***Friday, April 29th

Hear Rick Jensen’s song “Go Ahead And Dream” in the new film “That’s What I am” in theaters this Friday!

Director/Screenwriter, Mike Pavone’s new movie “That’s What I am” starring Ed Harris, is opening at New York’s City’s The Quad Cinema this Friday, April 29th. (1pm, 3pm, 5:15pm, 7:20pm, 9:25pm)

To buy tickets in advance:

http://www.movietickets.com/house_detail.asp?house_id=216&rdate=4%2F29%2F2011&sortid=1

www.quadcinema.com

This is a limited engagement as the DVD will be released this May.

***Tuesday, May 10th at 7:30pm

The 25th Annual MAC Awards with Special Performance by Rick Jensen

B.B. King Blues Club and Grill, NYC in the heart of Times Square

Doors open at 6pm

www.macnyc.com

***May, Friday the 13th at 7:30pm

Special Guest Star appearance by Rick Jensen

with Lina Koutrakos and the low country band

Joe’s Pub, NYC

www.joespub.com

***Saturday, June 4th

“Torch” with Lina Koutrakos

Paris, France

www.koutrakos.com

***June 15th-19th

First Annual Mid-West Cabaret Conference in Chicago

With Master Teacher, multi award winning Rick Jensen

Along with NYC’s MAC and Bistro award winning director Lina Koutrakos, Tony Nominee Sally Mayes, and Chicago’s own pianist/arranger Beckie Menzie

Special Performance with Rick Jensen June 16th at Davenports

www.mwcconference.com

www.davenportspianobar.com

***August 11th-14th

St. Louis Cabaret Conference

www.stlouiscabaretconference.com

Midwest’s longest running training program for cabaret singers 6th year with an

ALL STAR FACULTY:  Producer Tim SchallRick Jensen, Andrea Marcovicci, Shelly Markham and Jason Graae

Learn more about the faculty here:

www.stlouiscabaretconference.com/faculty.html

Click here to join the students and faculties culminating event:

www.stlouiscabaretconference.com/performanceseries.html

More information about the film and the festival can be found here:

latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2011/01/santa-barbara-film-festival-announces-2011-program.html

thedailysound.com/010711-SANTA-BARBARA-FILM-FESTIVAL-LINEUP

independent.com/news/2011/jan/10/film-festival-announces-full-slate

Rick Jensen & Nancy LaMott @ Don't Tell Mama 1984

My musical partnership with the late cabaret star, Miss Nancy LaMott is a personal memory I will cherish forever. But thanks To Nancy’s producer, David Friedman, the DVD set featuring 4 Don’t Tell Mama shows on his “Midder” label is about to be released. I created, musically directed and performed two of those shows with Nancy.

The Don’t Tell Mama Shows – Nancy LaMott 2 DVD Set.
Four Complete Live Club Acts from 1986-1988
Available December 2010!

More info about the upcoming performances can be found here and here.

Reviewed by Leo Cotnoir

Last night (Oct.23),  the Schorr Family Firehouse Stage in Johnson City launched its Two by Two Series by magically transporting itself to Manhattan — except for the prices! NYC-based artists Rick Jensen and Susan Winter treated the near-capacity audience to some of the best of Big Apple cabaret.

While “cabaret” can refer to any small-group club performance, its classic incarnation – for me, anyway — is in solo performances from The Great American Songbook as the repertoire of 20^th century Broadway and Hollywood musicals has come to be known.

Jensen added a new twist to that by performing original songs incorporating what might be called Great American Song and Piano Styles. His first couple of numbers showcased not only his clear, lyrical voice and masterful piano playing but his mastery of the styles of Billy Joel and James Taylor. His The Long Cold Fall captured the essence of Taylor without the maudlin undertones. I must confess that I am not a huge fan of 1980s music so I was glad when Jensen finally brought his own voice to bear in his award-winning, slightly racy My Baby and Me. (As far as I am concerned, Jensen is better than either Joel or Taylor and should let them lie in peace.) Being from Minnesota and perhaps knowing a bit about Binghamton, Jensen could not resist a sing-all, beer hall polka, Hi, Ho! That’s the German Way. (The audience loved it!) And then it was back, stylistically, to the 1980s with the haunting Harbor followed by a beautiful duet with Winter, After All Those Love Songs. It was a fitting tribute to the late Nancy LaMott, one of the greats of the NY cabaret, with whom Jensen first recorded the song. The first set wrapped up with two more Jensen originals, the inspiring Go Ahead and Dream and (for me) the less successful Higher Than Heaven. Jensen’s singing and piano virtuosity are impressive; I only wish he had done more of the standards and fewer of his own songs, which I found a bit repetitious. But then that may well reflect my personal musical taste rather than his.

