Tune in to these four upand-coming musicians
Whether homegrown or recent arrivals, a fresh crop of young women always seems to replenish the Bay Area music scene. Determined to add their voices to the mix, they draw from an overlapping array of influences, as each one strives to create a sound that’s her own. Here are some of the most promising and important new voices.
AMY DABALOS: An invaluable catalyst on the South Bay scene in recent years, San Jose native Dabalos is an accomplished singer who can navigate standards with aplomb and deliver original material with swinging conviction. She performs March 30 in San Jose at the Hotel De Anza’s Hedley Club, and Tuesday, April 4, at Jazz at Five Points, an event produced by San Jose Jazz.
VIVECA HAWKINS:
While Berkeley vocalist Hawkins is best known for her work with former Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen’s The Memorials, she has been making a powerful impression with drummer Ruthie Price’s Sounds of Life project. Drawing on her church roots, rock ’n’ roll dues and R&B fluency, she brings soul-drenched confidence to acoustic jazz settings, such as her April 1 performance at the Boom Boom Room with saxophonist Howard Wiley’s Extra Nappy.
VALERIE TROUTT:
Mentored by masters like Linda Tillery, Troutt emanates purposeful calm even when she’s
singing about politically charged topics. As leader of the vocal ensemble MoonCandy, she has collaborated widely with choreographer Nicole Klaymoon’s Embodiment Project, but Troutt is increasingly stepping to the foreground as a composer and bandleader.
SUSANA PINEDA: Colombian-born singer Pineda has thrived since moving to the Bay Area to study at the California Jazz Conservatory, which is where she met guitarist Luis Salcedo and formed the remarkable duo Opaluna. After releasing a critically acclaimed eponymous debut album last year focusing on Latin jazz-laced original material, the duo has continued to evolve. Opaluna plays an opening set at Doc’s Lab in North Beach on April 28.