An arresting sound â an espresso â rich blend of Dinah Washington sass, Lena Horne sophistication and Cleo Laine musicality - Hall knows how to work a standard like nobodyâs business. - Jazz Times June 2007

14 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Jazz Vocals, BLUES: Jazzy Blues



Details:
MERCEDES HALL

Booking: tchestaro@nyc.rr.com

BIOGRAPHY

âIn my lifetime experience playing with singers, many of whom constantly strive for individuality; Mercedes Hall
has few peers when it comes to that rare combination of spirit and energy- which does indeed help to define
her very own true identityâ. - Jerry Dodgion, Arranger, Composer, Musician
Throughout her productive and wide-ranging career, Mercedes Hall has consistently delighted audiences with
her voice, her fearlessness at taking risks, and her diverse repertoire. She infuses her music with the spirit of
jazz, improvising, scatting and making each song her own, being a true stylist.
"I feel that I have my own individual style because I listen to everyone in all genres," says Mercedes.
âIâve sung jazz, blues, R&B and Brazilian music. I take chances in my singing and use my voice as an
instrument. Singing is joyful to me and I don't restrict myself."
Mercedes spirit and joy is evident throughout her second release as a leader, so aptly titled, Pure Emotion.
She uses a core group that features pianist Glafkos Kontemeniotis, who takes the lead in showcasing the trio
as an integral part of the project. Among her guests are the jazz luminary Jerry Dodgion on flute and alto
saxophone, percussionist Bashiri Johnson and the extraordinary pianist-arranger Arturo O'Farrill. Mercedes
Hall is heard in memorable form on 14 well-chosen songs. The program includes "Ghost Of A Chance" which
alternates between three tempos, an unusual samba version of "What Is This Thing Called Love," a beautiful
arrangement of "The Masquerade Is Over," the relatively obscure "Satan Never Sleeps," an adventurous
interpretation of Thelonious Monk's "Well You Needn't" and a unique interpretation of "You've Changed."
Pure Emotion is the result of a close friendship with the late arranger/composer Chico O'Farrill and his
family. âI wrote the lyrics to Chico's music at their request. I went to Arturo to see if he'd like to redo it
and I was so thrilled when he agreed. He envisioned the tune as a bossa-nova, and arranged it and
played piano on the piece. Since this album is full of emotion and passion, we decided to name the CD
Pure Emotion with the blessing of Arturo and Chico's widow, Lupe OâFarrill."
One of 13 children, Mercedes Hall was born in Boston to a very musical family. "I came out of the womb
singing!" Studying piano as a child, it wasnât long before she realized that her voice was her true instrument,
along with her penchant for performing from an early age. After an early marriage which produced a son, the
actor Anthony Michael Hall, she ventured far beyond Boston to work professionally, taking her son along with
her. After performing across country including stints in Las Vegas and Arizona, she spent a year in Los
Angeles, making a name for herself, garnering rave reviews including from world renowned jazz critic Leonard
Feather who wrote in the LA Times: âMercedes Hall is an ANOMALY... her sound quality, phrasing and
feeling are more likely to conjure up memories of Dinah Washington or Aretha Franklin...There is
nothing simulated or contrived about the soulful conviction and intensity she brings to a set of
contemporary songs.â Playing top jazz/ R&B venues gaining recognition through press and live appearances
on national television including many guest spots on the Merv Griffin Show, Mercedes worked with great jazz
musicians including trumpeter Red Rodney, bassist John Heard and pianist John Hammond to name a few.
The Hollywood Reporter stated, "Mercedes Hall, a wicked generator of moods, has superb phrasing and
musicianship"
Eager for a change Mercedes headed to New York, diving right into the music scene and continuing to play
with great musicians most notably in her working trio was virtuoso bassist, Richard Davis. She quickly built a
name for herself, The New York Post exclaimed, âHall has a dazzling range, cultured voice and stellar
presenceâ. Mercedes was the name act when the world famous Copacabana reopened and she made it her
home base as well as performing at multiple NYC venues. Mercedes also appeared in shows at Lincoln
Center, Off-Broadway and did studio and television work. She sang the National Anthem several times at
Madison Square Garden for the NY Rangers Stanley Cup Playoff games.


JazzTimes
June 2007


By: Christopher Loudon

Any discussion of Boston bred songstress Mercedes Hall inevitably includes the fact that she is the mother of film and TV star Anthony Michael Hall. However, what isnât mentioned nearly as often is that she was earning her oats with TV gigs and cross country club dates long before her offspring became a marquee name. So donât dare think of her as some late blooming dilettante whoâs decided to ride her sonâs coat-tails to fame. Nor could you when you hear her arresting sound â an espresso â rich blend of Dinah Washington sass, Lena Horne sophistication and Cleo Laine musicality, a voice made all the more disconcerting when you realize itâs pouring forth from a diminutive redhead with sparkling blue eyes.

