Jazz
Coming from an artistic and musical family, her earliest experience with music was playing the ukulele and singing when she was five years old. From age nine, she began teaching herself piano and taking flute lessons at school. Sharon 's search for a musical voice continued when she was fifteen and got a job so she could buy herself a guitar. She majored in the fine arts at Northern Virginia Community College in Fairfax , Va. and Ducret School of the in New Jersey ; studying drawing , painting, sculpture and dance. Sharon 's start in the music business came in the form of managing singer/songwriter Michael Fitzgerald from 1979 to 1981 in Red Bank, NJ . She handled sales and promotion for him in the New York Metropolitan Area.Sharon was born in Newport , Rhode Island . Her father was raised in Bronx , NY and became a Naval Officer whose tours took the family to live on the East Coast in Rhode Island , Maine , Florida , Virginia , as well as traveling throughout the United States and Europe . Her mother, a history major and librarian grew up in Red Bank, NJ. Sharon became a resident of Asheville , North Carolina in 1984. Managing the family Chiropractic office and raising her two children there. The diverse music scene in Asheville re-kindled her interest in music. She began to study Vocal Technique with Amy Rae Stupka and piano to strengthen her understanding of theory and harmony. Her jazz vocal coaches include Jackie Allen, Jennifer Shelton Barnes, Jay Clayton, and Sheila Jordan . She attended the Swannanoa Gathering Music Camp in 2002, Jamey Abersold Jazz Camp 2003 and Sheila Jordan's and Jay Clayton's vocal retreat in in 2004 and 2005.
In 2001 Sharon began her association with a group of musicians, the Taken Back Quartet. In collaboration with these musicians which included Philip Whack, Sam Macy, Mike Holstein and Taylor Davis and with consultations from NYC pianist/composer Bill Gerhardt, she formed a non-profit organization dedicated to the presentation and documentation of original instrumental jazz.
It was well received by the community and after just four presentations supported through grassroots grants from the Asheville Area Arts Council. The Jazz Composers Forum, non-profit organization has produced a concert series, radio broadcasts and workshops throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, and New Jersey for six years and while usually presenting at least two composers at each concert . As president of the Jazz Composers Forum; Sharon has worked diligently to present local, regional and national composers in serious concert settings.
To date she has presented over 200 listening room concerts of original instrumental jazz music . The Jazz Composers Forum has also held composer / small ensemble workshops and concerts at primary and university level schools. The Jazz Composers Forum is supported by the Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation and Business Sponsorships as well as individual donations . http://www.jazzcomposersforum.org/
She is owner of Call That Jazz, booking and management agency. http://www.callthatjazz.com/Sharon 's high standard for providing quality music has earned a reputation with jazz lovers and jazz musicians throughout the United States . She continues to study piano and double bass. Her regular visits to NYC allow her the luxury of coaching with Jay Clayton and Sheila Jordan. Her love of the music will inspire her to continue to grow and search out new musical horizons whether singing in her cool understated style or promoting cutting edge twenty first century music.
Sharon LaMotte and The Bill Gerhardt Quartet perform throughout the Southeast. She has a regular gig in the West Village NYC at Ido Sushi on Seventh Ave So. where she plays every couple of months and also every Monday at the Café on the Square 1 Biltmore Ave . Asheville , NC
Review:
"This woman is into the song. All that exists for her is the raw emotion captured in lyrics and melody. Experiencing one of LaMotte's live performances close up is like diving into a dose of honesty. Low-key, almost shy, LaMotte sings with a guileless disdain for embellishment. And with her softly swaying brunette hair, she resembles an earth goddess holding reverence for the natural simplicity of the song."
Toni Monetta- Rapid River
Toni Monetta- Rapid River
Contact Info:
mail:20 Pinecroft Rd Asheville, NC 28804
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