JUDY NIEMACK BIO/ 2019

Throughout her career, has accomplished a great deal as a singer, educator, lyricist, composer, and inspiration to younger jazz vocalists. Yet with all that she has done thus far, one gets the impression that the best is yet to come. “I love standards and have performed them all of my life but this is a new era and it is time to create new music,” she says. “I’m open to all forms of vocal improv and I’m very interested in mastering the art of music and pushing the art form forward to new places.”

Born and raised in Pasadena, California, Judy gained experience singing in her church choir. She first heard jazz through her mother’s Nancy Wilson records, and discovered that she could easily sing harmonies when she and her sister sang background vocals behind her brother, who played guitar and sang lead. As a child and as a teenager, she sang in a wide variety of settings including musical theatre, rock bands, with folk music groups, and in a jazz vocal quartet.

Judy studied classical singing but the turning point in her young career was when she met the great tenor-saxophonist , who followed in the footsteps of his teacher pianist Lennie Tristano by becoming an important jazz educator. “I became Warne’s first vocal student. He treated me like a horn player. He assigned me solos by Charlie Parker, Roy Eldridge and others to learn. I learned about improvising from him. He called it instant composition.” Judy attended Pasadena City College where she had lessons with alto saxophonist , and studied classical singing at the New England Conservatory and the Cleveland Institute Of Music. When she returned to the Los Angeles area, she continued studying with Marsh and, after moving to New York in 1977, her first important gig was performing at the Village Vanguard for a week with Marsh. She made her recording debut, leading the first of her ten CDs, By Heart for the Sea Breeze label, which documented her association with the saxophonist.

“During that period, I was strictly an improviser, with no thought given to entertaining or paying attention to the audience. But eventually I started focusing on the lyrics, and how to communicate with them, and then I grew as a singer.” Starting in the late 1970s, Judy became a talented composer, and a lyricist who wrote words to such pieces as ’s “Daahoud,” ’s “Misterioso,” ’ “Interplay,” Richie Powell’s “Time” and Duke Jordan’s “Jordu,” and songs by the likes of , , , Gigi Gryce, Elmo Hope, , , , Idrees Sulieman, , Don Grolnick, Steve Slagle, Mike Stern, and many others. One of the driving forces behind her writing is the desire to have lyrics that are more modern and relevant than many that are part of the famous but overly familiar songs of the 1930s and ‘40s.

Due to her beautiful voice, fearless improvising, impressive musicianship and versatility, Judy Niemack has since worked with many of the who’s who of jazz including pianists , , , , Jim McNeely, Steve Kuhn, Kirk Lightsey and Kirk Nurock, saxophonists Lee Konitz, and James Moody, the great harmonica player , flugelhornist , bassists Ray Drummond and Eddie Gomez, drummers , Joey Baron, and Adam Nussbaum, George Benson, the New York Voices and the WDR Big Band.

Judy Niemack starting teaching jazz singing and improvising in the late 1970s. She has since become one of the most influential educators in jazz, and a pioneer of vocal jazz education in Europe. She taught vocal jazz at the New School For Jazz, William Patterson University, Long Island University, and College and has been part of the staff at the Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp since 1990. After moving to Europe, she joined the jazz faculty at the Royal Conservatory of , Belgium in 1993, and two years later became the first Professor of Vocal Jazz in Germany. She also teaches at the Musikene Centro Superior de Música del Pais Vasco in San Sebastian, Spain, has held teaching positions at conservatories in Den Haag, Holland and Brussels, Belgium, and leads workshops throughout the world

“Our generation is probably the first to pass on information to younger singers willingly and very openly. What I love about teaching is being surrounded by music all day long, every day. I love being with singers and helping out younger vocalists, leading people onto the path towards where they want to go.” Judy’s vocal improvisation method book and CD “Hear It And Sing It! – Exploring Modal Jazz” was published by Second Floor Music in 2004. Her “Vocal Jazz Standards” book and CD was published by Hal Leonard in 2008, and two more books followed.

