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Biography The Satin Doll Trio is an elegant ensemble renowned for their excellence in the intimate "supper club jazz" style that was popularized during the early 1950's by artists such as Julie London, Sarah Vaughan, and Peggy Lee. Like the guitar-bass-voice trios that came before them, the Satin Doll Trio has learned from the best and taken the art form to new levels. Their musical interests are firmly rooted classic American jazz songs of the period. They have appeared on the stages of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, The Corcoran Gallery's Armand Hammer Auditorium, and have made television appearances on the BET Jazz programs "Jazz Central" and "Impressions". Since forming the group in 1997 they have remained consummate performers making more than two hundred appearances annually at prestigious venues throughout the Washington D.C. area and Eastern United States. The group has received exceptional reviews from the Washington Post, the Washington Times, and from JazzReview.com. Last year saw the Satin Doll Trio returning to the stage of the John F. Kennedy Center for a packed house performance at the KC Jazz Club and completing of their long awaited third CD release titled "In The Middle of a Kiss". In a recent review of "In the Middle of a Kiss", Mike Joyce of the Washington Post said... "glowing interpretations help to make this session particularly alluring. Singer Patrice Ferris's affinity for romantic ballads is always evident, especially on the album's title track, penned by Sam Coslow… Elsewhere, Ferris puts her stamp on songs associated with Nat King Cole ("You Call It Madness" and "There's a Lull in My Life"), Frank Sinatra ("September in the Rain") and Peggy Lee ("Close Your Eyes"). Obviously each of these singers is a role model for Ferris, and just as obviously, she has listened closely and learned well. ...Clearly, guitarist Ken Kilpatrick and bassist Fred Ferris, Patrice's husband, have worked alongside each other long enough to develop a hand-in-glove rapport. Kilpatrick's arpeggiated fills and melodic solos complement the vocalist and the tunesmiths, while Ferris softly underpins the moody pop with warm tones and understated swing." The latest CD release is an artfully eclectic mix of romantic songs that beautifully illustrates the groups' extraordinary range of talents and repertoire. (See Music page) "The Satin Doll
Trio plays smooth as silk jazz" Satin Doll Trio vocalist Patrice Ferris was born in Honolulu Hawaii. She began her musical career by studying piano and flute at a young age but always loved to just sing. During her teen years she studied performing arts and began singing in choirs, musicals, and various vocal ensembles. While attending college at American University she studied with her most influential teacher, the renowned opera voice teacher Ms. Lois Darling. Her interest in the vocal styles of artists like Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, and Carmen McCray led her to the Elliston School for Jazz Studies where she studied with jazz vocalist Ronnie Wells.
In a review of the trio's second release "I'm Glad There Is You", the Washington Post wrote that, "she always places her considerable talent at the service of the song, making the words count and the moods linger", while JazzReview.com called her phrasing "spot-on and creative" as Patrice puts her own personal stamp on songs like "Easy Street", "Nevertheless", and "Rock Me To Sleep". Patrice has graced the cover of Washington Flyer magazine, as the magazines pick for "Best In Show", and most recently, the front cover of Volume V of THE WORLD WHO'S WHO IN JAZZ, CABARET, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT, who called her the best trio singer of 2007. "Patrice Ferris
sings so sweetly you'd think she was a Patrice is solidly accompanied by guitarist Ken Kilpatrick, a native of upstate New York, and bassist Fred Ferris, a Washington D.C. native, who have both been part of the D.C. areas music scene for the past twenty years. While attending American University guitarist Ken Kilpatrick studied music theory, jazz improvisation, and was a member of the American University Jazz Band. He has spent his musical career studying the guitar styles of guitarists such as Oscar Moore, Charlie Christen, Barney Kessel, and Howard Roberts. Bassist Fred Ferris attended Johns Hopkins University as an engineering major but also studied jazz improvisation, music theory, and has trained with well-known bassists such as John Previti and Myke Lyons. He credits Joe Comfort, Ray Leatherwood, and Ketter Betts as his greatest influences. "Bassist Fred
Ferris keeps the rhythms in a tight pocket, allowing guitarist Ken Kilpatrick
to craft melody lines and inventive chord structures that would make Barney
Kessel proud" Other accomplishments by the trio include performances at the John F. Kennedy Center’s renowned Mark Twain awards (awarded to Woopie Goldberg), Washington’s prestigious Cosmos Club, and again filming live television performances for the BET Jazz Channel program "Jazz Central" and for News Channel 8 WJLA Washington D.C. The Satin Doll Trio has had the pleasure to perform for the following events and organizations: The John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts © Satin Doll
Trio 2006 |
Patrice
developed her distinctively smooth singing style while performing five nights a
week in Washington D.C. area nightclubs. One club owner commented that there
weren't enough "O's" in the word "SMOOTH" to describe her vocal styles,
pointing out that she seamlessly combines the sultriness of a singer like Julie
London, with the soul of a singer like Billy Holiday. Patrice's greatest
strength lies in her innate ability to connect with her material and
communicate that intimacy with the listener.