Chicago’s Joan Collaso Releases New CD
Husband and wife team Joan Collaso and Larry Hanks launched her new CD at a Launch party complete with an upfront and personal performance featuring the new song book for the Cd titled “My Heart Speaks,” Sunday at DuSable Museum of African American History to a full house.
As collaborators for 17 years the two of them have worked closely together composing, performing and making music. Their latest work is a monument to love and is a testament to their love.
Joan is and Emmy award winner and internationally celebrated vocalist. She was born, raised in Chicago where she continues to reside with her husband and family. As a songtress Joan’s style is sophisticated and classy, her voice intonation is a unique blend of the sassy sound of Dakota Staton and the soft sexy sweet sultry rhythmic pacing of Nancy Wilson.
Joan’s authentic expression of song comes through as flowing sensual melodies robust and passionate filled with colorful improvisations and soulful styling resonate with the inner most part of us. Her intention communicates spiritually connecting with those who vibrate on a higher frequency than most and conveys her desire for peace, love and harmony for all. Her music captures your heart, moves touches and motives those so fortunate to experience her live. Her music is a richly textured blend layering Jazz, R&B, Blues and Gospel rendering her own distinct voice.
In 1997, Joan appeared singing in the history-making movie ‘Soul Food’. In her world travels she has moved standing-room-only crowds and has enlightened audiences at the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. She has also performed at the JazzKaar Festival in Estonia (Russia), the Sister Cities Festival in Osaka, Japan, and touring northern Italy for the Central Jazz Torino School of Jazz. Joan is so loved at the Elkhart Jazz Festival that they ask her back again and again. When Joan delivered her debut performance at the Chicago Jazz Festival where she was named one of the top 5 “must-see” performances. In September 2011, Collaso opened for the R&B artist India Arie at the African Festival of the Arts in Chicago. She has been featured on countless radio and TV commercials. Collaso was a featured vocalist on world renowned pianist, Ramsey Lewis’ “Urban Renewal” CD. She has performed on the Oprah Winfrey with artists Susan Boyle, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Sugarland and Tim McGraw.
While Collaso trail blazes her musical talents and performances all over the world she also weaves her extraordinary skills in her community. As an advocate for social justice Joan has written, produced and performed, for school age children and families, musical plays that teach history and promote education, courage and love.
In 2010 Collaso founded a new organization, Timeless Gifts—a mentoring and performance program for youth in the arts (ages 8-18). Joan and some of her most accomplished colleagues are currently mentoring 25 young performers. Her ultimate vision for this organization is the Timeless Gifts Center for the Arts.
At her launch party Sunday some of the girls of Timeless Youth performed and proved Joan to not only be a dynamic vocalist but also a great teacher.
Songs like ‘My Heart Speaks” and “Happy” reflect the contribution of both herself and Larry Hanks’ collaboration capturing an up temple and peppy infectious mood. All of the songs are sit-back-and-relax or get-up-and-step music.
“My Heart Speaks,” features Joan Collaso, Mike Logan, Isaiah Robinson, R. Robinson, Rayzine Collaso on vocals;, Lary Hanks and Mike logan on keyboards, Chuck Webb on Bass, Ben Johnson on drums and James Perkins on sax. The albumin was mixed and mastered by Danny Leake, Urban Guerrilla Engineers, Engineered by Danny Christy(Studio2424), Produced by Larry Hanks and Joan Collaso The CD cost $10 and can be purchased on Joan’s website, www.joancollaso.com
