Diane Hubka - You Inspire Me

'Exudes taste, class and superb musicianship. - Ed Benson, JUST JAZZ GUITAR 'As fine a selection of guitarists as anyone could ask for...the perfect backdrop for Hubka's lilting, well-trained voice.' Mitchell Seidel, HOTHOUSE 'Refreshingly eclectic.' - Christopher Loudon, JAZZTIMES 'She sings with the same cool, breathy embouchure of a sax player.' - Jim Fisch, 20th CENTURY GUITAR 'Diane Hubka simply will not disappoint. She continues to sing beautifully...balancing on her lovely sustained tones with the wiliness of a unicyclist.' - Alan bargebuhr, CADENCE Diane Hubka is an engaging performer whether accompanying herself on seven-string guitar or leading an ensemble. With a swinging, sophisticated sound, she displays both a respect for traditional form and a flair for innovative styling. Diane casts a wide net for her material, with a refeshingly eclectic repertoire that includes many lesser known jems, as well as classic straight-ahead Jazz, Blues, American Popular Song and Brazilian Bossa Nova. Diane Hubka won international acclaim when her debut CD, Haven't We Met, with alto sax legend Lee Konitz, was nominated for a 1999 Jazz Award for Best Recording Debut, alongside Stefon Harris, Ravi Coltrane and Brian Blade. Critic Scott Yanow heralded her second CD, Look No Further, as 'one of the best in recent times.' Her newest outing, You Inspire Me is a tribute (and a testament) to her love of jazz guitar and features the singer with seven of the world's top virtuoso guitarists, including Bucky Pizzarelli, Gene Bertoncini, Jack Wilkins and Romero Lubambo with the entire Brazilian Trio Da Paz. Performing in major jazz clubs across the country, she has appeared in New York at Blue Note, Birdland, Knitting Factory, Jazz Gallery and Chez Suzette; the Mellon Central Pennsylvania Jazz Festival, on stage at the Philadelphia Guitar Show; and Washington D.C.'s Blues Alley. Returning to her home town, she has been the featured soloist with the Western Maryland Symphony. She currently lives in Los Angeles where she has performed at the Jazz Bakery, the Jazz Spot, Lowes Santa Monica Hotel and Spazio. In September 2002 she began playing the 7-string guitar, and in June 2003 she played on stage at the Philadelphia Guitar Show, on behalf of American Archtop Guitars by Dale Unger. Concord Jazz recording artist Howard Alden, one of the world's foremost 7-string players, says 'I think voice plus seven-string guitar are an ideal combination. It's rare to find someone who can perform with both single-handedly, but Diane Hubka does just that - beautifully!' This Blue Ridge Mountain-bred artist grew up in Western Maryland in a musical family and learned violin, trombone and guitar from an early age. In college she joined her guitar teacher's group as a singer, and developed her love and knowledge of jazz. 'My teacher, Bill Bittner, playing his big, hollow-bodied Gibson L-7 guitar with a Charlie Christian pick-up, made a permanent impression on my young jazz ears!' she says. In 1989 she moved to New York, after winning a jazz fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. She studied voice, piano and guitar with some of New York's premier jazz artists including: Anne Marie Moss, Sheila Jordan, Barry Harris, Harold Danko, Connie Crothers, Gene Bertoncini and Howard Alden. Diane Hubka currently lives in Los Angeles, where she accepts students for private instruction. She also conducts workshops on jazz improvisation throughout the country. A member of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), she will be presenting a panel at their Jan. 2005 Conference on 'The Voice / Instrument Connection.'

1) Love
2) Blue Moon
3) Winter Moon
4) Suddenly
5) Nuages
6) Nothing Like You
7) Inside a Silent Tear
8) You Inspire Me
9) The Old New Waltz
10) Moment to Moment
11) Sunday in New York
12) Romance
13) Wave