Two of the hallmarks of a great singerpreneur are versatility and gumption, and we especially love it when our Listers go out and build original projects that show off those very traits.
This week brings a new album from one of those remarkable members — the copper-topped Kate Bass, whose background includes top-level vocal training at Mannes, the Manhattan School, Vienna’s Schubert Institute, a fellowship at Westminster Choir College, and more. But Kate has not allowed her solid classical foundation to put her in a box. She has instead taken those skills and continued to write and perform her own music.
Kate moved from NYC to SoCal just about two years ago, and has been enjoying and making use of the wildly diverse landscape here by playing clubs, singing classical gigs, traveling when she can, and most recently, of course, effecting some creative promo to support the new album, which derives from her cross-country journey and a hefty dose of inspiration from the great Walt Whitman.
Here’s a bit about the project from last fall’s Kickstarter page:
After working as an opera, musical theater, and jazz singer for 13 years in New York City, singing in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, last year I packed my life into a little red Volkswagen and drove alone across the country to California. I went to pursue my greatest dream: to be a singer-songwriter. I brought my favorite book, “Leaves of Grass,” by Walt Whitman. His poem “Song of the Open Road” inspired this entire album.
I wrote snippets of each song while driving through different places over the course of this journey – from Harlem in New York to Carlsbad Caverns deep in New Mexico. As the year went on, through success, failures, new friends, new love and new heartbreaks, the snippets grew to songs.
Kate is one of our most chameleon-like members, and her original work, while informed by those marvelous classical chops, boasts a bluesy, folksy style that is intimate and up-close personal. This music is easy to love, infectious, and could be part of your recipe for a perfect lazy afternoon.
Launch party
Join the excitement and get your copy early at Wednesday night’s bash at The Hotel Café‘s Second Stage, and tickets are available online — ages 21 and up only.
Wednesday, May 10 — 7pm
Doors open at 6:30pm
Pre-Sale Tickets: $10.00
Service Charge: $2.50
Pre-Sales Close May 10, 2017 6:00 PM
Updated 5/10 — Get yours now!!
“Songs of the Open Road” is available for download NOW at http://www.katebassmusic.com! It will be available for digital download on iTunes in the coming days, as well.
More about Kate
Check out and grab a copy of her previous album, “more“
