Performing at Chicago Singer Spotlight's First Anniversary show on Wednesday, January 9 at FitzGerald's

The Plunging Necklines
The Plunging Necklines started as a trio in 1995, first heard on WLUP's Sunday Funnies Show with Brian McCann. They were guilty as charged for invoking THE RAP OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD© (which due to its length is still being performed for the first time as you read this). Their next affront played out at Schubas' Hoot Night with, among other things, a paean to the quintessential 70's bummer ballad, WILDFIRE. Now a duo, jiggling...er, juggling gigs with their alteregos, the lost Spice girls "Sputnik Spice" and "Spice Rack," The Plunging Necklines are nothing.....if not eclectic, exploring as the PR blurb states, "Folk, Rock 'n' More" - Shakespeare to Springsteen, The Ink Spots to XTC, with stops at tunes a little bit country, a little bit celtic, more than a little Kinksy and often guilty of great poignancy. They specialize in the medley, in queer juxtapositioning of songs serving a specific theme, a certain artist, or just 'cause it's goofy. Again for a Hoot Night entitled "Neil vs. Stevie," TPN created the first Stevie Nicks/Stephen Foster medley, legal ONLY in Illlinois (if you sing CAMPTOWN LADIES to the tune RHIANNON, you'll know why every banjo player in the South winces slightly whenever TPN hits the stage). The 'Necklines sing not only original songs they wrote, but also original songs written by others. Jacquie Krupka (guitar and vocals) penned music to Robert Frost's THE ROAD NOT TAKEN and to Willie the Shakes' VER/HIEMS from "Love's Labours' Lost." Pretty heady stuff -- so for the sake of balance, Meg Guttman (vocals and percussion) is working on her first Neckline oeuvre, THANKS FOR THE LOBSTER. Together they create the swirling, jazzy, heaven-and-hell harmonies that are their raison d'etre -- their whores d'oeuvres -- the je ne sais quoi but I don't know what it is. Finally, The Plunging Necklines wish to offer up music never before encountered, the sheer joy of living inside it, and the unfettered fun of life itself. They WISH. Wishing makes it so... It's like rock 'n' roll British vaudeville, only the beer is cold. Sometimes a visual, always an attitude - The Plunging Necklines.

Paula Ramsey
Paula's singing career has taken her across the United States, Canada and South America. She has performed along side Sammy Davis Jr., Joan Rivers, Joe Williams, Chaka Kahn, Henny Youngman and Billy Ocean to name a few. Paula was a regular in the Chicago nightclub scene at the Pinnacle Restaurant on Lake Shore Drive and Milt Trenier's Jazz Club for many years. Her most memorable performances though, were for Hugh Hefner's Playboy Clubs that booked her across the country. Although she loves performing 'live', she's quite busy and happy in the recording studio. You can hear this much in demand voice-over and singing talent on commercials for Sear's Homelife Furniture, United Airlines, V-Tech Toys, Proscout and Oakbrook Center. Other clients include Abbott Labs, True Value and various inter-company educational tools. She is also the co-host of "I Do, I Do" a weekly radio program, about love and weddings and everything in between, on WCKG 105.9 FM with Becca Kaufman.

Jenniphre Zias
Jen Zias feels really lucky to have lived and performed in and around the city of Chicago for the past eight years. She has had the privilege of working with many wonderful local musicians, who have suffered through her musical shortcomings with tremendous grace. She can most recently be seen fronting her fab band, The Chicago Rhythm Review, along with co-creator Bruce Altice, at local weddings and parties (call 630-323-4623 for booking info). She has also been hitting the open mic circuit with pal Temple Schultz performing their original music (look for upcoming shows in March 2002). As lead singer of Samba Bamba, she was featured on Wild Chicago's Emmy Award Winning 12th Anniversary show earlier this year. Now she tells anyone that will listen that she has won an Emmy. Finally, she is currently enjoying her regular Friday and Saturday night gig at The Pump Room with pianist Dennis Anderson, 1305 N. State Parkway (F 8:00-12:00, S 8:30-12:30, no cover). Jen would like thank Becca and Amy for inviting her to appear on Chicago Singer Spotlight's first anniversary show and would especially like to thank all those who have come out tonight to support her and local music!

Old Town Cool featuring Joe Wright
Old Town Cool has been singing together in at least partial harmony for almost three years, assembling through the Old Town School of Folk Music, under the stellar guidance of Mark Burnell. Coming together from vastly different backgrounds and styles, Old Town Cool brings its own unique touch to favorite swing classics first made famous by such legends as The Four Freshmen, Rare Silk, & The Manhattan Transfer. Old Town Cool has been spotted at Chicago gems including Davenport's, Lily's, The Lyon's Den and Fizz, and they're very pleased to be broadening their spectrum at FitzGerald's! The pieces that make Old Town Cool fit are Heidi Letzmann (soprano), Liz Beckman (alto), Joe Wright (tenor), & Chris Granner (bass).