After intermission Winter took the stage and all I can say is Wow! Not only is Winter a consummate chanteuse, but Jensen is an exceptional arranger and accompanist. Together they tiptoed and whirled through The Great American Songbook with lesser known classics such as Anyplace I Hang My Hat is Home and It Amazes Me, with Winter ranging from kittenish and teasing to full voice belting but never missing a cue. Her playfully naughty reading of An Older Man is Like an Elegant Wine rivaled Nancy Wilson’s, and that is saying a lot! Then Winter turned more serious as she wove the touching story of discovering her parents’ World War II love letters around songs of the era, All My Tomorrows, After Hours and Isn’t it a Pity, then wrapping it up with Irving Berlin’s ironic Mr. Monotony (hey, marriage has its slow moments). In All My Tomorrows Winter displayed her considerable musicianship by navigating a very challenging arrangement without a hint of a missed note. Winter and Jensen brought the evening to close with a string of old standards in new arrangements that showed off both Winter’s superb voice and Jensen’s virtuoso piano — Makin’ Whoopee, That Old Black Magic in New Age-y arrangement that is the best I have heard, Small World with a piano riff evoking Sondheim’s Company, Just in Time with faint echoes of Oscar Peterson — all brought to a satisfying conclusion by I’ve Got the World on a String and Love Rolls On.

OK, it wouldn’t be a NY review without a couple nit picks. Not meaning to diminish Jensen’s impressive solo performance, I would have rather had a full evening of Jensen and Winter working together. I must note that the sound was distracting; the piano was over-amplified— it really needed no amplification for such a small, live room— and at times overwhelmed the singers, forcing them so close to their microphones that the words of the songs sometimes were muddled. For me the essence of cabaret is its intimacy, something many of today’s sound designers do not seem to understand. And, I did find the lighting a bit stagey. But, as I said these are nits. On balance the show was excellent and at times exceptional. I look forward to Jensen and Winter’s return, maybe for an evening together.

The original article is here

Rick Jensen and Susan Winter

Susan has a delicious strong and soulful voice of truth.

“ Her voice is like a gift from the gods…like caramel over ice cream!”

Andrea Marcovicci

Rick creates sophisticated music that could make

seltzer taste like champagne.

“Singer, songwriter, arranger, musical director,

record producer; Rick Jensen is one of cabaret’s

most versatile and respected talents.”

Peter Leavy/Cabaret Scenes

Together, they’re spectacular!

Saturday, October 23 at 8 PM

Tickets: $25 Adults; $20 Seniors & Students

Call 772-2404, ext. 1 to order tickets.

The Schorr Family Firehouse Stage is the first performance space of the Goodwill Theatre & Professional Training Academy.
For more information, or to order tickets, please contact us at:

Goodwill Theatre Inc.
67 Broad Street, Suite 210
Johnson City, NY 13790
Phone: (607) 772-2404, ext. 1
Fax: (607) 729-0785
Email:  adepew@goodwilltheatre.net
Web: www.goodwilltheatre.net

The show, “3′s A Charm” was produced by our old pal, Maggie Cullen from the famed days of the legendary club 88s in Manhattan.

I provided musical direction for Lina and Sally and also performed some original songs, including a new one – “Go Ahead and Dream” – from the soon to be released movie “That’s what I Am” staring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan. my performance of Go Ahead and Dream is the one that became featured in the movie.

For more info on my involvement in “That’s What I Am” take a look here.

Rick J

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Sally Mayes & Lina Koutrakos backstage.

The 3's A Charm show poster.

Sally Mayes & Lina Koutrakos at soundcheck.

The photos and scans were taken by Clinton Bradley and myself.

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The photos for the front and back cover were shot by exceptional World renowned photographer and all round great guy Simon Watson

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“From deeply moving ballads to S/M humor, he makes adult, sophisticated, music that could make seltzer taste like champagne.” – Village Voice

Rick Jensen, Sally Mayes, & Lina Koutrakos sing jazz, blues, standards, Broadway tunes and originals at the Roxbury Arts Center, Vega Mt. Rd., Roxbury, NY. 607-326-7908. Tickets are $15 and $12

Sally Mayes

Rick Jensen

Lina Koutrakos