Sophie Milman, Florence K to appear at Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival

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Sophie Milman, Florence K to appear at Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival
March 7th, 2011
The Daily Gleaner

Canadian jazz vocalist Sophie Milman and Florence K will headline the 2011 Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival this September.

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Ready for stardom: Canadian jazz vocalist Sophie Milman will be one of the headline acts for the 2011 Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival in September.
Milman, a Juno award-winning Canadian jazz singer, will take the stage for Harvest's opening night gala at The Playhouse.

Milman won Jazz Vocal Album of the Year with her 2008 effort Make Someone Happy. That album took first spot on the iTunes jazz charts and cracked the top 5 on Billboard's jazz chart, propelling her to international stardom.

Named a critics' choice by The New York Times, she's been praised for adding "a nostalgic gloss to everything she touches."

Her most recent album Take Love Easy mixes pop into her classic jazz sound as she sings songs by Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen and Joni Mitchell as well as classic melodies from Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Johnny Mandel.

"Sophie Milman is not only one of the country's greatest singers, but a bona fide international jazz star who is highly in demand," said Brent Staeben, music director for the jazz and blues festival. "We're lucky to have landed a performance from her to kick off the festival with the opening night gala."

Florence K is a celebrated Quebec jazz star. Fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, Florence K creates beautiful songs that mix blues, bossa nova and jazz.

Her debut album Live au Lion D'Or was a live recording of a November 2004 concert that was greeted both with critical acclaim and commercial success.

She performed for 6,000 people at the 2006 Montreal Jazz Festival and in 2007 she sold out her three-night return run at the Montreal festival.

In 2008, she released La Historia de Lola, which showcases her love of Brazilian and Cuban music.

"Her beautiful voice and effortless piano playing, paired with authentic Latin percussion, creates a performance that is as culturally diverse as it is captivating," Staeben said.

The singer has a massive following in Quebec.

"She is on the cusp of national and international stardom. We're pleased to be given the opportunity to introduce this phenomenal talent to a brand new audience," Staeben said.