Performing at Singer Spotlight North Shore on Thursday, June 28 at Pop's Highwood


Sally Schleker
Although this is her Singer Spotlight debut, Sally Schleker has performed on stage somewhere for as long as she can remember...who can forget her inspiring performance as the wicked stepmother in Hansel and Gretel in third grade ? Moving through the ranks of many choruses, some of her favorite roles include : Sister Mary Amnesia and Mother Superior in "Nunsense", Matron "Mama" Morton in "Chicago", Bloody Mary in "South Pacific" and most recently as the narrator in "Joseph and the Amazing...." Sally's "day job", which she is currently enjoying the summer off from, is teaching 1st grade in Evanston, where she also resides. You can hear Sally perform in her 6th solo show at Davenport's Piano Bar and Cabaret in Chicago this coming August.

Elaine Dame
Elaine studied theatre and music in Los Angeles before moving to Chicago eight years ago, where she has been performing ever since. She has acted with such prominent theatre companies as Lifeline, greasy joan & co. and Zebra Crossing, where her performance in the musical play, “Painting it Red” garnered generous accolades from critics. Adam Langer of the Reader wrote, “Elaine Dame has a winning stage presence and a chameleon-like vocal flexibility.” Catey Sullivan of Nightlines wrote, “Elaine Dame has a gorgeous belting voice,” and Jeff Rosen of Gay Chicago Magazine wrote, “Elaine Dame has an enjoyable presence and I look forward to seeing her again.” As a jazz singer and flautist, Elaine performs at some of the finest venues in the city with some of the most sought after Chicago musicians: bassists Rob Amster of the Kurt Elling quartet and Jim Cox, pianists Jeremy Kahn, Dennis Luxion, Peter Saxe, Randy Tressler and JoAnne Daugherty and drummers Greg Sergo and Tim Davis. Her Chicago venues include Pops for Champagne, Pops Highwood, the Plaza Club, Lush Life, Toulouse on the Park, the Hotel Allegro, Cyrano’s Bistro, the Gentry on Halsted and the Doubletree Guest Suites on Delaware. Elaine also sang at the House of Blues Hotel in the Kazbar for nearly two years, performing an eclectic mix of jazz, blues and pop with pianist Mark Burnell. She recently performed her cabaret, “What’s in a Dame” at Davenports Piano Bar to rave reviews. Todd Shuman of Cabaret online wrote, “Elaine Dame gave one of the finest performances I have ever seen” and “Ms. Dame has the ability to discover the true meaning of a song and express that to her audience.” Elaine is currently performing regularly at the Fairmont Hotel, both in the restaurant, Entre Nous, for their dinner-dance series and in the Metropole, a room that hosts some of the city’s finest jazz musicians. She also employs her talents as a singer and flautist with the Spanish flamenco band, Las Guitarras de Espana and the folk duo, Sweet Accord. Ms. Dame studies voice with Fred Farran of The Arbors and studies flute with Paul Mertens of Poi Dog Pondering. Elaine is also recording her first CD. Contact her at elaine_dame@hotmail.com

Sue Sussman
Sue Sussman started singing and playing folk music when she was 8 years old. She was the lead singer in a country-rock band in the early '80's. More recently she has been singing jazz. Her talent has been showcased in clubs around the Chicago area including The White Manor, The Wham Bongo Bar & Grill and ESPIAL. Sue performed in the art festival "Around the Coyote" last summer and at Chick Singer Night at the Abbey Pub in January.

Gina Coconato
Gina, a native of Schaumburg, is the first musical theater student to receive a tuition scholarship from the Chicago Board of Fine Arts based on talent. She also received an academic scholarship from the Pepsi Foundation, based on her theatrical performances, her 4.0 GPA, and maintaining herself on the Dean's List at Roosevelt University for the past three years. She also receives scholarships from the University's Conservatory for her academic and musical achievements. She is currently a songwriter and lyricist for Warner Chappel Records in London and New York. She recently composed and directed the music for a mainstage show at Roosevelt University entitled "That Which Is Me," which was a celebration of Black History and was directed by Ron Parson. Gina is the daughter of Platinum recording artist and "Disco Diva", Linda Clifford, and Nick Coconato, an amazing percussionist! Her family's diversity has given her unique and incredible cultural experiences.

