Dana Land - Jazz Vocalist
A vocalist, arranger, lyricist, recording artist, producer, jazz camp director and educator, Dana has been stirring up the jazz scene with a refreshing style and playful presence all her own. She spent her childhood growing up on the beaches and in the ocean of Honolulu, Hawaii. In addition to being raised by an opera singing mother and many years of piano lessons, Dana's musical influences were varied from Hawaiian, classical, big band, pop and rock. After attending University of Hawaii Dana pursued a career in interior design and relocated to San Francisco where she worked as a project manager for hotel renovations for ten years. After getting married, having two daughters and being an 'at home' mom for 9 years she decided to 'take herself off the shelf' and pursue her passion in jazz. Dana studied music at Sonoma State University with the wonderful jazz educator, Suzanne Pittson, and started performing professionally a year later.
Dana currently resides in the beautiful Sonoma Valley wine country with her architect husband, Jeff, and two daughters, Jena and Carly. She performs throughout the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Hawaii and beyond, at festivals, wineries, jazz venues, weddings and private corporate events. Her repertoire ranges from vintage and contemporary standards, swing and showtunes to Brazilian and blues, from candlelight jazz to heated up rythyms that make you want to get up and move to the groove!
Dana has the pleasure of being supported by some of the finest musicians in the Bay Area as she interprets and puts her own sense of style into the compositions from many of the greats including Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Nat King Cole, Dave Frishberg, Chick Corea, Mose Allison, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and Harold Arlen, to name just a few.
In addition to her jazz career, Dana also produces 'Kids Perform for Kids' Sake', a variety show put on by the talented youth of Sonoma for the benefit of local children in need. Dana is also the director of Sonoma's Teen Jam Jazz Camp-'08,'09,'10. She is a board member of The Sonoma Valley Jazz Society, which supports and promotes jazz by producing free concerts for the public, and is also on the board of the Education sub-committee for Sonoma Jazz Plus. Currently, Dana's band, Sonoma Jazz Five, is taking their engaging jazz assemblies into Bay Area schools with the purpose of educating and inspiring the youth with one of America's most important art forms. Dana has also been involved for over three years booking top jazz talent for The Lodge at Sonoma, one of the Bay Area's premiere listening venues for live jazz. Her next album is under way...a collaboration with a number of terrific musicians including Larry Vuckovich, Akira Tana, John Wiitala, Chris Amberger, Jonathan Alford, John Hoy, The Honolulu Jazz Quartet and Jamie Davis.
(Partial Song List)
My Romance
Time After Time
Fever
Sway
What Game Shall We Play Today
Imagine
Lazy Afternoon
King of the Road
I Wanna Be Like You
Waters of March
The More I See You
Yardbird Suite
I’m in the Mood for Love
I Feel So Smoochie
Come Fly With Me
Smile
Just the Way You Look Tonight
Just Squeeze Me
My Little Boat
If I Only had a Brain
East of the Sun and West of the Moon
Cow Cow Boogie
Caravan
All of You
Who Will Buy?
Popsicle Toes
Night and Day
Summertime/Sunny
On a Slow Boat to China
No More Blues
Joy Spring
Can’t Buy Me Love
Old Devil Moon
A Night in Tunisia
Dindi
Emily
The Look of Love
Route 66
Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Exactly Like You
Undecided
I Can’t Give You Anything but Love
Almost Like Being in Love
Like a Lover
Peel Me a Grape
Moondance
Comes Love
‘S Wonderful
Nature Boy
I’m Beginning to See the Light
Fly Me to the Moon
Centerpiece
The Girl from Ipanema
Our Love Rolls On
Desafinado
Speak Low
Creepin’
That Old Black Magic
Fascinating Rhythm
A Night in Tunisia
My Foolish Heart
Autumn Leaves
Can't Buy Me Love
All the Cats Join in
Take 5
Frenesi
Make Someone Happy
Willow Weep for Me
Just One of Those Things
Wouldn't it Be Loverly?
Gypsy in My Soul
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
Princess Papule's Papayas
Four
Sugar
Swingin' on the Moon
Straight, No Chaser
Yardbird Suite
Blue Skies
Mack the Knife
Too Close for Comfort
Calling You
St. Thomas
One Note Samba
Someday My Prince Will Come
Close Your Eyes
They All Laughed
Cold Duck Time
Meditation
Windows
Moon River
I Love Being Here With You