As a performer, Judy has thus far recorded 14 albums as a leader including her debut By Heart, Blue Bop (Freelance) with Cedar Walton, Long As You’re Living (Freelance), Heart’s Desire (Stash) which is a set of duets with pianist Kenny Barron, Straight Up (Freelance), duets with pianist called Mingus, Monk and Mal (Freelance), Night And The Music (Freelance), About Time (Sony Jazz) with Lee Konitz and Jeanfrancois Prins, What’s Going On (Temps), Blue Nights (Blujazz) with Gary Bartz and Jim McNeely, and In the Sundance (BluJazz) featuring Rufus Reid. She recently recorded “New York Stories” with the Danish Radio Big Band of arrangements written for her by Jim McNeely celebrating the great jazz musicians and stories of NYC which was released in 2019. Her latest CD,

Judy Niemack looks forward to the future with optimism and enthusiasm. “I have a fourth book coming out now - “Sing In Tune!” which includes chromatic exercises for the Pop and Jazz vocalist, a training method that has never existed up until now. I think that sharing information helps raise the bar in vocal jazz education. In general, I hope to continue doing what I’m doing: performing, teaching, writing lyrics, working on new collaborations, and always creating new and interesting music.” Judy's “Hear It and Sing It!” vocal improvisation clinics have been presented at these schools, among others:

The Royal Conservatory of Den Hague, Holland, Fall, 2003 Insighoven Vocal Jazz Workshop, Germany, 2003 Munich Hochschule für Musik, Germany, 2003 Barcelona, ESMUC, 2003 Kuernbach Music Academy, 2004-2015 Janice Borla Vocal Jazz Camp, Illinois, USA, yearly 1989-2009 Minden Vocal Jazz Workshop, Germany, Fall, 2004 European Jazz Academy Heek, Germany, 2004, 2006, 2006, 2010 Second Floor Music Studio, New York City, yearly 2005-2012 Zarautz Jazz Festival, Zarautz, Spain, Summer 2005 Marciac, France, 2005 Königs Wusterhausen, Germany, 2005 Peter Herbolzheimer’s Bundes Jazz Orchestra, Germany, 1995-2010 International Association of Jazz Educators, NYC, 2006 Loerrach “Stimmen” Festival, 2006 Rhythmic Conservatory, Denmark, 2006 Jamey Aebersold Jazzwise Camp, London, 2006, 2007, 2008 Berklee School of Music, Boston, 2008 New England Conservatory, Boston, 2008 UCLA, Los Angeles, USA 2008 Kalgenfurt, Austria, 2009 Jazzinty Festival, Slovenia, yearly 2007-2012 Groningen, Nederlands, 2009 Helsingor, Denmark, 2009 Vaduz Liechtenstein, 2009, 2010, 2012 Poysdorf Jazz and Wine, Austria 2010, 2011 Cornish Institute, Seattle, washington, USA 2011 Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2012 Montevideo, Uruguay, 2012 Jazz Educators Network, Atlanta, Georgia, 2013 Paris Conservatory CRR, 2013 Ireland, Sligo Jazz Festival 2014 NYC Second Floor Music Studio, yearly 2000-2015 Begues Jazz, Spain, 2016, 2017 Alhaurin , Spain Jazz Camp, March 2016 Jazz Camp Vaduz, Switzerland 2018 Loire Valley Summer Jazz, France, 2019

