Dana Land - Jazz Vocalist: News

Fun is in store for this 2-week jazz camp, June 16th -27th, 10-1 p., for music students between the ages of 13-18, located at the Sonoma Community Center. The fee is $350. and scholarships are available. We have 4 master teachers on board, with Dana as director, prepared to teach piano, voice, drums, percussion, flute, clarinet, saxes, bass, guitar and vibraphones! Camp ends with a concert in Andrews Hall and several more opportunities for students to perform in public during the Summer. Call the Community Center @ 707-938-4626 for more info.

As 2007 comes to a close I would like to give thanks for the richness that a number of us have experienced at The Lodge at Sonoma. As I said the other night, if I could bottle it and share it with the world it would make this planet we live on a better place. The talented and sweet musicians that pour everything into their performance, the intimacy and warmth in which we get to experience their every note and nuance has brought all of us much gratitude and appreciation for the musicians and the music. Janice and I have so enjoyed being able to work with Dave Dolquist and we look forward to the continuation in 2008 of one of the Bay Area's finest listening venues for jazz.

Stay tuned for more information regarding this exciting new endeavor including an emphasis on popular jazz music, comedy, positive news, celebrity interviews and human interest stories with yours truly as your host.

My talented friend, writer, actor, historian, chef and doctor of wine, George Webber, invited me on to his weekly 'Sittin' by the Fireside' show and allowed me to perform a few of the characters in his ongoing saga about the gold mining days back in the mid 1800's. I performed the parts of Sasparilla Sue-gruff bar owner- and Queen Victoria, visitor to Rich Bar. Some fun hanging out with those talented voice-over actors, George, Joe Herschaft and Will Penna.

Well, my wonderful fan and terrific new friend, Barrie Hayman, extended an invitation for an all-expense paid trip and performance fee for the 2009 Thredbo Jazz Festival Downunder. I've always wanted to put a shrimp on that barbie!

Immediately following a late night Sunday interview that I had with radio host/funny man Mal Sharpe on KCSM a phone call from Australia came in to the studio for me. It was a nice man who introduced himself as Barrie Hayman and proceeded to tell me that he had just listened to my interview and the songs they had played off of my CD. He said that the song, "If I Only Had a Brain", made him cry. It makes my husband cry, too. I love to make people cry. Anyway, Barrie ordered my CD from Amazon.com and looked forward to being able to play it on his radio station Downunder. We became fast friends, emailing eachother, talking about jazz and other life experiences and now I have the pleasure of meeting him face to face when he arrives in Sonoma on Sept. 8th. We'll take in a little wine tour, some lunch and what we intend will be a fun evening of jazz at The Lodge. I've got a trio behind me-some of the best- joining me, and maybe Barrie will sing a tune? There are very few barriers when you have the internet bringing us all a little bit closer.

I'd like to carve out some space here to thank all of you whom have come out to share the music with us at The Lodge at Sonoma. It means a lot to us all to have you there listening and enjoying. I'd also like to express my gratitude to Dave Dolquist, the GM of The Lodge, for hosting the music and helping us to keep jazz alive. Because of Dave's commitment and support the lounge has become one of the hottest, hippest, listening venues in the Bay Area. We're attracting the best musicians not only in the Bay Area but from as far as New York and Hawaii. Thank you, Dave--here's to the music!

Two very talented girlfriends of mine, Jaime Love and Julia Holsworth, wrote a musical based on a spoof of a 1977 beauty pageant entitled "The Ms. All American Housewife Pageant". It was very cute and funny and ran for 3 nights last week at the beautiful Nicholson Ranch Winery in Sonoma. Jaime asked me if I would do a walk-on part and be one of the entertainers that come out mid-show and do a tune. I said, "Sure- anything to hang out with you fun girls for a week!" Jaime said, "Oh great! Will you be Charo?" "Charo?" Well, what can I say? I never thought I'd have to channel Charo. Cuchi-cuchi! And for those of you who might be curious there is a picture of Charo in "photos".
Thanks, Jaime, for giving me the opportunity to create one more bizarre and over-the-top character for my one woman show. By the way, you gals did a terrific job! Love you all!

It was a wonderful concert that jazz pianist Larry Vuckovich and wife Sanna Craig put on yesterday for our friend, Sandra Necak. Many of the Bay Area's finest jazz musicians offered up their talent for the occasion including Larry, Noel Jewkes, Jamie Davis, Jackie Ryan, Harold Jones, Vince Delgado, Danny Spencer, Shota Osabe, Buca Necak, John Wiitala, Mike Hallesy, Valerie Queveda, Jim Rothermel, Kim Nalley and others. I had a terrific back up band that included some of the above. Thank you to Larry and Sanna for their warm spirit and generousity. All our love and healing powers to Sandra.

