About the Show
TEXAS STATE MUSICIAN NOMINEE
Kelli Grant, the Queen of Swing™
Complete Bio at www.KelliGrant.com CD’s available at: CD Baby: KELLI GRANT, THE QUEEN OF SWING™: Swing ‘n Blues
CD Baby: KELLI GRANT, THE QUEEN OF SWING™: Softer Side of Swing
CD Baby: KELLI GRANT, THE QUEEN OF SWING™: Blues to Me!
CD Baby: KELLI GRANT, THE QUEEN OF SWING™: Swing Like That
CD Baby: KELLI GRANT, THE QUEEN OF SWING™: Don’t Mess With Texas
The Queen & the Swing Kings’ performance is sponsored by the Mid-America Arts Alliance http://www.maaa.org/rtp/artists funding by the National Endowment for the Arts & the Texas Touring Roster
She has also been Nominated by the Texas Commission on the Arts to participate in the Mid-Atlantic International touring roster for foreign festivals including England and most of Europe. http://www.midatlanticarts.org
With a very diverse catalog of music, her highly acclaimed show, “Swingin’ the Blues” carries the audience down a musical highway of Blues, Jazz & Swing from New Orleans to New York City, Chicago to Kansas City, Memphis to Texas demonstrating the evolution of Blues to Jazz and Jazz to “Swing”. The musical showcases her award winning songwriting talents and CD’s: “Swing ‘n Blues” “Softer Side of Swing” & “Blues to Me!”
Labeled “The Queen of Swing” by R&B legend, Carl Perkins for her unique yet awesome piano style. With a pulse driving rhythm, gyrating leads and a walking left handed bassline, Kelli’s signature style “swings” in the truest definition of the word.
Miss Grant was recognized as one of the top pop vocalist with her CD, “Softer Side of Swing” in 2007, a as CANDIDATE for 2 Grammy Nominations: “Best Traditional Pop Album” and her own, “If You Were the One” in consideration for “Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.”
“Blues to Me!” CD was a CANDIDATE for 3 Grammy Nominations including: Best Contemporary Blues Album and “Strut My Stuff” & “B-A-D, BAD” originals in contention for “Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.”
Her first trip to the Grammy awards ceremonies when her “Swing ‘n Blues” CD was incontention for “Best Jazz Album” and “Loose Woman Blues” original – “Best R&B Performance by Duo or Group with Vocals.”
Being from Texas and the Queen of Swing, it was only natural for this Texas State Musician nominee to write a musical about Texas Swing and it’s creators. ” The Queen, Swings…West” is a colorful and exciting chronicle on Texas Swing featuring former Texas Playboys brought to life as only the Queen can bring. She was recently NOMINATED for the Will Rogers Award by the Academy of Western Artist and is a member of the Western Swing Hall of Fame. Based on her tribute album to the King of Western Swing, Bob Wills, the CD topped those charts at @6 and her own toe tapping hit, “Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor” at #2. CD review by Mike Gross of WVOF, Connecticutt states, ”... a talented vocalist who can swing as good as anyone since perhaps that same, Bob Wills.” Western Swing legend Cliff Bruner said, ” alittle lady loaded with lots of talent.” Her new and much anticipated CD, ” Don’t Mess With Texas” has received much praise from Austin with the Texas Department of Transportation issuing a special license granting Ms. Grant permission for use of their logo, a first for TxDot. Perhaps it’s just because the song is such a wonderful and descriptive compliment to the sights and sounds of the state that toes are tapping. Talking about sounds, and to add a little more authenticity to the recording, we enlisted the talents of a few former Texas Playboys.
Personal Bio: As a music graduate, attending: Kilgore College, Stephen F. Austin State University and University of Texas at Tyler, Kelli not only reads music but writes the musical scores for arrangements performed by her band, “the Swing Kings.” As a musician, she has studied and played most every instrument in the orchestra. Playing Clarinet in High school, she won 1st place in UIL solo/ensemble contest as well as winning an All-Region Band certificate. While in college she broadened her woodwind skills to include Eb Clarinet, Alto, Baritone and Soprano Sax and also Oboe. She received scholarships in Voice, Clarinet and Stage Band and was also awarded the Vivian Thyng Scholarship in Music Theory. Like most musicians she sang and played organ in church but expanded that knowledge by studing with the renowned organist, Jimmy Culp. With her big band and orchestral music education Kelli took center stage fronting her all male swing band, not commonly done by females in the prestigous petroleum and country club (golf) circuit. But being a gifted musical talent that not only sings but writes and plays, the also very talented musicians in her band respect her knowledge and abilities. Kelli is the driving force behind each and every performance and track of her chart topping albums. As a child growing up in a musical family with Grandmother, Mother and Uncle all playing piano, Kelli’s Mother taught her to play piano but more importantly gave her a distinct and unique style. Very uncommon when Kelli first stepped in front of her own band. As a child of 6 or 7, her lefthand was too small to play the customary octave or 10th’s her Mother and the rest of the family played. So her Mother taught her to walk the chord. Later on with her training in organ, Kelli bought a portable “Farfisa ” organ. It had the bass pedal on the left end of the keyboard. Now everything was coming together. Her Mother’s teachings, college theory and training came together for the Queen to develope her unique, awesome, originally contagious piano style that lead to the tag. All who hear her, agree. Kelli’s lefthanded bass line is the heart beat to her push driving rhythm that is coupled with gyrating leads.Add it all together and this Bass Kickin’, Rhythm Rockin’, Piano Poundin’ charismatic showman is … the Queen of Swing™.
ThreeStarPro@aol.com Three Star Promotions
Jo Campbell – Artist Representative www.threestarpromotions.net