Karrin Allyson to Perform at Williams College
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – The Williams College Department of Music presents Karrin Allyson on Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 8 p.m. in Chapin Hall on the Williams College campus. She will also engage in a pre-concert chat before the concert at 7:15 p.m. in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall.These free events are open to the public.
That Karrin (pronounced Car-in) Allyson is based in New York City, and was born in Great Bend, Kansas one July, is but one bit tip-off that she is not corny as Kansas in August. Notable jazz critic and historian Gary Giddins affirms, "Allyson coolly stakes her claim. She brings a timbre that is part ice and part grain...incisive, original, and emotionally convincing." In other words, her vocal performances of standards are the antithesis of corny.
She explores many traditions of jazz and blues mixing in French and Brazilian influences with emotional range and musical sophistication. Over the past fifteen years Karrin has been carving herself a place in the jazz world. Her resume speaks for itself: thrice nominated for a GRAMMY®, performances in venues like Carnegie Hall, ceaseless touring and 11 CDs on the Concord label. Her attention has been especially trained on Brazilian idioms of late, as reflected in her recent release, Imagina: Songs of Brasil.
This however, is not what captures audiences. When it comes down to it, the intimacy of her voice and unique interpretations are what draw people in. It is best summed up by her manager, “You hear this every time you listen. Make no mistake – Karrin Allyson is singing to you.”
