Toronto Cultural Network with World Music Report!

Journey to the world of Portuguese Fado as interpreted by Ramana Vieira, a northern California native of Portuguese descent. Vieira’s parents immigrated to the United States from Portugal, where her grandfather was a well-known musician and composer from Madeira Island.

Vieira’s work captures traditional Fado and influences from the Portuguese diaspora in a musical tapestry that ranges from the whispering, haunting ballads of Fado, to American classics and original creations. She also is a proficient pianist and a gifted songwriter having penned and composed her own original Fados, of which several have been nominated at the

International Portuguese Music Awards. Her music has been featured on TAP Air Portugal. She has opened for the legendary Grammy artist out of Portugal, MARIZA and her song, Unido Para Amar was performed at the Winter Olympics in 2006. She has just released her fifth album, Tudo de Mim released on May 1, 2023 on all digital outlets. As seen on Good Day Sacramento CBS TV on June 8th, 2023!

Tiffany Austin is a vocalist, composer, educator, event producer, philanthropist and Berkeley Law Juris Doctor. Her musical influences include Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Bessie Smith and John Coltrane.

She has performed with luminaries such as Pharoah Sanders, Roy Ayers, John Handy, Cyrus Chestnut, and Doug Carn. She’s performed on bandstands internationally including at both Birdland and Dizzy’s Den in NYC, Walt Disney Concert Hall in her native Los Angeles and the SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco. Beyond California, she has performed in Europe, Asia, and Australasia, as well as on nationally televised programming in the United States (NBA Finals Game 7, 2022). “Nothing But Soul”,

Austin’s debut album from 2015, garnered attention from NPR’s “Fresh Air” program and Downbeat magazine for its bold recasting of Hoagy Carmichael standards. Her 2018 sophomore album, “Unbroken”, was hailed by All About Jazz as a “fully formed masterpiece”, received a 4 star Downbeat review, and reached #16 on jazz radio charts.

Alina Solodovnikova- Adams has been making the world a more beautiful place note by note for years.

She is passionate about both teaching and performing. In 2023 Alina’s Music Studio will celebrated its 20th anniversary serving Solano County in Northern California.

There are thousands of students across the U.S. and worldwide, who have been influenced by her love of music and will sing her praises. Solodovnikova-Adams began her first violin lessons at the age of 6.

She learned from several European masters while completing music school, Lentovych Music College, and Vinnitsa State Pedagogical University. She also has earned her Masters degree in teaching music, performing arts and choral conducting. Adams has been teaching and performing in the United States for more than 20 years. The native of Ukraine made a musical impact in her new home almost immediately, joining the Solano Symphony in 2002. 

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Brette Alana Stout, is a former Will C Wood Sylvan Singer 2018 Will C. Wood High School graduate and American River College Jazz Studies Graduate with a lifelong affinity for jazz. She grew up around the music all of her life performing with the Alive Music Orchestra and with her entire Stout Family of musicians and friends .

Quote from Brette: “I was always growing up around his shows, and soon he started incorporating me into his shows, singing and playing trumpet,” she said. “My love for it grew more and more and more, especially once I started going to school for it.” The main thing Stout likes about jazz is its freeform style. “

It encourages a lot of freedom, from improvising to all of these, we like to call them ‘crunchy chords,’” she said. “It takes you away from the stereotypical pop sound that I feel is prevailing in today’s world. I just like the freedom of it, the versatility, how it really can’t be put into a box.” Brette Alana Stout is an international #1 Downbeat Jazz award-winning vocalist in 2021 & 2022 and a multi-instrumentalist

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Sabrina the Songstress (her stage name) is a vocalist who has performed at many Jazz and Blues Night clubs, special events/receptions, parties, local festivals and many other venues throughout California for approximately 15 years or more before taking a lengthy break to serve in the “Wellness” community of California.

