CABARET

The Metropolitan Room
Ken Slavin - Singer

Ken Slavin is a dear, longterm friend of ours from San Antonio.  He's played several times at The Metropolitan Room and we're getting to hear and see him perform this evening.

When: Saturday, Nov 29, 2014 9:30 PM (Doors open at 9:00 PM)

Ticket Price: $25.00 - $115.00

Door Time: 9:00 PM

Show Type: Jazz

Restrictions: 2 Beverage Minimum

Ken Slavin: I've Got a Crush on New York Town

Texas-based jazz crooner Ken Slavin returns for his third engagement at the Metropolitan Room on Thanksgiving Weekend.  Come see and hear why Ken is creating excitement on New York area radio stations and across the country with his new CD recorded right here: "You Gotta Have Heart: Ken Slavin LIVE at The Metropolitan Room in New York City."

As always, you can expect an intimate and highly enjoyable show of great standards and jazz classics that will leave you tapping your feet, snapping your fingers and shouting for more!  There will even be some swingin' Holiday

classics thrown in for good measure!

His sound has been compared to Tony Bennett, Johnny Hartman, Mel Torme and other greats. One reviewer dubbed him “Mr. Tuxedo Voice.” Texas Monthly says he’s one of the “Swing Set.” In reality, Ken's voice, persona and performance style put him in a category all his own. But no matter how you describe him, there isn’t anybody on today’s music scene quite like jazz crooner KEN SLAVIN.

Long before the current crop of young interpreters of classic jazz and the Great American Songbook embarked on their careers, Ken was singing the classics while working the microphone and building a fan base deep in the heart of Texas - in the culturally diverse and vibrant city of San Antonio, which is now the seventh largest metro area in the country.  He performs regularly in San Antonio and in Austin - the musical capital of the Lone Star State.  He also has sung as far north as Alaska and as far south as Mexico City!

A late bloomer who had his first professional gig at age 29, he has racked up numerous awards and glowing reviews across the country and overseas.  His CDs are programmed on many traditional and internet radio stations in the USA and Europe.  His critically acclaimed "I'll Take Romance" has been spotlighted on programs from Alaska to New York and as far away as the United Kingdom, Italy, Poland, New Zealand, Portugal, France and Mexico - and is currently programmed on the "Singers and Swing" channel of cable TV's Music Choice network, headquartered in New York City.  It is also a Spotify and Apple iTunes favorite.

Ken has opened for such jazz legends as The Four Freshmen, Eddie Palmieri, Dee Dee Bridgewater, David Sanborn and Chico Hamilton.  He also has performed in concert with the internationally acclaimed Jim Cullum Jazz Band (famous for its National Public Radio program, “Riverwalk, Live From The Landing”), and has given private performances for Grammy Award winners Helen Reddy and Vikki Carr. His unique interpretations of jazz, pop, blues and Spanish language classics and his charismatic stage presence have made him the top male jazz vocalist in South Texas - popular everywhere from the "country club set" and sophisticated nightspots to jazz festivals and college campuses.

SAMPLE REVIEWS:

"I looked you up on YouTube and really like the way you sing, with feeling and emotion, especially the New York medley.  I have never heard the 'I've Got a Crush on New York' tune....thank you for drawing my attention to your singing, and I hope to see and hear you soon in person." - REX REED, NEW YORK OBSERVER

"When jazz singer Ken Slavin went to New York City for a Halloween night gig, he didn't mess around. Not only did Slavin land a return engagement . . . he ended up with a live CD, “You Gotta Have Heart: Ken Slavin Live at The Metropolitan Room in New York” . . . The disc sounds great. Working with Ehud Asherie (piano), Joel Forbes (bass) and Phil Stewart (drums), Slavin turned in a night of classics including “I Love Being Here With You,” “The Way You Look Tonight” and a first-class New York medley. Slavin was in fine voice, the band cooked and Brake Brake (recording engineer) captured it beautifully. When live shows go well, they're tough to beat. New York City agrees with the man." - JIM BEAL, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

"It is obvious, listening to 'You Gotta Have Heart' and his previous recording, 'I’ll Take Romance,' that Ken Slavin loves to sing. His enthusiasm is infectious, he has a real understanding for the lyrics that he interprets and he

swings. His voice is excellent, he has a fine range and he is always in-tune . . . 'You Gotta Have Heart' was recorded at the Metropolitan Room in New York and it is apparent throughout this set that he is thrilled to be singing in the Big