Shaping the majority of these 14 tracks in tandem with pianist and arranger Glafkos Kontemeniotis (a name Iâd never previously heard but, after this, want to hear a lot more from). Hall knows how to work a standard like nobodyâs business. Just listen to the sizzle of her âGhost of a Chance,â the percolated heat of her âLover Man,â the wicked wizardry of her âThat Old Black Magicâ and the jungle fever of her âWhat IS This Thing Called Love.â Then thank her for the brilliant idea of getting Arturo OâFarrill to ignite the flame, as arranger and pianist beneath the shimmering title track. Oh, and bless her for unearthing the Harold Adamson â Leo McCarey-Harry Warren rarity âSatan Never Sleepsâ and reminding us just how devilishly intoxicating it is.


ejazznews - May 2007

Mercedes Hall
Pure Emotion
By: Edward Blanco

New York-based vocalist Mercedes Hall releases her second album with Pure Emotion revealing an inner passion behind the music she presents. An accomplished singer with a unique style of her own, Hall evokes comparisons with the great Billie Holliday and Dinah Washington. She is the type of singer that lets it all hang out holding nothing back, in essence voicing songs with feelings and yes, âPure Emotions.â

This album was inspired in part a result of her personal friendship with the late Cuban-born Chico OâFarrill, a catalyst of the Afro-Cuban jazz movement in New Yorkâs jazz scene. In fact the title cut is an OâFarrill chart arranged by son Arturo who also plays piano on the track and on the album. Hall completes the tribute to OâFarrill by adding romantic lyrics to the bossa nova shaded melody expressed with grit and fire by the singer in what turns out to be, in this reviewerâs opinion, the best number on the album.

The repertoire contains 14 songs of some familiar tunes given new treatment by the vocalistâs uncommon but mesmerizing singing style and vocal range. The program begins with Victor Youngâs âGhost of A Chance,â that changes tempo several times and is warmly accompanied by pianist and producer Glafkos Kontemeniotis. Then thereâs Cole Porterâs classic âWhat Is This Thing Called Love,â arranged as a samba in such a unique fashion one can hardly believe itâs Porterâs standard.

Hall warms to the light ballad of âThe Masquerade Is Overâ delivering a sensuous performance. If you listen closely to her rendition of âLover Man,â you may hear a bit of the Billie Holliday style. Turning bluesy, Hall hits some high notes before singing the blues on âSomeone Else Is Steppinâ Inâ complete with a little scatting. Another outstanding track, is the spicy and very jazzy version of the Arlen/Mercer immortal tune
âThat Old Black Magic,â with some more scatting and a nice solo from Jerry Dodgion on the tenor. She finishes with a softer and misty interpretation of âYouâve Changed,â featuring a delicious piano solo.

Besides the three players previously mentioned, the personnel includes Frank Wagner(bass), Kazi McCoy(drums), Nate Birkey( trumpet, flugelhorn), Peter Brainin (tenor), Bashiri Johnson(percussions) and David Moreno (guitar).

Pure Emotion is unquestionably a thoroughly enjoyable album of beautiful light jazz. With graceful passion and an elegant style, Mercedes Hall provides the kind of performance you would expect from the title of this album. The lady possess a powerful and distinctive voice that makes her a one of a kind musical wonder.


