Gail Marten: News

A radio discussion about the state of jazz today was conducted by Allen Hicks and John Bosley with Gail Marten offering her perspective. Music from "Is It Love" was played during the show. Will replay June 2nd through June 5th.
http://www.umbrellaradio.org/radio/RADIO.html

Gail Marten and Clem Ehoff have been selected by the Philadelphia Songwriters Project for a performance at The Bethlehem MusikFest. Philadelphia Songwriters Project is the creation of Stu Shames and Dena Marchiony. Both performers and songwriters, they understood the travails of getting their work heard by a wider audience. Their vision was a space where songwriters could perform music in a comfortable and engaging atmosphere, where the audience could enjoy an intimate moment with the artist, able to hear lyrics and musical nuance. A place where neither artist nor audience would have to deal with loud talking, smoke filled bars, and noisy distractions.

An unforgettable evening making music at Celebrities Lounge at the Tremont Park Hotel in Baltimore with phenomenal musicians Bob Diener on piano and John Leonard on bass. A warm, responsive and musically aware crowd.

A musically sublime Valentine's Night at That's Amore in Columbia, Maryland. Clem Ehoff on piano, John Leonard on bass and Jim Lyman on drums.

Touring throughout Costa Rica November 23rd through December 2nd

Sal Calfa is featuring our award-winning song, Heaven On A Tropic Shore, at Le Jazz Affair this week. www.lejazzaffair.com

Live Jazz at its finest was presented at Historic Oakland in Columbia, Maryland last night by Baltimore/Washington JazzFest. Gail Marten and The Clem Ehoff Trio connected with the jazz savvy and enthusiastic audience performing their original award-winning compositions as well as smokin' mainstream and latin jazz arrangements. Luscious vocals by Marten.

www.baltowashjazzfest.org

Notification of an ASCAPLUS 2007-2008 songwriting award has been received by Gail Marten which includes a cash prize. Details to follow.

Wonderful concert under the stars last night at Lake Kittamaqundi in Columbia, MD. The enthusiastic audience was mesmerized by Gail and The Clem Ehoff Trio performing some of their original music and exquisite arrangements of jazz standards.

Sal Calfa is featuring SUMMERTIME from our CD, BEYOND THE RAINBOW this week on his podcast, LeJazzAffair.

Join Gail Marten at LeeLynn's in Ellicott City with Jim Lyman and his trio. Come on by from 7 to 10 and enjoy jazz with your dinner and drinks outdoors under the moon on the patio.

The 2007 Billboard World Song Contest has presented awards for three songs from the CD, "IS IT LOVE." The songs are: IS IT LOVE (Marten & Ehoff); DREAM WITH ME (Marten & Ehoff) and JUST BEFORE DAWN (Marten & Rondon)

In 2004 Marten & Ehoff were the recipients of two awards in The 12th Billboard World Song Contest for ALWAYS THERE and A LOVELY DREAM from their CD, "PURE JOY."

Off to Puerto Vallarta with my sister, Linda. Sun, sea, sand, swimming, salsa, serenades, ceviche, sizzle, savignon, sweeeet.

ISound.com is featuring Gail's HER POINT OF VIEW this week on their jazz radio station.

IS IT LOVE, winner of First Prize in the 2005 UK Songwriting Contest is featured at isound.com jazz radio this week.

Join Gail Marten at LeeLynn's in Ellicott City with Jim Lyman and his trio. Come on by from 7 to 10 and enjoy jazz with your dinner. Gail and the Jim Lyman Trio will bring in the New Year at Ruth's Chris in Pikesville. See calendar for details.

Sal Calfa will be opening his First Year Anniversary Show with ALWAYS THERE from PURE JOY and closing the show with DREAM WITH ME from IS IT LOVEL Lyrics by Gail Marten and music by Clem Ehoff.

