Dayna Kurtz EPK
ÒWhen Kurtz sings, one
of two things typically happens. Either she lets out a deep, husky croon that
seems to bubble up from her toes, or she unleashes a full-throttle roar thatÕs
more inviting than imposingÉThereÕs no logical reason why Dayna Kurtz is not a full blown star.Ó James Reed, Boston
Globe
Kurtz has total
mastery of the dynamics of ballad singing. She brings the kind of substance to
her vocals characteristic of a great gospel singer. – John Swenson Offbeat
ÒDayna Kurtz is the kind of artist who
inspires wild-eyed zealotry among her fans, and there are three reasons for it:
One, she's an artist's artist, one whose whiskeyed,
determined alto often earns her comparisons with Nina Simone; two, while Europeans
adore her, she's obscenely underappreciated in her own country; and three, her
songs, which straddle a difficult space between jazz, rock, and folk, are pure
poetry. Her latest release owes its artist instant stardom. If that's
unattainable, it should at least earn her the one descriptor all serious
artists strive for: important.Ó - Tammy La Gorce ALL MUSIC GUIDE
ÒDayna KurtzÕs diverse vocals feel both
old and new, recalling Nina Simone of yesteryearÉhypnotically hauntingÓ – New York Post
ÒKurtz's voice is a potent thing.
She projected that voice like a stage actress; the occasional glint of grit
made it all the richer.Ó Keith Spera, Times-Picayune
(Jazzfest 2012 review)
Rise and Fall/Dayna
Kurtz nominated for 5 Best of the Beat/Offbeat awards in 2016 – including
Songwriter of the Year.
VIDEO: DaynaÕs
original tune, ItÕs How You Hold Me filmed
at Allways Lounge in New Orleans (nominated for ÒBest
VideoÓ and ÒSong of the YearÓ by Offbeat/Best of the Beat)
VIDEO: DaynaÕs take
on the great Johnny Adams song, ÒReconsider MeÓ from Secret Canon, Vol. 2
VIDEO: Television appearance
on Spanish RTE, lost Floyd Dixon tune ÒDo I Love YouÓ from Secret Canon, Vol. 1
VIDEO: DaynaÕs
original tune ÒNot the Only Fool in TownÓ from Secret Canon, Vol. 1, live in studio.
(Bio/Press Release next page)
SHORT FORM BIO:
Over the past decade, the New
Jersey born, now New Orleans (and seasonal Vermont) resident
vocalist/writer/musician/producer has been bestowed with many awards and praises,
including being named the Female Songwriter of the Year by the National Academy
of Songwriters. Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt
have raved about her in interviews, and she's performed on such high-profile
radio shows as World
Cafe, Mountain Stage and NPR's Morning Edition and Tell Me More. She's toured and opened
for the likes of Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson, Mavis Staples, Rufus
Wainwright, B.B. King, Dr. John, Richie Havens, Keren
Ann, Chris Whitley, and the Blind Boys of Alabama.
DaynaÕs new disc (Here, Vol. 1 due March 2017), is a
live record with career spanning tracks, culled from her 2016 Dutch theater tour
with guitarist Robert Mache. It manages to capture the heart-stopping
edge-of-your-seat mesmerized silence that Dayna Kurtz
seems to magic from her audiences.
ÒI began my career as background music in crowded beach bars,Ó explains
Kurtz, Òand I used to make a game of seeing what it would take to shut people
up. I got good at it. Although
thereÕs some tricks to it, it was really more a kind of witchcraft than
anything - I learned to draw whatever power and attention there was in the room
being sent my way and sent it back out again. Other people got caught in the loop and
started paying attention too. And as
long as the crowd wasnÕt shitfaced or distracted by a TV I could usually get
them. It was good training, even
now that my audiences are more inclined to listening already anyway. I write music that requires some
attention.Ó
On her work and friendship
with Robert Mache (Continental Drifters, Steve Wynn) Kurtz says, ÒIÕve loved RobertÕs playing for such a
long time, and weÕve been friends longer than weÕve been touring partners
– he was one of the first musicians to befriend me in New Orleans. That we had such undeniable chemistry
has been one of the greater recent gifts of my life, and I just wanted to
document it somehow, and quite a few people in my life including my label have
suggested a live record. IÕd been
hesitant, only because thereÕs only a few live records I listen to with the
devotion IÕd give a beloved studio record.
ItÕs notoriously really difficult to capture the feeling of being there
in the dark experiencing it. Then
the challenge of it intrigued me.Ó