Performing at Chicago Singer Spotlight on Wednesday, July 11 at FitzGerald's


Stolie
Born in 1978 as Rebecca Stoelinga, Stolie grew up in Deerfield, IL (a northern suburb of Chicago), and was most recognized as "Becky" (a name she would permanently ditch in high school). Shyer than anyone can now believe, grade school Stolie was a fast runner, a prize-winning elementary school-aged artist, and an eager student. She started playing piano in first grade at six years old, but left this interest behind 8 years later to concentrate on her artistic interests and kicking butt on the soccer field. Singing in school choirs from junior high through college provided opportunities for live performances and solos which helped to build confidence for future appearances. Stolie was also nominated and voted as the "funniest female" in junior high and high school, and this quality has proved to be of noteworthy mention in her recent performances as well. When she pulled out her mom's old classical guitar from the closet in 1995, just two chords would be the vamp for her first song, a tab book of U2's Joshua Tree would increase her chord vocabulary, and a few cover songs would grant her a gig opening for her friends' punk band in the cafeteria of Deerfield High School. By the time Stolie went to college at Illinois Wesleyan University just two years later, she would have over 50 songs. In November of 1996, Stolie recorded a 10-song cassette of original music and sold over 75 copies to students on campus -- a significant number for a college of 2000 and a girl who had just started playing with a pick. Needless to say, Stolie's lyrics and guitar playing have matured as they naturally would in time. And to capture her sonic progress, Stolie released her sophomore album, self-titled "Stolie," on her own record label, Screaming Galaxy Records, in December of 2000. Dorm room, college, bar, subway and coffeehouse performances, along with radio airplay, press coverage, and the help of other bigwigs on the bill, have helped in spreading around Stolie's name from Chicago to London. Her junior year of college was spent studying English literature at Queen Mary & Westfield College in London's east-end, and because the legal drinking age is just 18 over there, 20-year old Stolie was able to perform at open mikes (and eventually at proper performance venues) for a thus-far unexplored audience demographic, and with a beer by her side. Since then, Stolie has had the opportunity to open for cool cats like Willy Porter, Vance Gilbert, and Jeb Loy Nichols. Her Cd has been played on Chicago radio stations like WXRT, WBEZ, WLUW (Loyola Univ.), WNUR (Northwestern Univ.) As an obvious derivative of her real last name (that nobody really knows), "Stolie" will expect to be compared to Stolichnaya, the Russian vodka, but she doesn't mind at all. Currently, Stolie-with-an-E's favorite drink is Stoli Raspberry and tonic, with a lime. The future holds more records, more musicians, more additions to this beautiful webpage (thanks Gayle!), and more dates around the globe. Stolie would like to thank everyone who has supported her from the beginning, and everyone she may make smile along the way.

Larry Eckerling
Larry Eckerling has been the Bandleader of "Larry Eckerling & His Orchestra" since 1985. This group plays private parties and corporate events throughout the Chicago area. In his group, he is the keyboardist, one of four lead vocalists, and principle arranger. Larry also has a "second career" as a symphony conductor . He currently holds the position of Music Director and Conductor of the St. Cloud (Minnesota) Symphony Orchestra, which he has held since 1983. Also on his "classical" side, Larry is a pianist who has played many chamber music concerts in both Chicago and Minnesota. Larry also founded the "Lake Forest Synthesizer Duo", where from 1982 until 1990 he performed more than 400 educational concerts for students in schools throughout the Chicagoland area. Larry lives with his wife Sharon, and his son Jeremy in Glenview.

Ben Currie

Jackie Broderick