Jeff and I returned from a wonderful week in Honolulu where we participated in a vital benefit to help with the terrible drug problem, namely crystal methamphetamine, aka "Ice", that is affecting the State of Hawaii. John Travolta and his wife, Kelly Preston, the spearhead of the organization, were the VERY gracious hosts of the evening at the new Honolulu Design Center which included some pretty wonderful artists coming out to offer their talent for the cause. While we were there in Honolulu, my home town, we had the pleasure of meeting and sitting in with some of Honolulu's finest jazz musicians in a few of their beautiful venues. Thank you Ernie Provencher, Jeff Petersen, David Yamasaki, Justin James, Chuck James, Cheryl Bartlett, and S.F.'s Calvin Keaoola...you were all terrific and great fun! I look forward to doing it again. And I'm also looking forward to performing at corporate events there for a wonderful new friend, David.

"Rosie" made a guest appearance at the annual "Bowl for Kids' Sake" and did her best to help her team-The Power Potatoes- with her highest score ever-113!!
"How did she do it" you might ask... with the big hair, hula skirt, crazy sunglasses AND the anatomically correct coconut bra?! Don't ask. For Bob she'd do anything!! (almost) See picture in "photos"...

The Sonoma Valley Jazz Society is putting on a benefit concert for a young man, Kelly Corliss, who suffered a brain stem stroke and needs financial help to recover.
International latin, grammy nominated jazz pianist, Omar Sosa and his Quartet will be performing at The Sonoma Valley Womens Club on Sat. March 10th at 6:30. Tickets are $50. and $100. Purchase at Sonoma Music or Readers Books.

BIG FUN Jazz Concert! - The Dana Land Quintet with Special Guest Vocalist, Mr. Jamie Davis. Sunday, November 19th, 2006, at 1:00 p.m. at the historic Sebastiani Theatre on the Sonoma Plaza. Call 707-996-9756 to charge tickets-$20. (reserved seating) Some of the finest musicians on the West Coast will be joining us and include pianist, John Mackay; bassist, Tom Shader; drummer, David Rokeach and sax man, Charles McNeal.

Janice King, Pres. of Sonoma Valley Jazz Society, and I are now working in conjuction with The Lodge at Sonoma and the GM, David Dolquist, to bring some of the finest Bay Area and beyond jazz musicians to play at this wonderfully cozy and intimate lounge. A baby grand, classy bar and cozy fireplace complete the ambience. Call (707) 373-0700 for more info.

This is a wonderful foundation created by my friend, Donna Barton, to support and encourage the creativity of local children by donating proceeds from concerts to pay for their art and music lessons, etc.. Legendary pianist, Larry Vuckovich, his quintet and I performed in the kick-off concert to a sellout crowd in February.

We 're gearing up to present our 2nd annual "Kids Perform for Kids Sake" show in April at The Sebastiani Theatre here in Sonoma. We had a successful first run last year and we were able to donate the proceeds to The Willmar Center for Bereaved Children and The Sonoma Childrens' Cancer Foundation. This year we are moving it to nicer digs and NelsonJobs.com will be sponsoring it. This is an opportunity for the talented youth of Sonoma to help out their community by doing what they do best-perform! The proceeds this year will be benefitting The Sonoma Valley Education Foundation and The Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, two very worthwhile foundations that directly and indirectly benefit the kids of Sonoma.
I've got my two assistants on board who will be trained in the ins and outs of putting on a production of this type. They are 17 yr. old, Frances Hall and 15 yr. old, Mikeala Kalafate, two wonderfully spirited gals. Auditions will be held in the middle of January for any Sonoma youth who's got something to show off! Look for press releases in the local paper and listen to your local KSVY radio station for info. Here's to the kids! You gotta love 'em!

I was flown down to "The Land of Angels" to perform at a Katrina benefit at the request of executive chef, Mark Kearney, who put on the affair. It was hosted by Nicolette Sheridan of "Desparate Housewives" fame. The 'beautiful people' came out to support the cause and it was great. I always have the pleasure of being able to help out at benefits like this one. I also had the pleasure of meeting a fellow vocalist, Kevin Sasaki, and singing a few tunes with him.

'Servin' It Up' is currently receiving airplay and is now selling throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. This world wide web stuff is just great for a gal's career! Thank you to everybody who has purchased a CD. Any fan of mine is a true friend! And, if you don't mind, I gotta play the game so any reviews you feel inspired to write, either on my website or on my CDBaby.com page-'Dana Land'- would be hugely appreciated.
Musically Yours!
Dana

Yes! That would be a show all about, well...me...AND my "imaginary friends". Jeff and Randy Sue, my co-writers among other things and I are currently developing this and are intending to open it around March, 2006, here in Sonoma, bound for...who knows?. It will wrap its filthy little hands around my jazz music, a few comedic characters currently hiding out in the closet and, get this, dancing. You'll just have to see it to believe it.

My debut CD, "Servin' It Up", is now available for sale through CDBaby.com
Feel free to read some of the first reviews on "Press/Reviews".

Some very good friends of ours, Jim and Cheryl D'Arezzo, flew Jeff and me down to their beautiful home in Glendale, CA recently so that I could perform for a very important fundraiser that they hosted. It was great fun! Thanks Jim and Cheryl!