<p style="line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">Elli Fordyce is a highly accomplished jazz vocalist and actor. A native of New York City, Elli has performed all over North America, including appearances in the New York Cabaret Convention and various festivals, to rave reviews. “Elli’s vocal ideas are full of imagination and personality ... it is clear that Elli Fordyce knows the real meaning of ‘cool’."<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> – Brad Walseth, jazzchicago.net.</em>
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<p style="line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">On the heels of Elli’s debut album “Something Still Cool” in 2008, she released her second album “Songs Spun of Gold” in 2009. “Something Still Cool” was a breakthrough recording, breathing new life into the genre. Elli brings a personality and sophistication to the material that only a mature vocalist with years of experience can; she included classics by celebrated composers (Antonio Carlos Jobim, George Gershwin, et al) and her renditions show why Fordyce’s name belongs alongside some of the greats of our time. “Elli turns a lyric into something addressed personally to a listener … she unfolds the song and it becomes more and more romantic … it's something interesting and Something Still Cool.” <em>– Rob Lester, TalkinBroadway.com. </em>To call her a “singer” would be a gross understatement. Fordyces performances on “Songs Spun of Gold” have been called “evocative and relevant, inspired and inspiring.” “This album is a rare occurrence in modern jazz. In preservation of a more traditional jazz vocal style, Elli Fordyce is strong, bold and smooth as her voice dances around the classic sounds of an acoustic jazz band.” <em>–</em><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> MicControl. </em>"A must for fans of vocal jazz, this release is indeed spun of gold." <em>–</em><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </em><em>ChicagoJazz.net. </em>According to the <em>Daily Sun News: </em>"Fordyce is someone to behold to the listening ear. It is hard to imagine she is 73-years-old. Her voice is timeless."
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<p style="line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Elli’s dazzling re-entry into the marketplace follows a series of detours. After spending time with family, a return to school and finally back on track with her music, the unexpected happened. Literally on-the-road to share her gifts, her quartet had a devastating accident on a snowy highway when the car carrying them and their equipment was totaled by crashing into a disabled truck. A successful year-long “Elli Fordyce and Her Favorite Things” tour ended abruptly leaving numerous scars. Fordyce soon stopped singing for 15 years (“not even ‘Happy Birthday,’ not in the shower”) and focused firmly on much needed healing. But her music was not over. Elli’s ginger-colored Yorkie, named Dindi after the title of Elli’s favorite Jobim bossa nova (which also means "little jewel” in Portuguese), helped to get her going again <em>–</em><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </em>by singing it to the pup. Inspiration renewed, Elli joined a cabaret workshop taught by the brilliant MAC-Award-winning singer/songwriter, Lina Koutrakos; not long after she came under the influence of Barry Harris, renowned jazz pianist and educator, to whom she gives much of the credit for putting her squarely back on the path, a comeback inevitable.
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<p style="line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">And come back she has! Her first CD became an overnight sensation garnering rave reviews. Her second CD, also critically acclaimed, was selected for the 2009 Grammy Awards pre-nom list. “Ms. Fordyce has the spirit and voice of one of the blessed, the spirit and stamina of eternal song.” <em>–</em><em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Bob Gish, Jazz Improv-New York</em>.
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<p style="line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">When Elli is not busy singing she will be adding to her acting credits, which already include work on the critically acclaimed “Chappelle's Show,” the film, “September 12” and the musical, “Guys & Dolls,” presented Off-Broadway<em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </em>at The Access Theatre.
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<p style="line-height: normal;" class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">Elli Fordyce is that rare entertaining phenomenon that so many artists strive to be; the difference is that she has what it takes.
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<p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Contact: </strong>
<p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center"> Janet Castiel — Redwood Entertainment, Inc
<p style="text-align: center; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal" align="center">212-543-9998 <a href="mailto:Janet.Castiel@RedwoodEntertainment.com">Janet.Castiel@RedwoodEntertainment.com</a>
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