Apple.  With tasteful and sympathetic support supplied by pianist Ehud Asherie, bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Phil Stewart (all of whom also have occasional short solos), Ken Slavin is heard at his best . . . Whether one considers Ken Slavin to be a jazz singer or a cabaret performer (he fits into both areas), it is indisputable that he is a very good singer, one well worth discovering." -- SCOTT YANOW, LOS ANGELES JAZZ SCENE, NOTED JAZZ HISTORIAN AND AUTHOR (The Jazz Singers, Swing, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76, among many others.)

"Jazz and cabaret singer Ken Slavin has what it takes to make hearts melt: a deep baritone voice that fills the room and a sincere approach to lyrics that reach out tenderly with genuine passion. . . Slavin feels as comfortable with

Brazilian romance as he does with Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Jimmy Van Heusen, and Harold Arlen: honoring a timeless songbook that will never be forgotten." – JIM SANTELLA, CADENCE MAGAZINE

"I heard Ken stop the room...literally one of the most difficult rooms to stop in New York City and perhaps the entire world. This crowd never asks for encores, but they asked for two from Ken that night. I'll never forget it.” – CLINT BROWNFIELD, travel writer for THE NEW YORK POST and other major publications (After watching Ken sit in at a packed open-mic night at The Townhouse in Manhattan

"Like a comedian careening through a familiar joke, Slavin has incredible control over the pacing and melodic intricacies of the best pages of the [Great American Songbook]. But, Slavin and company don’t stick exclusively to

standards—towards the end of the evening, he and the trio bring out a great lounge rendition of Robert Johnson’s “Everyday I Have the Blues. . . Recorded on Halloween night ["You Gotta Have Heart"] features pianist Ehud Asherie, bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Phil Stewart—all NY players. . . Before his closing number “Mack the Knife,” Slavin gives a little personal history of his bond with the Kurt Weill tune . . Cool without sounding corny, Slavin burns up-tempo through the violence of [that song] far away from the San Antonio River Walk tourist crowd in time, space and recognition" - MATT STIEB, SAN ANTONIO CURRENT.

 "Stunning . . . and his appearance matches his voice - it's quality . . . Wonderful! . . . the perfect punctuation point to an enjoyable evening."  - JOANNE GOOD, HOST OF "LATE NIGHT WITH JOANNE GOOD" ON BBC LONDON 94.9 FM  (Ken was invited to appear on her radio program while on a promotional trip to London in 2011.)

"When it comes to crooning in the classic jazz/pop tradition, Ken Slavin has no peers." – SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

"Ken's 'I'll Take Romance' is simply stunning. . . I haven't heard "But Beautiful" done so well since Billie Holiday." - JIMMY R. SMITH, 'FRESH BEATS,' THIS WEEK IN TEXAS

"Slavin is making inroads in the worldwide music scene...a remarkable talent -- a voice that has been variously described as 'velvety,' 'sultry,' 'clear,' and 'rich' -- combined with his showmanship, have gained notice as far away as

France and Portugal. Slavin says he is a Texas performer looking to break out. The way he's going, it won't be too long before his wish comes true." - SCENE IN SA MONTHLY

"Ken Slavin’s got some pipes and he knows how to use them. Attend a show and you are likely to fall in love – not only with his sultry voice, but also with that mile-wide, boyish grin and those handsome good looks. Slavin is funny, charming and works hard to ensure the entire audience has a great time.” – MISI WOOLARD, “ART & SOUL,” NORTH SAN ANTONIO TIMES

“A sultry, late-night ode to love, ‘I’ll Take Romance’ is a seductive 16-song collection that features both the lushest texture (particularly with the string-laden bookends “Thoughts of Your Smile” and “I’ll Take Romance”) and the

most intimate, casual vibe ever heard on a Slavin album...More than most contemporary interpreters of the Great American Songbook, Slavin delights in turning his material sideways, making even the most familiar tunes sound like new discoveries...” - GILBERT GARCIA, MUSIC EDITOR, SAN ANTONIO CURRENT