During this break in her music career, she also decided to return to school and study music theory, basic musicianship and learn piano; also while taking piano lessons from world-renoun music Professor and Vocal Coach, Jacqueline Hairston of Charlotte, NC. “I felt that it was high time for me to actually learn music (reading, writing and playing an instrument); for the purpose of taking my show/performance to a higher level and being able to speak the language of musicians,” expressed Sabrina. “And, I especially wanted to accomplish this prior to ever returning to the stage as I could feel my burning desire to begin performing again,” she adds.

It’s About  Time, a “big band” based in Davis, was formed in September 1996. Amazingly, in our diverse and mobile society, five of the original members are still playing with the band today.

In addition to playing many of the stock, swing arrangements of the Big Band Era, the band’s repertoire has expanded to include more Latin tunes and contemporary pieces. The band features a vocalist and many of its musicians in improvisational solos.

The band plays regularly at the Farmers’ Market in Davis and has played at the Stroll through History and the Farmers’ Market in Woodland and the Carmichael Music Festival. It has also donated its time and talent by playing for many worthy causes including playing benefits for New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief, Davis Musical Theater Company, the Junior High Music Program in Davis, the Woodland Opera House and playing at local convalescent and nursing homes.

Additionally, the band is available to play at private parties and event. Stardust San Francisco In the Mood Night and Day Groovin Hard  

Ken Stout Band,  Brette Alano Stout, Jimmy Malone, Steve Krohn, Bob Nadler, Jeff Walls. and Art Stout Ken Stout is a veteran jazz/rock musician, director, educator, and studio musician performing Jazz, Blues, Rock, Classical, Latin, and all musical styles of music for over 43 years.

Ken founded Live Music Center in Vacaville in 1987, promoting, advocating, and saving music arts education in the local public schools in Northern California until 2005. Ken has toured, performed on stage and recorded with many legendary Jazz, Motown, and Rock Music artists and groups: The Live Lawrence Welk Show, The Cab Calloway Orchestra, Guy Lombardo Orchestra, Bobby Short Jazz Orchestra, The Four Tops, The Temptations, Mary Wilson and The Supremes, The Platters, The Contours, Jackie King(Willie Nelson guitarist), Pete Christilieb(Saxophonist, Natalie Cole), Mark Little(grammy nominee Pianist), Stan Marks(Trumpet, Stan Kentons Big Band), Mic Gillette(Tower of Power)and many others. 

Ken has opened up with his fellow band members for Jeffery Osbourne, Tom Scott, Fatburger, The Drifters, and The Marshall Tucker Band. Ken has recorded with many award-winning vocalists and bands throughout Northern California. Ken’s most memorable Rock and Roll Sax solo recordings were with Trent & Wayne Gardner’s progressive rock group “Megallen” in recording their 1995 international hit “Moon Revisited Album, of their remake tribute of Pink Floyd’s “Money”. Ken toured in Europe with the Ron Cunha All-Star Big Band, representing the United States in the summer of 2003.

 Ken has performed throughout California and Nevada at many Jazz Festivals, receiving many jazz solo awards, and performed at many State & county Fairs, Resorts, and special events. Ken is band director of the Alive Music Orchestra and Ken Stout Band and regularly performs with fellow jazz musicians Peter Petty, Steve Krohn, Jimmy Malone, Delbert Bump, Ron Davis, Rich Defazio, Steve Garland of the Viva Santana Band, Kenny Clark, and many other musicians in the Sacramento and Bay Area. Ken has studied jazz with Saxophonists Frank Bigoski, Greg Yasiniski, and Michael McMullen. Ken’s specialty is Traditional and Contemporary Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Blues, R&B, Rock, and Big Band. Ken’s influences are David Sanborn, Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley, Grover Washington Jr, and Michael Breaker.

Ken Stout is the President of the Vaca Jazz Society’s Vacaville Jazz Festival, founded in 1999 by his twin brother Keith Stout. Ken performs with his bands and often with his family members: Brette Alana, Terrie, Keith, Art, Julie, Keaton, and soon-to-be his grandson Ayden Stout.

Please visit < www.vacajazzsociety.org or www.livemusicdsj.com for more information about Ken or the Vaca Jazz Society, Vacaville Jazz Festival, and Nut Tree Plaza Concert Performance Series.