Barbara Rosene- A Portrait of the Musician as an Artist

What if I told you that Grandma Moses (the early 20th century, self-taught, primitive painter) played a hot upright bass in Buddy Bolden’s and Fletcher Henderson’s bands and that paintings of hers were recently discovered showing her playing gigs in both those bands? I can’t… ain’t going to happen…(it wasn’t even on the internet). But at New York’s newest jazz parlor, Mezzrow, an exhibit of paintings by and of vocalist, Barbara Rosene performing at many of New York’s most revered venues is as close to that “news” as it gets. Barbara is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and grew up hearing big band and jazz records from her father's collection. Early on she listened to Jazz Age divas Annette Hanshaw and Mildred Bailey, whose singing influenced her own vocal interpretation of the Great American Songbook. She sang with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks for a few years after arriving in New York and still appears with the band frequently. Most recently she has been vocalist with the Harry James Orchestra, now under the direction of Fred Radke. Barbara has released a number of CDs, including Deep Night, Moon Song, Ev'rything's Made For Love, It Was Only a Sun Shower, and Nice and Naughty all on the Stomp Off label. She also recorded All My Life (Azica) and On the Brink (BluesBack). Her CDs are available through barbararosene.com. The creative impulse to paint