Records and has worked on recording projects for: Greg Abate, Billy Novick, Kenny Hadley, Dick Johnson and most recently, for Carmen Cicero. She has also had the pleasure of recording for Brad Hatfield, where her voice can be heard on songs featured on: One Life to Live, Rescue Me, and the indie film, Puccini for Beginners.

It’s no wonder why the late great Jazz artist Herb Pomeroy described her as his favorite living singer. And Jack Wolf, one of the composers of the song “I’m a Fool to Want You,” said her version of his song was the best he’d heard in thirty years. She has also gained the respect and admiration of other legends of the business such as:

Ruby Braff: “Artistry that will always appear fresh … no phony affectations … Beautiful and completely believable. What more can you ask for?”

Barbara Lea: “Donna was simply enchanting … fiery and tender by turns. Latin, swing, ballads … this gal does it all and has few, if any, peers. She is unquestionably a very great singer … My hat is definitely off!”

Dave McKenna: “This thing that strikes me about Donna is that she’s got a nice sound. She’s got great intonation. She's just a damn good singer and a hell of a lady. She sings well all the time, but some nights she really sings the hell out of a ballad. She is one of my favorite singers.”

Donna has appeared on Sunday Open House, has won "Best of Boston Best Jazz Vocals,” and has been nominated multiple times for Boston Music Awards. She has garnered exceptional reviews from such publications as:

Jazz Times: “Donna Byrne (is) one of the best singers currently on the scene, one who approaches her lyrics with both intelligence and swinging time, and without distorting syllabic emphasis or resorting to stagy histrionics to get her meaning across.”

Cadence: “Peoples! Heads up! Pay attention! This is one fine Jazz Vocalist!!”

Jazz Journal International, London, wrote: “An American singer with class and commitment … a very good example of the genre.”

Jersey Jazz said: “Donna Byrne has everything a good singer needs … the voice, the control, the comprehension … She travels comfortably through a wide vocal range, with phrasing and inflection that extract all the meaning from the lyrics.”

Donna grew up with music in her blood. Encouraged by her father to sing and perform at the age of two, she first emerged as a professional singer on Cape Cod, where her talents caught the eye and encouragement of famed pianist, Dave McKenna. After a brief hiatus, Donna is back doing what she loves most: singing. Donna’s powerful voice, energetic personality, and life experiences give her music an almost spiritual feel, a soft and subtle charge which has brought admirations from jazz fans and the top artists in the industry.

In the 70’s and early 80’s when the American tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton was a young man, he met his share of skeptics. While his peers found their inspiration in the music of the modern masters, Hamilton was drawn towards the jazz giants of the past. But the fol- lowing years proved that Scott Hamilton was a musician of integrity with a personal approach to the virtues of classic jazz. His influences did not come from John Coltrane or Michael Brecker, but from Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.
Hamilton picked up the tenor sax at the age of 17 in his hometown of Providence, Rhode Island. Ellington, Basie and other greats would pass by on their tours, and these experiences became the foundation of Hamilton’s career. Gradually the young musician began visiting New York to play a small concert here and there or just to listen. After performing at a private gathering one time, Hamilton dropped by Jimmy Ryan’s club to hear trumpeter Roy Eldridge. That event tur- ned out to be pivotal for him, and one of the happiest days in his life. Eldridge - always ready to jam - invited the young and hopeful sax- player on stage. From that moment on, Hamilton’s reputation grew. The seasoned jazz people (on stage and in the audience) were thrilled, and soon he was recording and touring. His laid-back, but virile swing made him a favorite with audiences, who were overjoyed to finally have found a musician who acknowledged the influence of the great swing masters.
Listening to his early releases (app. one every year plus various gigs as a sideman – most for the Concord label), one would not call the Scott Hamilton of the late 70’s and early 80’s an original musician. But since then, he has matured. It used to be easy to trace Webster, Flip Philips, Illinois Jacquet, Eddie Lockjaw Davis and Paul Gonsalves in his music, but today Hamilton is himself whether playing ballads, blues or bebop. Unpretentious and straightforward, his ego does not stand in the way of his rare joy in playing and his musical maturity. The music is what counts.
Hamilton has been a regular on the European jazz scene since the mid- 90s. After a few years in London, he settled in Firenze, facilitating jumps to regular stomping grounds in France, Spain and Italy.
No one acquainted with the playing of Ulf Wakenius, Jan Lundgren, Jesper Bodilsen or Kristian Leth – each much more than a respected name - will be surprised that they are a perfect match for Hamilton. Wakenius was a member of bass legend Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen’s trio for years and a regular member of Oscar Peterson’s late trios and quartets. Jan Lundgren has carved a niche for himself with a string of lovely CDs and is much in demand as a pianist. Jesper Bodilsen is one of the busiest and steadiest of the many fine Danish bassists (check out his releases with pianist Stefano Bollani and drum- mer Morten Lund). Kristian Leth is the up-and-coming man in this heavy company, but he is the perfect backbone for the Scott Hamilton Scandinavian 5, contributing to the special swing that makes the band such a smooth entity.

Bucky Pizzarelli has given the world of music many things, including two sons – John (guitar) and Martin (bass) – who feature prominently in today’s world of jazz. Born in 1926, Bucky is still going strong at eighty-eight years of age and is noted for his amazing skills as a rhythm guitar player, something he seems to have passed along to his son, John. Bucky has a strong affinity for guitar compositions of the 1930s, when jazz and dance music were brilliantly combined by the likes of Carl Kress and George Van Eps.

Bucky Played a Unique Instrument

Bucky brought one other item of note to the world of modern guitar: the 7-string electric guitar, which he played almost exclusively. He first encountered the 7-string via George Van Eps, adopting not only that instrument but also George’s renowned chord progressions that were used as solos in place of single-note runs. The chord solo has since become a standard soloing style in guitar jazz and something John Pizarelli is known for.

A Little 7 String History

For those nouveau rock guitarists who think that maybe Steve Via is responsible for the 7-string electric guitar, now you know better. We have George Van Epps and Bucky Pizzarelli to thank. Incidentally, 7-string acoustic guitars have been in use for over 150 years, having come to prominence in early-19th-century Russia and Western Europe. Van Eps had a custom 7-string electric built for him by Epiphone in the 1930s, while Bucky’s preferred instruments are built by Robert Benedetto. Finally, yes…Steve Vai is responsible for the first mass-produced electric, solid-body, 7-string guitar, the Ibanez UV-7.