Vitro, Roseanna

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Vitro, Roseanna

Vitro, Roseanna, singer; b. Hot Springs, Ark., Feb. 28, 1951. She has a musical background of gospel singing, blues, rock, classical, and show music, but fell in love with jazz. Her jazz career began in Houston, Tex. in 1973, under the guidance of Ray Sullenger (vocalist and wind player from Ted Weems band) and Arnett Cobb. Cobb featured her on gigs and in his summer jazz workshops educating children from poor families (as she herself was). In Houston, she ran her own group for a few years, and had a radio program where she performed and featured other artists, including Oscar Peterson (and sat in with him). Relocating to N.Y. in 1980, she studied with Ken Werner, Fred Hersch, Anne Marie Moss, Joe Lovano, Bobby McFerrin, David Leonhart; she also studied classical voice with Cabore Carelli at the Manhattan School of Music. She started the vocal jazz program in September 1996 at Jersey City State Coll. The Down BeatCritics poll voted her Talent Deserving Wider recognition in 1994 and 1995.

Discography

Kenny Barron, Steve Allen, Marian McPartland: Listen Here (1982). Fred Hersch: Quiet Place (1988). George Coleman: Reaching for the Moon (1991); Softly (1993). Elvin Jones, Gary Bartz: Passion Dance (1995). David Fathead Newman: Catchin’ Some Rays (1997).

—Lewis Porter

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