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Thursday, October 26th, 2006
Masquers Cabaret
8334 W. 3rd St.
West Hollywood, CA 90048
$12 Cover
One Drink Min
All Ages
Produced by Denise Bradley
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Vonda Shepard, a quintuple-threat singer, songwriter, pianist, producer, and actress, earned her role on the phenomenally successful TV series Ally McBeal, in which she played a resident performer at the nightclub where the show's characters frequented after work. Hustling solo gigs in Hollywood nightspots to racking up more than 12 million worldwide album sales that include more than quintuple platinum sales of Songs From Ally McBeal, (including TV Theme song "Searchin' My Soul") comes from a marriage of work ethic and talent that's as rare in music as it is in any endeavor.
"One of my goals when I write is to create a world of my own in the music," she says, "to capture a space where I can feel completely lost. I love nature, and I love the city, and I try to fuse these two extremes."
Vonda Shepard was born in New York but her family relocated to California when she was fairly young. From an early age she was a keen piano player and by 21 she was working as a keyboardist, back-up vocalist and dancer with Ricky Lee Jones, as well as jobs singing back-up with Al Jarreau and Jackson Browne. In 1987 she got signed to Reprise Records and she made her first chart appearance when she recorded a duet with Dan Hill entitled "Can't We Try".
In 1989 Vonda recorded a self-titled debut disc, the first of her nine albums. Her Top AC and VH1 single, "Don't Cry Ilene", brought her outstanding and unmistakably bluesy voice to a wide audience. By her third album she received strong critical acclaim and helped build a reputation in southern California clubs that led directly to TV producer David E. Kelley's decision to hire her as musical producer and featured singer/songwriter/actress on Ally McBeal.
For Vonda Shepard, her five-year run with Ally McBeal was a thrill, a matchless opportunity … but also just one stop on a journey that, in some respects, has only just begun.
Vonda is married to music producer Mitchell Froom, whose studio credits include Crowded House, Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, and Los Lobos. "Mitchell is one of the most brilliant people I've ever met," Vonda insists, "and musically we complement each other really well. When I write songs, I don't just strum or play chords; I work out as many details as possible. Mitchell understands that, so when I put a little counter-melody into one song, he'll enhance it or pull it out in some insightful way. Although it was great to work on my own as producer of the Ally albums, it's also a great pleasure for me to step back and watch a master like Mitchell at work."
Vonda's 10th and latest release, Vonda Shepard Live: A Retrospective, celebrates her accomplishments as a great live performer and singer/songwriter, and features selections from each of her nine albums.
www.vondashepard.com
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