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For
the Cool of Sounds and forms, Melissa is an admirer of all musical
genres, yet her heart belongs to Jazz. It's not surprising being
that her father (Norbert Boyce) is a jazz pianist. Being surrounded
in a house full of music Melissa, developed a keen appreciation
of a variety of music genres that includes classical, R&B,
Hip Hop, Soul and Jazz.
I
had the chance to chat with her.
Tanya: Hi
Melissa, tell me a bit about yourself?
Melissa: I was born in Nanaimo BC. Moved to Ottawa for High School and
then to Toronto for University.
Tanya: What made you decide to get into music?
Melissa: My musical influence comes
from my Dad. He is a jazz pianist. So I grew up around live music.
I started with the piano, then played the trumpet and found my
love for singing.
Tanya: How would you categorize your genre style of music?
And why?
Melissa: I'm a jazz musician. I really love all
kinds of music but, jazz is the style that I'm most drawn to for
singing.
Tanya: Who were your musical influences growing up?
Melissa: Firstly, my Dad. After him, I'd say Sarah
Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Herbie Hancock, Billie Holiday, Shirley
Horn, and Oscar Peterson.
Tanya: Has your growing up in Toronto (if not, how long have
you been in Toronto) affected your musical style?
Melissa: I've lived here for about 16 years. The
jazz musicians here are incredible and they have certainly influenced
me.
Tanya: Where have you performed in the city?
Melissa: I've played at the Senator,
Montreal Bistro, The Bamboo (when it was on Queen Street), Muse
Bistro, Statlers, Gate 403, The Distillery, Downtown Toronto Jazz
Festival, Beaches Jazz Festival, Healy's, The Liberty Grand...
Tanya: Are you planning to tour outside the city?
Melissa: I'll be performing a concert at The Roselawn Centre
for the Living Arts in Port Colborne February 17th. I've also performed in Ottawa.
Of course I hope to do more.
Tanya: Are there any local artists that you have worked with
or would like to work with?
Melissa: I've had the great pleasure of working
with: Ron Davis, Drew Birston, Kevin Laliberte, Bernie Senensky,
Reg Schwager, Davide Direnzo, Kevin Barrett, George Koller, Mike
Downes, Tony Quarrington, Daniel Barnes.
I'd love to work with Neil Braithwaite, Dave Young and many
others. I'm always meeting musicians that inspire me. Toronto has
a lot to offer.
Tanya: How long did it take you to put this album together?
Melissa: I
had been thinking about it for a long time. But as for actively working on it,
I'd say about 8 months.
Drew Birston, Melissa Boyce, Kevin Laliberté.
Tanya: What has been the audience response so far?
Melissa: It's been really positive. I've been
told that it has a really "pure
and honest" sound. Which is what I was hoping for. It's not
over produced.
You can hear the sliding sounds that come from the guitar strings.
I like that.
Tanya: When is the next cd coming out?
Melissa: I'm working on new material for it now.
Tanya: What do you want your audience to get from
your music or performances?
Melissa: I hope they feel good. I don't want to
just sing a song and have someone say "that sounded pretty"...
I'd like to move them... to feel the song.
Tanya: Where are you performing during the holiday
season?
Melissa: February 17th @ The Roselawn Centre for
the Living Arts in Port Colborne
February 22 @ Gate 403 (403 Roncesvalles)
Tanya: What do you do other than music?
Melissa: I do voice work commercials
and I work in promotions for radio.
Tanya: Thanks
Melissa!
To buy here latest cd check out http://cdbaby.com/cd/melissaboyce
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Bio
Melissa Boyce is all about music…
With
a jazz pianist father, Melissa grew up in a home full of music
and developed a keen appreciation for a wide variety of music
genres: Classical, R&B, Hip Hop, Soul and - Jazz! Some of her
greatest music influences include: Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan,
Dinah Washington, Billie Holliday, Etta James and of course – her
dad Norbert Boyce.
When
it comes to singing – Melissa’s first love is
jazz, but her diverse musical base allows her to embrace R&B,
Pop and Rock with ease.
She has appeared at a number of Toronto venues including The Montreal
Bistro and Jazz Club, Top of the Senator, The Muse Bistro, The
Bamboo, The Mockingbird, Liberty Grand, Trane Studio (with New
York’s Damian Paone Quartet), Healeys (with Jeff Healey)
and The Rex Hotel, as well as Ottawa’s Fairmont Chateau Laurier.
She has also performed at The Kingston Jazz Festival, Toronto Downtown
Jazz Festival and the Distillery Jazz Festival.
Melissa has been invited to sing for several dignitaries including
the Prime Minister of Canada, Supreme Court Judges and Provincial
Chiefs of Police.
Melissa
has been expertly accompanied by some of Toronto finest jazz
musicians including Ron Davis, Drew Birston, Kevin Laliberté,
Tony Quarrington, Reg Schwager and Kevin Barrett.
In
2005 Melissa celebrated the release of her debut CD “Teach
Me Tonight.” Accompanying her in this project were Kevin
Laliberté on guitar, Drew Birston on bass, Davide Direnzo
on percussion and Norbert Boyce on keyboard.
Apart from public appearances Melissa Boyce often does voice-over
work for radio and television productions.
Contact information:
melissa@melissaboyce.com
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