About Me
This multifaceted musician grew up in Lantzville,on Vancouver Island where she was subject to amazing and inspiring band teachers throughout her schooling. She earned a two year Jazz Diploma from the acclaimed Malaspina College ,before enrolling in the school of hard knocks.Karen has studied with renowned Russian voice instructor,Nikolai Kolesnikov and with saxophonists Pete Christieb and Pat Labarbra. Now Residing in Vancouver,Karen has the pleasure of playing with stellar musicians such as Brad Turner,Miles Black,Celso Machado,Tom Keenlyside,Karin Plato and Jennifer Scott. Karen has also had the pleasure of playing with the beautiful Linton Garner,Candian icon,drummer Claude Ranger, French bassist Joelle Rabu,Vinnie Golia,Will Bernard and Motherbug,Indian classical vocalist Shweta Jhaveri,The Temptations,Long John Baldry and many more. While playing with the Banff Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Hugh Fraser,Karen had the honour of studying with and performing in concert with Slide Hampton,Maynard Ferguson,Muhal Richard Abrahms,Chucho Valdez and Kenny Wheeler.Karen is a composer and along with leading her own band she keeps busy as a sideman as well as being a regular with such bands as : Soulstream[a ten piece soul/funk band];Mimosa[french lounge swing];Ta Ki Ta[a melding of jazz and Indian classical music]; Out of the Woods[instrumental jazz] and The Hitmen XB[withTom Arntzen] among with others. Karen records regularly and has contributed to more than 18 cds. "Already a talent on saxophones and flute...she swings on her own title track. Her most ambitious vocal comes ..... where she does a decent Annie Ross imitation as she rapid- fires the trampolining vocal lines." Review of CD "You Gotta Love Life", Marke Andrews,The Vancouver Sun.
