Longtime Michel Legrand Vocalist Laury Shelley Performs Tribute To Mentor At Jazz Showcase

Praised by Billboard Magazine as having "exciting vocal ability" and "one of the most talented singers in town," by WGN Radio's Rick Kogan, celebrated recording artist/vocalist/songwriter Laury Shelley commemorates her years as the long-time vocalist and duet partner of Oscar and Grammy-winning composer Michel Legrand, with a tribute concert honoring her mentor. The Music Never Ends: Laury Shelley Sings Michel Legrand, will take place Wednesday, August 1, 8pm and 10pm,  at Chicago's legendary Jazz Showcase, Dearborn Station, 806 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago. Laury will be backed by some of Chicago's premier jazz musicians: Ben Lewis on piano, Eric Hochberg on bass and Bob Rummage on drums. This must-see event takes place for two performances on one special night only. There is a $15 cover charge for these performances. Further information is available by calling 312-360-0234 or via the internet at www.jazzshowcase.com

Laury is also celebrating her just released CD EP Time Is A Healer which features five songs composed by her. However, the cornerstone of the album is a homage to her mentor and past work with Michel Legrand: Laury's electrifying, funk-tinged, version of the Oscar-winning The Windmills of Your Mind. Upon release, it elicited excitement from radio programmers across the globe. Russ Davis of New York's MOJA Radio called it "fine work from one of the great singers around today" while Voice of America Radio said "Laury Shelley Sings the heck out of this!" In it's first week, the song made iTunes Top 100 Jazz releases.

Laury Shelley broke onto the international music scene at age 19, when she was discovered by Oscar and Grammy Award-winning composer Michel Legrand (Barbra Streisand's Yentl, Lady Sings the Blues, The Summer of '42 & Brian's Song) , while he was performing at the legendary Mr. Kelly's, who called her "a very talented singer." Touring with Legrand as his vocal soloist for over five years, Laury made her debut at the prestigious Carnegie Hall, The Sahara Hotel in Vegas, Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, Miami's Stars Under The Stars Concert Series at Marine Stadium, The Westbury Theatre in New York, The Forum in Montreal Canada, as well as concert halls in San Francisco, Dallas, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Los Angeles. It also gave Laury the honor of sharing stages with many musical icons including Tony Bennett, Buddy Rich, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth, while also performing and recording with jazz greats Phil Woods, Ron Carter, Grady Tate, Randy Brecker and Joe Beck. Laury's years with Michel are immortalized on two RCA recordings, featuring her duet with Legrand on his Oscar-nominated song Pieces Of Dreams: Michel Legrand & Friends and Michel Legrand The RCA Years, that also includes musical luminaries Lena Horne and Jack Jones.

Laury reunited with Michel Legrand at The Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis, with four special performances on his 2011/12 U.S. tour. Following her time with Legrand, Laury went on to perform at some of the nation's top clubs, concert halls and music festivals including LA's Cinegrill and The Gardenia, New York City's Metropolitan Room, Milwaukee's Summerfest and Chicago's Jazz Showcase and the Chicago Jazz Festival.

Her acclaimed debut CD EP Pieces of Dreams earned her world-wide radio play including being named "ARTIST OF THE MONTH" by Smooth Jazz 87.7 and featured performing live on WGN's The Midday Show. Her recordings, including her new album Time Is A Healer, that features The Windmills of Your Mind, are available on iTunes, amazon.com, CDBaby.com and other digital stores.

 

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