Los Angeles, CA (Top40 Charts/ Max Net Entertainment) Numerous artists have paged through the Great American and Jazz Standards Songbooks. And then there's Sylvia Brooks, whose sultry charm, combined with a commanding stage presence and sonic clarity have set her head-and-shoulders above the rest.
"Every so often, a unique talent comes along…with a sound unlike anyone else's."
Christopher Loudon of Jazz Times writes, "An auburn-haired version of classic Hollywood sultriness, Brooks sings precisely the way she looks, a dark, smoky sound with impressive firepower," which makes her move in ever-expanding artistic directions both visually and audibly gripping. She has taken the role of jazz singer in an entirely new direction. Her debut album, Dangerous Liaisons, has received international critical acclaim. "The fact that she was an accomplished actress before she set her focus on singing is evident in her tackling of four of the most challenging numbers in the entire American songbook, writes Loudon—Sophisticated Lady, Lush Life, One for My Baby and The Man That Got Away. They are the Mount Rushmore of 3 a.m. tunes, and many a capable vocalist has failed at scaling even one of them. That Brooks ably captures the near-maddening disillusionment and bourbon-fueled bitterness that pervades all four is testament to her estimable storytelling skills."
Her second album, Restless, is receiving worldwide airplay and is on over 15 top ten playlists in America. As Midwest Record Review states, "This is one mind blowing, killer adult jazz vocal date that would make other jazz vocalists call it a day if they could come half as close." Restless melds the moody world of deadly dames, flawed heroes and dreamers of broken dreams with staccato rhythms, percussive strings and seductive horns, creating an entirely new genre Ms. Brooks calls Jazz Noir. And she accomplishes all this without ceding the stage to the music, but rather, remaining steadfastly in front of it—all the better to act as a bridge between the musicians and her audience, and in the process, slyly exploit the frisson between the traditional and the contemporary to stunning—and unexpected—effect.
And now Ms. Brooks is returning to the stage…at two of Los Angeles most important new venues: H.O.M.E., the first black owned supper club in Beverly Hills, with its 4 star cuisine by Master Chef Shawn Davis, the former Executive Chef of Geoffrey's in Malibu. The recent attendance of Hallie Berry and
Stevie Wonder promises to make it a permanent celebrity haunt. And RG Club Venice, a new hipster jazz spot on the West side dedicated to the legendary artists of the 1960's bohemian movement in Greenwich Village, New York. The legendary artists Weather Report have been rumored to play there. Do not miss Ms. Brooks in May. This is your invitation to discover her for yourself—and her imaginative take on the surprising twists and turns buried deep in the Great American and Jazz Standard Songbooks. You'll be glad that you did....
May 4, 2013 - H.O.M.E. 430 North Camden Drive, Beverly Hills 90210 (310) 271-4663 -2 shows 7:30 & 9:30
May 18, 2013 - RG Club Venice 2536 Lincoln Boulevard, Venice 90291 (310) 822-1715 - 2 shows 8:00 & 11:00
https://www.sylviabrooks.net