Gail Marten has been contacted by Australian Music Marketing Abroad offering international exposure and licensing for her music based on receipt of IS IT LOVE, her most recent collaboration with The Clem Ehoff Trio. AMMA was particularly interested in the tracks, Is It Love, Big Girl Blues and Her Point of View.

I recently found your music on SonicBids, and listened to your posted songs, and am interested in hearing more. "Just Before Dawn" and "Is it Love" are my favorites. You have a timeless and soothing voice. Our Agency has released and promoted music by over 400 artists. including Norah Jones. We'd love to see you play here in Atlanta sometime.

Marten & Ehoff have been nominated Best Vocal Jazz Album for their CD, IS IT LOVE, and in addition, the title song "Is It Love" has been nominated as Best Jazz Vocal Song. Press Release, September 11, 2006 The Just Plain Folks Music Organization has officially announced the nominees for its 2006 Just Plain Folks Music Awards after receiving over 25,500 albums and 350,000 songs from 105 countries... All nominations are posted on the Just Plain Folks website found at http://www.JPFolks.com The winners will be announced at the Just Plain Folks Music Awards Show on November 4th, 2006 in Santa Ana, CA at the Galaxy Theater.

www.isound.com is featuring the song with the feminine perspective written by Gail Marten this week at their jazz radio station.

Have you ever heard a song on the radio or in passing and just fell in love with it? It has happened to me, and it also happened to Gari Baxter, who gave me permission to share the tale of his quest for Just Before Dawn, a song written by Alfonso Rondon with lyrics by me. We are deeply touched and gratified to be able to reach out and connect by means of our music.

DEAR MS MARTEN-
On March 19, 2005 I was at Lexington Market having lunch on the upper floor, as I do a couple of Saturdays each month. A vocalist and a combo had been playing and the vocalist said something about Over The Rainbow being the greatest song of the 20th Century. As my companion and I were getting ready to go, the vocalist started a song that really caught my ear. I told my friend to wait so I could hear this song all the way through. I was really struck by it and couldn't remember having ever heard it before. I thought, how am I going to find out the name of the song. Can I just walk up to the singer and ask? Well, I guess there must have been a moment's lull, or else I was just so anxious to find out the name of the song, because I did just that. I walked up to the singer and asked. She said it was Just Before Dawn. I found something to write it on and also wrote down the name of the singer.

Imagine my joy when I found the person on the website and also found that my favorite source for esoteric recordings, Tower Records, had the singer and a recording that included Just Before Dawn.!!!! It was my lucky day.

I order from Tower every couple of months or so and did indeed order a week or so ago. To let you know how anxious I was to hear Just Before Dawn, I had also ordered Dizzy Gillespie's complete recordings on RCA Victor, Coleman Hawkins Centennial recording (including 2 versions of Body And Soul), Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits, an album by Roger McGuinn, Yo Yo Ma playing the Bach Cello Suites, 2 CDs by violinist Midori playing sonatas by Debussy, Elgar, Saint-Saens, Franck and Poulenc. I put Just Before Dawn on first!
- Gari Baxter

GAIL-
...A few measures into your vocal on Just Before Dawn, I was taken back to the moment a few weeks ago that had frozen me on my way out of Lexington Market.

If you don't mind, I must confess that I often pray when listening to certain music, whether it is classical, jazz or pop. Or whether or not the lyrics are obviously religious. Or whether the lyrics (like your piece) reflect our personal thoughts and meditations on life---as we sit and, sometimes, just wonder. Or, whether it is a composition like Just Before Dawn, whose melody and chord changes take me for a moment toward heaven.
- Gari Baxter

The title song from our CD, IS IT LOVE, is featured at www.isound.com. This is the song that won First Prize in the jazz category of the 2005 UK Songwriting Competition.

Clem Ehoff's composition, ALMOST A SAMBA, from our CD, BEYOND THE RAINBOW was featured at Sal Calfa's www.lejazzaffair.com on July 26th.

WE CAN LEARN TO FLY is featured at www.isound.com jazz radio this week. Our thanks to Max and the rest of the staff there for their continued support of our music.