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Poma-Swank

if we try, the car alarms, they become a symphony

About Me

The Poma-swank brings together a unique group of New York City musicians and writers for a jazz experience that is stylistically eclectic and rich in poetic narrative. The group’s first album, Red Sky in Brooklyn (available on CDBaby.com and iTunes) showcases original songs telling true stories of life in the big city, fresh angles on standards, and lush reinventions of songs by Bjork and Leonard Cohen. Mark Kirby of kyndmusic.com praised the album as "one of the best offerings from the New York jazz underground" in 2005; Budd Koppman of All About Jazz hailed the project as “one of the most enjoyable releases I have listened to in a long while. Combining superb musicianship with the ability to communicate directly to the listener, Kate Bell and company manage to simultaneously entertain and enlighten.”

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 1/20/2006
Band Website: poma-swank.com
Band Members: Kate Bell - Vocals, Compositions
Ethan Hein - Guitar, Compositions, Musical Director
Chris Luard - Bass, Compositions
Jesse Selengut - Trumpet, Compositions
Leo Ferguson - Drums
Adrian Mira - Clarinet
Elizabeth Dotson-Westphalen - Trombone
Catherine Sikora - Saxophone

Influences: ARTISTS, PEOPLE, MUSIC, THANGS THAT INSPIRE US: Bjork and Duke Ellington, Prince and Diamanda Galas, Nellie McKay and Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, Kristeen Young, Kudu, Brazilian Girls, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, THELONIUS MONK, Eric Dolphy, Sarah Vaughn, Cassandra Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, Kristin Hersh, Portishead, Erykah Badu, PJ Harvey, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Robert Ray's Gospel Mass, CHARLES MINGUS, BETTY CARTER, The Beatles, Dolly Parton, Pink Floyd, Toshiko Akiyoshi, John Legend, Ntozake Shange, The Roches, Suzan-Lori Parks, Carl Hancock Rux, Bertolt Brecht, my awesome 9th grade music teacher Ms. Allen! (Kate), Elisabeth Lohninger, all of my amazing students (keep me grounded, humble, connected...Kate), the memory of my grandmother's voice (Kate)...
Type of Label: None

My Blog

I LOVE THE 55 BAR

The 55 Bar is a great place to play.  It's great when it's packed to the gills with my crazy drunken friends half-yelling, half-listening, half-grooving.  It's great when it's nearly empty a...
Posted by Poma-Swank on Tue, 07 Nov 2006 07:11:00 PST

NYC Poetry Songs...got ideas?

We poma-swank crew have dived into our new songwriting project...we're all taking poems about New York City (or set in NYC...or somehow tied to this giant hive we're all kickin' around in) and setting...
Posted by Poma-Swank on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 01:20:00 PST