Legendary Jazz greats saxophonist Houston Person, vocalist Lisa Yvonne Ferraro, and pianist Tammy Hall will pay homage to the legendary Jazz Vocalist Dakota Staton one- night-only at Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, California, on October 18, 2012, in “The Late, Late Show: An Homage to Dakota Staton.”
“The Late, Late Show: An Homage to Dakota Staton” will feature many of Staton’s hits and other great Jazz numbers from the pinnacle of the late 50’s era of great female Jazz vocalists interpreted by these three revered Jazz musicians. Not only will this be Houston Person’s last Bay Area appearance in 2012, this performance will feature other great, neglected and obscure Dakota Staton compositions that Houston Person recorded and produced during his 40+ year creative relationship with the late, great vocalist. Houston Person’s last Bay Area educational Jazz camp and live performance appearances at Stanford University were sell-out affairs.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native Dakota Staton rose to Jazz prominence in the late 1950’s after being discovered in the Harlem nightclub The Baby Grand by Capitol Records producer David Cavanaugh. Her fine swinging vocals on her debut LP, “The Late, Late Show,” and single by the same name, as well as the second single, “Broadway,” gained her the “Most Promising New Comer Award” by Down Beat Magazine. Throughout the late 1950’s Staton would release three more albums, “In The Night,” “Dynamic” and “More Than the Most,” featuring the singles, “Anything Goes,” and “Too Close for Comfort.” Her deeply felt, moving musical story-telling singing style lead her to be compared to the other mainstream great female Jazz vocalists of the era, including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and Dinah Washington. “A Packet of Love Letters,” in 1999 was Staton’s last recording with saxophonist/producer Houston Person. Staton passed away in April 2007.
“The Late, Late Show: An Homage to Dakota Staton” is the brainchild of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Jazz vocalist Lisa Ferraro…
Read more: All About Jazz
