Lila Ammons
Encyclopedia
Lila Ammons is a blues
and jazz
vocalist. Born in Chicago
, Illinois
, Ammons is the granddaughter of boogie-woogie
pianist
Albert Ammons
and the niece of tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons
.
Studying classical voice in New York (Manhattan School of Music
), Lila Ammons spent twelve years singing in opera, recitals and oratorios in the US and Europe, as well as doing commercial and film work. She has been moving steadily into jazz, as well as relocating to Minneapolis-St. Paul, where with a wide vocal and interpretive range, Lila Ammons has also appeared with her project Sisters in Song for the Twin Cities Jazz Society
, along with the Chicago Blues Festival
(2007).
After organizing big celebrations for her grandfather's centennial, she started performing with boogie and blues pianist
Axel Zwingenberger
. In 2008 they issued their first CD Lady Sings the Boogie Woogie on the independent label Vagabond Records. Joint concerts with The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie were followed by an appearance on Jools Holland
's radio show.
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
vocalist. Born in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Ammons is the granddaughter of boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Albert Ammons
Albert Ammons
Albert Ammons was an American pianist. Ammons was a player of boogie-woogie, a bluesy jazz style popular from the late 1930s into the mid 1940s.-Life and career:...
and the niece of tenor saxophonist Gene Ammons
Gene Ammons
Eugene "Jug" Ammons also known as "The Boss," was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, and the son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons.-Biography:...
.
Studying classical voice in New York (Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
), Lila Ammons spent twelve years singing in opera, recitals and oratorios in the US and Europe, as well as doing commercial and film work. She has been moving steadily into jazz, as well as relocating to Minneapolis-St. Paul, where with a wide vocal and interpretive range, Lila Ammons has also appeared with her project Sisters in Song for the Twin Cities Jazz Society
Twin Cities Jazz Society
The Twin Cities Jazz Society is a non-profit music organization dedicated to promoting jazz in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.The TCJS dates back to 1979. TCJS' programs include co-sponsorship of the Hopkins Center for the Arts and various jazz festivals and concerts. The TCJS also publishes a...
, along with the Chicago Blues Festival
Chicago Blues Festival
The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual event held in June that features three days of performances by top-tier blues musicians, both old favorites and the up-and-coming. It is hosted by the City of Chicago Mayor's Office of Special Events, and always occurs in early June...
(2007).
After organizing big celebrations for her grandfather's centennial, she started performing with boogie and blues pianist
Piano blues
Piano blues refers to a variety of blues styles, sharing only the characteristic that they use the piano as the primary musical instrument. Boogie woogie is the best known kind of piano blues, though barrelhouse, swing, R&B, rock and roll and jazz are strongly influenced by early pianists who...
Axel Zwingenberger
Axel Zwingenberger
Axel Zwingenberger is a blues and boogie-woogie pianist, and songwriter. He is considered one of the finest boogie-woogie music masters in the world.-Biography:...
. In 2008 they issued their first CD Lady Sings the Boogie Woogie on the independent label Vagabond Records. Joint concerts with The ABC&D of Boogie Woogie were followed by an appearance on Jools Holland
Jools Holland
Julian Miles "Jools" Holland OBE, DL is an English pianist, bandleader, singer, composer, and television presenter. He was a founder of the band Squeeze and his work has involved him with many artists including Sting, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, The Who, David Gilmour and Bono.Holland is a...
's radio show.
External links
- Jazz Police article on Albert Ammons Centennial Celebration
- BBC Radio 2 photo from the show together with Charlie WattsCharlie WattsCharles Robert "Charlie" Watts is an English drummer, best known as a member of The Rolling Stones. He is also the leader of a jazz band, a record producer, commercial artist, and horse breeder.-Early life:...
, Jools Holland, Axel Zwingenberger a.o.