Discography: "BY HEART" (feat. Warne MARSH, Eddie GOMEZ ). SEABREEZE Rec. 1978 "BLUE BOP" (feat. Cedar WALTON, Curtis FULLER, Ray DRUMMOND, Joey BARON ). FREELANCE Rec. 1988 "LONG AS YOU'RE LIVING" (feat. Joe LOVANO, Fred HERSCH, Billy HART ). FREELANCE Rec. 1990 "HEART'S DESIRE" duet with Kenny BARRON. STASH Rec. 1991 "STRAIGHT UP" (feat. Toots THIELEMANS, Kenny WERNER, Adam NUSSBAUM, Mark FELDMAN, Jeanfrançois PRINS ). FREELANCE Rec. 1993 "MINGUS, MONK AND MAL" duet with Mal WALDRON. FREELANCE Rec1994 “... NIGHT AND THE MUSIC...” (feat. Jeanfrançois PRINS, Kenny WERNER, Ray DRUMMOND, Billy HART, Eric FRIEDLANDER ). FREELANCE Rec 1996 “ABOUT TIME” (feat. Eddie GOMEZ, Jeanfrançois PRINS, Lee KONITZ, David FRIEDMAN, CAFE ). SONY JAZZ, 2003. “WHAT’S GOING ON?” (featuring Peter HERBOLZHEIMER & Big Band Jazz Terrassa), TEMPS RECORD, 2005 “BLUE NIGHTS” (feat. Gary BARTZ, , Jim MCNEELY, Don SICKLER, Dennis IRWIN), Blujazz Records, 2007 “IN THE SUNDANCE” (feat. Bruno CASTELUCCI, Bruce BARTH, Rufus REID, Jeanfrançois PRINS) June, 2009 “LISTENING TO YOU” (duo with Dan TEPFER, piano), , 2016 “NEW YORK STORIES” (feat. Jim MCNEELY and the Danish Radio Big Band), Sunnyside Records, 2018, “SING YOUR SONG” (feat. Wolfgang KOEHLER, piano), Contemplate Records, 2019

Books; “HEAR IT AND SING IT! EXPLORING MODAL JAZZ”, (Second Floor Music, Dist. Hal Leonard, 2003) “PRO-VOCAL JAZZ STANDARDS, FEATURING JUDY NIEMACK” ”(Hal Leonard, 2006) “HEAR IT AND SING IT! EXPLORING THE BLUES”, (Second Floor Music, Dist. Hal Leonard, 2012) “SING IN TUNE” ((Second Floor Music, Dist. Hal Leonard, 2020)

As a guest (selected discography): "BEAUTY AND THE PRINCE" with Jeanfrançois PRINS (featuring Fred HERSCH, , Bruno CASTELLUCCI ). AMC 1993 "RHAPSODY" vol 1 and 2 with Lee KONITZ. PADDLE WHEEL 1993 "THE OTHER SIDE OF WALTER BOEYKENS" Distr. by SONY 1994

The Critics on JUDY NIEMACK

"A JAZZ SINGER WITH A PERFECTLY GLORIOUS VOICE! "

Bob Harrington, New York Post

"She combines the best of both worlds; a cabaret singer's respect for the melody as written and a jazz singer's eagerness to have a go at it. "

Francis Davis,Village Voice

"...a musician's musician. Her creative odyssey provides a fascinating illustration of the high road to mastery that transcends the limitation of genre..."

K. Leander Williams, Down Beat

"...a most accomplished singer, displaying a relaxed, assured delivery; impeccable diction; dead-sure pitch; an inviting, slightly moist timbre; skill at scatting and melodic improvisation; and ability to communicate the message of the lyric."

Tex Wyndham, West Coast Rag

"...one of the most versatile and provocative singers.....with a keen jazz sensitivity." John. S. Wilson, New York Times

"Good jazz singers bring their own special construction to each tune they sing. To this they add the skill of improvisation without destroying the meaning of the lyrics and, above all else, they sing in tune; OK, meet Judy Niemack-jazz singer!"

Barry McRae,Jazz Journal

"Vocalist Judy Niemack never veers from her path as she leads you through an ethereal labyrinth, exploring dark harmonies, classically-tinged jazz melodies and shifting rhythms...Her dynamically delivered three -octave vocals soar above superb accompaniment..."