JazzImprov
May 2007

By Bill Donaldson

Mercedes Hallâs second album, Pure Emotion, had its origins in her first one, Somewhere in the Night. Initially, Chico OâFarrill
had arranged his song, âPure Emotion,â for that CD, but the composition wasnât used because it was out of place in the albumâs
smooth jazz format. Now, with Arturo OâFarrillâs permissionâand indeed, with his participation by arranging the song and by play-
ing piano on the trackâthe singer has made âPure Emotionâ the centerpiece of her latest recording. Hall, who delves into every song
with energetic involvement, possesses a wide-ranging interest in musical styles, and she develops her own distinctive interpretations
for each of them. The bossa nova feel of âPure Emotion,â enhanced by Jerry Dodgionâs flute work thatâs interwoven with her sing-
ing, provides just one instance of Hallâs stylistic variations. Light and romantic, the careful treatment of the song belies the suggested
intensity of the title, particularly when Dodgion plays his delicately conceived flute solo.
At the opposite end of the spectrum of song stylings is Hallâs bawdy, forceful version of âSomeone Else Is Steppinâ In,â during
which she informs the object of her laying-it-on-the-line that she has regretlessly moved on. Hall has obvious enjoyment in deliver-
ing the song, enlivened from the start by the syncopation of her upper-register improvisation that contrasts with her mid-range deliv-
ery of the lyrics. Someone Else Is Steppinâ Inâ is made even more effective by the irresistible bandâs shuffle rhythmâfrom which
trumpeter Nate Birkey breaks loose with wah-wahing eloquence. Indeed, more than infusing a song with humor and interest, Hall
appears to be unable to restrain herself, as if she inhabits the song and feels its emotion as she sings it. âThat Old Black Magic,â
rather than being a languid heard-that-before rehash, charges propulsively to its conclusion, as Hall & Company stretch some of the
words/notes to unexpected lengths or collapse a phrase in rapid-fire articulation before her wildly entertaining scat singing.
Much of Hallâs imaginative treatment of the songs derives from pianist Glafkos Kontemeniotisâs arrangements, which are writ-
ten to highlight Hallâs vocal strengths and her musical interests. âWhat Is This Thing Called Loveâ offers a challenging introduction
that would daunt lesser singers as Hall asserts the wordless percussive accents that charge the piece with excitement. It turns out that
the âWhat Is This Thing Called Loveâ is percussive throughout as a long section of the track shifts to drummer Kazi McCoy and
percussionist Bashiri Johnson as they suggest a Brazilian carnival street march.
Still, Hall knows how to shape a ballad so that the emotional core comes across, as on âYouâve Changed,â a well-written song
that integrates the lyricsâ expression of anguished disappointment with the dynamic highs and lows of the melody. Hall takes full
advantage of the songâs possibilities, including the verseâs set-up of the lyrical situation, through the effective use of her broad range,
not to mention rising to a concluding swoop at the end of a phrase or breaking her voice at an appropriate thought.
Beyond Hallâs fortunate release of two albums after decades of an on-again, off-again musical career, she has been involved in
movies, theater, television and radio throughout her intriguing life. Most famously, she is the mother of actor Anthony Michael Hall
of the movie The Breakfast Club, in which she played the role of, appropriately enough, her sonâs mother. After putting her own ca-
reer on hold throughout some of the 1980âs to manage her sonâs, she has returned to claim the attention she deserves, now that Mr.
Hall is the successful actor and a producer of The Dead Zone. Not only is Mrs. Hall having the time of her life with her return to
high-profile engagements and renewed interest in her talent. But also listeners are benefiting from her total immersion into her mu-
sicâa quality that can be perceived even from her albums. Mercedes Hallâs memorable live performances no doubt capture the
hearts and minds of her listeners even more securely than do her recordings.


LA JAZZ SCENE
March 2007

By Scott Yanow

Mercedes Hall has years of experience singing jazz, pop music, blues r&b, on club dates and studio work. Pure Emotion should be her breakthrough album in the jazz world for it features her sounding effortless as she sings a wide variety of material, many of which utilize the colorful arrangements of her pianist Glafkos Kontemeniotis. She also arranged four songs herself. The program begins with Mercedes and her rhythm section alternating between three different tempos on "Ghost Of A Chance." Along the way one hears a soulful "Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You," a rendition of "Pure Emotion" that is arranged by Arturo O'Farrill (who sits in on piano), an unusual samba version of "What Is This Thing Called Love," a very pretty rendition of "This Masquerade Is Over," an adventurous interpretation of Thelonius Monk's "Well You Needn't," the obscure "Satan Never Sleeps," "You've Changed" and five other songs. In addition to the rhythm section, there are several featured guests including veteran Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, trumpeter Nate Birkey and tenor-saxophonist Peter Brainin. Although most of the songs are familiar, these treatments contain many surprises. No matter how challenging the arrangements are, Mercedes Hall sounds inventive, expressive and relaxed. Pure Emotion is highly recommended and available from mercedeshall.com.

JerseyJazz
April 2007

By Joe Lang

"Pure Emotion" (West End Jazz â 001) is the aptly titled new release from vocalist MERCEDES HALL.

Hall sounds like a singer who has done a lot of living, knows exactly where she wants to go with each number, and gets there with confidence and a great sense of style. Her primary musical companions here are pianist/arranger Galfkos Kontemeniotis, bassist Frank Wagner, and drummer Kazi McCoy, with occasional contributions by Jerry Dodgion and Arturo OâFarrell, among others. Hallâs voice is dark, yet flexible, and she exudes a jazz sensitivity with a touch of soul. Her program is exemplary with terrific songs like âGhost of a Chance,â âThe Masquerade Is Over,â âWell You Neednât,â âSatan Never Sleeps âThat Old Black Magicâ and Black Coffee.â Her take on âBlack Magicâ includes a scat interlude that fits perfectly. This is an interesting album by a unique singer.