RISING STARS
CHATTING WITH PALEMA LUSS

Pamela in the studio with Jeremy Pelt,
Mulgrew Miller, and Seamus Blake recording her album.
Q-What goes in your mind, right
before you appear on stage and facing your audience?
Pamela Luss: It’s live diving into a pool. It’s a very quick
plunge. You have to be optimistic and you can’t think about hitting the
bottom.
Q-And upon leaving the stage?
Pamela Luss: It’s a combination of feelings, mostly a sense of
fulfillment and excitement.
Q-What do you notice first about a person you meet for the first
time?
Pamela Luss: It’s different every time, but I would say I notice
facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice.
Q-And what people notice first about Pamela Luss?
Pamela Luss: I am very friendly.

Pamela on stage.
This singer has presence and a multidimensional talent.
Q-Stage is an elixir of illusion. Do you bring your life to stage,
meaning Pamela Luss, the human being, or the Diva in you?
Pamela Luss: I definitely bring my life to the stage. I have loved
singing since childhood.
Q-What are the virtues of a real singer?
Pamela Luss: A singer must learn to sing correctly from the start
in order to protect the voice and breathe correctly. A singer needs very
good pitch, range, breath control, and timing. A real singer should also
be good at interpreting lyrics. It is wonderful to have a unique tone in
the voice. Personality and/or delivery of a song can also be special
attributes for a singer.
Q-Do you tolerate vicious artistic ambitions?
Pamela Luss: I don’t like viciousness of any kind. One can be
ambitious, aggressive, and strong without being vicious. The end does not
justify the means. Although it’s not always possible, I try to stay away
from toxic people. Toxic people take too much of your time and energy.
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Q-What does success mean to you?
Pamela Luss: To me, success means leading a well adjusted life
with family and friends and having work that is totally fulfilling. For
me, it is being able to work as a vocalist, both as a live singer and a
recording artist.
Q-To YOU, what is more important success/fame or talent.
Pamela Luss: I am thinking of the Barbara Streisand song, “I Want
Everything, Everything.” Who wouldn’t want both talent and success?
Q-Any price an artist must pay to reach for stardom?
Pamela Luss: Ups and downs are stressful. It’s not like going to
a regular job as it is much less structured. You have to spend a lot of
time alone rehearsing, looking for the right work, and exploring new
materials. This is sometimes lonely without daily interactions with
colleagues.
Q-Did you pay that price?
Pamela Luss: Yes, The ideas above are based on my experience.
Q-What's next on your agenda? Performance, concerts, deals?
Pamela Luss: My next gig is on Tuesday, May 9 at Sweet Rhythm in
NYC. I am looking forward to continuing to perform. Organizing my next
CD is a priority.
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Her biography synopsis
tells us that Pamela began many years of private vocal training. Her
first coach was recommended by the Diller-Quaile School of Music in New
York City. The priority was the correct use and development of her
voice. Although offered a partial scholarship in voice at one school,
Pamela chose New York University after being encouraged by the Dean of
Music during her audition. While pursuing her singing and working in
recruiting and human resources, Pamela was given the opportunity to
perform as the solo vocalist for benefit concerts at Weill Recital Hall
at Carnegie Hall, and for a season, as a regular at Bruno Jamais
Restaurant Club. For the past year, she has been working full-time as a
vocalist and has been performing at various clubs in New York City while
developing her first CD. At Weill Recital Hall, Pamela met Vincent
Herring, a world renowned saxophonist, who performed in the annual
concerts and became Musical Director. Under his masterful direction, the
concerts were comprised of performances by a variety of great jazz
musicians, including Eric Reed, Richie Goods, Louis Hayes, Stefon
Harris, Wallace Roney, and others. In 2005, Pamela went into the
recording studio to cut her first CD. Vincent Herring was so taken with
Pamela's talent and performances at Weill Hall that he agreed to produce
and play on her debut recording. The band assembled reads like a Who's
Who of contemporary jazz, featuring Mulgrew Miller, Tom Harrell, Richie
Goods, Jeremy Pelt, Steve Turre, Russell Malone, Greg Hutchinson and
others. Pamela has a great talent for getting to the heart of a lyric,
of shaping a phrase with subtle insinuation and certainly is not
intimated at all by her illustrious collaborators. The record, entitled
"There's Something About You I Don't Know" will be released in early
2006 by New York-based Savant Records. "Pamela Luss, like Jane Monheit,
Diana Krall and Michael Buble," says Vincent Herring, "is part of a new
generation of vocalists with a passion for beautiful songs and the
ability to bring them life." Jeremy Pelt added, "As far as jazz
vocalists go, I've never heard anyone like her."
Pamela's
CD was the "#1 TOP/HOTSELLER" for two weeks on the Contemporary Jazz
Vocal sales chart- Cduniverse.com and in the top 4 for a month. On
April 20th, the CD was rated #15 out of 50 on the RMR Jazz Airplay
chart. On March 6th, the CD was selected as one of Dr. Mike's "HOT
PICKS OF THE WEEK", and on "Dr. Mike's Favorites" list for 3 weeks on
Radioiojazz.com. JAZZ WITH BOB PARLOCHA- Jazz expert, Radio DJ, and
Musician rated Pamela's CD as #28 on his " Top 40 New Releases."
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