Performing at Chicago Singer Spotlight on Wednesday, November 14 at FitzGerald's

Joan Curto
Joan has been performing most of her life. She began performing in musical theater at the age of 15 with humble beginnings, in summer stock, at the Surflight Theater in New Jersey and has been in over 35 productions. Favorite theater roles include, Sonia in "They're Playing Our Song," Pam in "Baby," Nellie in "South Pacific," Young Phyllis in "Follies," Marta in Company and lot's and lot's of chorus roles. Joan moved to Chicago 13 years ago and after some time to devote to motherhood and three boys, she has been performing on a regular basis. For the past several years Joan has concentrated on cabaret performance, a true passion, and has brought four shows to Davenport's Cabaret and Piano Bar in Chicago. Joan is establishing herself as a true interpreter of a song. She has been garnering respect as a performer from both colleagues and critics in the Chicagoland area. Cabaret Scenes Jeff Rossen described Joan's most recent show as "her very best, as she displayed that gorgeous voice of hers at it's most enticingly luxurious". Joan has performed in The Humanities Festival with Amanda McBroom, Craig Carnelia, Stephen Schwartz, Babbie Green and other songwriting greats. Last December, Joan performed with other noted Chicago performers in "The Holiday Cabaret" at the Bailiwick Theatre. In August of 2000, Joan was invited to attend The Cabaret Symposium at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center in Waterford Connecticut. Joan will be making her New York debut in the spring at Judy's Chelsea. She will also be appearing in "Chess," the concert version, in February of 2002, in Milwaukee WI with Stepping Out Productions, who brought the Stackner cabaret series to Milwaukee this past summer. In November, Joan will be performing in the 2001 Humanities Festival with Michelle Brourman, Carol Hall, Julie Gold and several other New York composers and local Chicago performers. For more information on Joan go to www.joancurto.com


Byron Woods
A talented singer, songwriter, producer and arranger, Byron Woods has been involved in the entertainment industry since 1974. His star began to rise when he became the lead vocalist in a self-contained band Onstage. Onstage became very popular in the Midwest and released three singles "Lady of the Night," "I'll Give My Best," and "Alibi." When Onstage disbanded, Byron went solo and was quickly signed to the Ardent Records Label based in the UK where Byron had top ten underground hits. Meanwhile in the US Byron was working with the likes of Malachai Thompson, The Bradley Young Orchestra, The Bill O'Connell Big Band, Ben E. King, Phil Perry and Vesta. Byron is currently completing his new CD on Omnibus Records In the Land of Smooth. For more information visit www.omnibus-records.com.


Anita Afis
Anita Afis began singing and songwriting in 1994 while living in Los Angeles, California. Within a year, she was performing as a back-up singer/dancer for local acid jazz band Toledo. Soon after, she met a local musician/producer that produced a demo tape for her which eventually led to collaborations with other musicians and bands in Los Angeles and Chicago (her hometown). In late 1999, deciding that it was best to work on her own material; She wrote and recorded a solo CD with the hopes of forming a band. Last year she finally found her band mates. The name of the band is Naked Soul. Naked Soul is currently performing at various venues in the Chicagoland area, and promoting their most current demo CD entitled Smoldering Embers.


Jeff Vezain
I was born and raised in Ottawa, Illinois. My mom taught me to sing when I was about two, and in first grade I flirted with guitar lessons, but struggled with learning written music and discontinued them. Singing continued to come naturally to me and remained something I did without question until about 4th grade, when it was suddenly "uncool" for boys to sing. All throughout high school, I was still interested in music, however, and found myself singing in a quintessential high school rock band with some of my best friends. I wound up at Northern Illinois University, not knowing what to do with my life, but wide-eyed and amazed! Through choir I improved my singing and met the people who persuaded me to get into jazz. I got into the vocal jazz group, started singing with student jazz combos, and also sang occasionally with one of the student big bands. About this time I stumbled across Joni Mitchell's album Night Ride Home. I listened to it on a flight home from L.A. and touched down at O'Hare a changed man. At the same time, [my friend] Eric was dragging me along to jazz sessions at places like the Green Mill and the Underground Wonder Bar, where I would get up and sing, knock-kneed, with the heavy cats. Then a fortunate thing happened. At a show with the jazz choir in Elmhurst, I was spotted by a band leader's wife. To make a long story short, I quit the job I had as a resident assistant in one of the halls on campus, and finished up my last two years of college while commuting to Chicago every weekend to sing with the Bill Pollack Orchestra, a twelve-piece band that performed at big functions around the city. I graduated college with my English degree, moved to Chicago, and continued to work with Bill Pollack. Still wanting to take my songwriting and my guitar playing further, I enrolled for a songwriting class taught by Ralph Covert at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Over the last year or so, our friendship has grown, we occasionally songwrite together, and I am generally associated now with Waterdog Music, the record label that Ralph founded. Like anyone, I'm always working on developing my playing, my performing, and my writing; which, without wanting to restrict myself, allows all of my influences (from rock to funk to jazz) to shine through where they may, but still remains folk at the core. Visit Jeff's website www.jeffvezain.com