Crystal

You can hear her sing by going to www.myspace.com/crystalwhitejazz
Crystal White was born in Charlottesville Virginia. She spent her adolescence growing up all over the world following her father in his travels as a career military man with the United States Air Force. She defines her major years of development as having taken place in Hawaii. She received a degree in Dramatic Arts from The University of the Pacific but her many encounters during her travels pointed her in the direction of music. In 1975 her €œmusical baptism€? was initiated as she found her self side by side with world famous singer/guitarist ALVIN LEE on his world tour as a back-up singer. Shortly after she followed up with still another tour, this time backing up Stephen Stills of the legendary quartet €œCROSBY, STILLS, NASH, and YOUNG.€? She continued for a few years as a backup vocalist working with such artists as: BOZ SCAGGS, DAN HICKS and HIS HOT LICKS, DR. HOOK and STEVIE WONDER.
Jazz became more and more important to her after meeting and working with Jazz icons such as Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, and Tony Scott. Her marriage to jazz violinist CHARLES BURNHAM took her to Europe where she has resided since 1982.
In Italy Crystal is a well-known and popular artist thanks to her brilliant and eclectic musical career. She has collaborated with such prestigious names as ZUCCHERO, RON, ENZO AVITABILE, EROS RAMAZOTTI, ALEX BRITTI, TULIO DE PISCOPO, and ROBERTO CIOTTI. She was the featured singer with ROMANO MUSSOLINI (son of famous dictator Benito Mussolini) and his orchestra for a number of years.
She has made numerous Television appearances such as DOC, THE MAURIZIO COSTANZA SHOW, UN MONDO A COLORI, TELE MIKE, DOMENICA IN, SAN REMO MUCIC FESTIVAL, FESTIVAL BAR (GABIN), THE MARISA LAURITO SHOW, SPECIAL FOR THE EPIPHANY RAI 1, SPECIAL FOR PADRE PIO RAI 1 to name a few. You can also enjoy crystal€™s voice on the soundtracks of the following films: DUEL, A BEAR NAMED ARTHUR, and MARAKESH EXPRESS and SONS OF SENEGAL.
But for Crystal, music is just one aspect of her versatile artistic personality. As an actress we find her in FEDERICO FELLINI€™S film €œAS THE SHIP SAILS ON€?, in the acclaimed theatrical role of €œLADY BLUES€? in TORCH SONG TRILOGIES, and in the musicals MY MAMAS€™ SONGS, THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, JAZZ STORY, and KISS ME KATE in the role of €œHATTIE€?. She Costarred next to one of Italy€™s icons Giorgio Albertazzi as ADELE in the 2003 theatrical production of MR. PETERS CONNECTIONS. She currently appears in Christian De Sica€™s film THE CLAN in the role of €œCHIAPPE D€™ORO€? and will return to her role as EARTH MOTHER in the musical MENOPAUSE on tour in Italy from March 2006 until June 2007.
At the moment Crystal divides her time between her Jazz ensemble €œA LOVE SUPREME€? and the gospel group €œ SISTERS AND DAUGHTERS OF PRAISE€? composed entirely of her sister€™s and nieces and of which she is the leader. She has just released a new jazz album on Azzura Record "I'M TALKIN BOUT LOVE"
Oh, we almost forgot... Crystal continues to be a world traveler continuously gathering creative stimulation and looking for new territories to conquer!!!
The Voice
What the critics have to say :
She's beautiful and possesses an extraordinary vocal capability. A voice that's warm and Black,strong with a cutting edge while at the same time able to become soft and light as a feather. Corriere della Sera
Blessed with one of the most beautiful blues voices currently out there. La Republica
She possesses interpretive qualities that cover the space between raunchy blues and the most refined of jazz artists. Il Resto del Carlino
....very few singers in fact are as able as Crystal to blend in a single character fighting spirit and sweetness, melting deep dark with clear bright tones. She demonstrates pathos in the slower ballads and euphoria in the more up tempo swing tunes. To say nothing of her stage presence: The undeniable charm of her persona creates an immediate and intense contact with her audience. Il Messaggero
The lunar aspect of The Blues is emersed in the standards interpreted by Miss White, songs where the singer from Hawaii was able to branch out with her contralto voice sensual and smokey in the lower ranges, precise with notable power in the highs Il Gazzettino
How would you imagine the ideal R&B singer? The images that come to mind are many from Tina Turner to Aretha Franklin, Patti Labelle to Diana Ross. They all have in common sensuality which to me is a criteria of R&B. So it becomes spontaneous to associate the image of the classic soul R&B singer with that of a beautiful woman. Well folks, Crystal White is ALL THAT! Paese Sera
"...a singing actress, attentive in the enrichment of her melodies with colors that come from the full spectrum of the rainbow..." La Gazzetta di Mezzogiorno
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