MUSIC

Lots of singers can play the piano. Some pianists can sing. Very few can do either as well as Dena DeRose, let alone both. "She both sings and plays the piano like a million bucks," says DownBeat, which also named her Live at Jazz Standard Vol. 2 as one of the Top Ten CDs of 2008 (as did All About Jazz and the Jazz Journalists Association). Her piano playing features hip modern harmonies and dazzling improvisation, anchored by a joyous, compelling sense of swing. As a vocalist, she can scat intricate bebop lines one minute and break your heart with a wistful ballad the next. On either one of her chosen instruments, Dena is a remarkable performer with a unique artistic voice. When she does both, it's like seeing two amazing jazz artists in a single body.

Growing up as an aspiring pianist, Dena discovered the other facet of her amazing talent in the face of an obstacle that might have ended a lesser musician's career. A complicated case of carpal tunnel syndrome made it impossible for her to play piano for a few years. During this forced hiatus, Dena found an outlet for her music through singing. By the time surgery and physical rehabilitation had restored her piano chops, it was clear that singing would be more than a footnote in her career. On either of her chosen instruments, Dena is a remarkable performer with a unique artistic voice. When she does both, she's simply "the most creative and compelling singer-pianist since Shirley Horn" (-Joel E. Siegel) and "...an exceptionally gifted pianist as well as a sultry and intelligent singer, she has the audience at her feet" (-San Francisco Chronicle).