Nancy Ann Lee, JazzTimes

"She puts over a tune with passion and singular phrasing. She slaloms with streamlined precision through tricky be-bop lines and changes. She twists, turns, scats, leaps and bounds with Olympian grace...displaying admirable control, balance and understatement...Classy."

G. Kalbacher, Hot House "This lady can really sing!" Norman Simmons, pianist for Joe Williams

"Exquisite intonation, tasteful interpretations and improvisations guided by a sensitivity for dynamics...."

Leslie Gourse, JazzTimes

"Her level of performance is extremely high...she endeavors both to get inside the lyrics and explore the chord structure, as do all true jazz singers."

Peter Gamble,Jazz Journal

"To my mind, Judy Niemack is one of the best, and purest jazz singers ever. Besides a voice with the clarity of a mountain stream, accuracy of pitch and time that is a wonder to hear, perfect diction and sensitivity to lyrics, she has a disciplined improvisational gift that makes her scat-sung lines music…”

S.Chamberlain,L.A. Jazz Scene

"You need have no reservations about Judy Niemack, a young veteran of the New York club scene who epitomizes the term "jazz singer". Niemack's irrepresible swing, savvy scatting and dead-on intonation allow her to improvise solos that seem more horn than voice....her way with a lyric will warm the hearts of both romantics and musical adventurers as she tames tough jazz lines written for saxes, not singers.". Neil Tesser,Playboy Jazz

"Judy has an inner sweetness to her voice....and a jazz edge. The combination is effective. She's musically sophisticated. She befriends the pulse and interacts with jazz musicians well. She draws from feelings and experiences, using melodies by jazz composers- some of them quite challenging- as her basis for creativity..."

Burt Korall, International Musician

"Niemack sings sprightly and thrillingly as an oriole, with a rich, firm tone and light vibrato...(she) scats better then nearly everyone; she's really one with the band.."

Down Beat

"Judy Niemack digs deeply into the innards of the compositional body eclectic and makes no detectable missteps; She crosses her Rubicon with the grace and confidence of those who know just where the shallows are and, therefore, appear to walk on water...."

Alan Bargebuhr, Cadence

"Ms. Niemack has a gorgeous voice....she proved herself a worthy torch singer with "Body and Soul". Corpus Christi Caller

"Niemack has a beautiful voice and a wide range; she sounds wonderful..." L.A. Jazz SCENE

"To hear Judy Niemack's immaculate delivery of poetic romance and lilting spirit from the classic American songbook is to believe she was weaned on it."

Stuart Troup, New York Newsday

“a provocative improvisor, whether she is scatting or using lyrics, making good use of her sparkling high notes ...... " John Wilson, New York Times

"NIEMACK has her act together! ...She has a lustrous voice that can go very high and holds its pitch..." R. Orgill, The Record

"Her taste is impeccable. She has a dead-center emotional honesty. There is a wide range of self-expression, the kind which is possible only when the instrument is under complete control." Harry Schroeder, Island Life "Monk's "You Know Who (I Mean You)" spotlights some tricky vocal leaps and bounds, as Niemack hits each note with crystalline precision, and Waldron's "Soul Eyes" evokes a warm expressive shading reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald..." JAZZIZ Magazine

"Niemack has a skillful and original talent that is just beginning to be recognized by jazz and popular music critics. Her sense of pitch is poised, her timing nonchalantly perfect and she has the knack of interpreting a lyric that belongs to the first rank of singers."

GRAMOPHONE

"...with a voice as well suited to the Broadway stage as a small nightclub, Niemack's personalized statements over haunting melodies mandate a badly needed trend for current jazz-based vocal music". Rozzi, Jazz News

“Her voice evokes a blend of innocence and worldliness...breathtaking... Niemack’s wiliness and wit emerges in the repertoire as well as her sassy delivery...she is one who clearly selects material that captures her heart and mind.” Deni Kasrel, Jazz Times