Betty Buckley & Kenny Werner Duo

Betty Buckley with long time collaborator legendary jazz great, Kenny Werner. Their recent CD, Quintessense, released this past spring is a stunning tribute to Buckleys almost nineteen year working relationship with Werner. Quintessence, reflects the seasoned finesse and musical virtuosity of the two collaborators and their long time quintet a performance that travels the artistic landscape of one of the most distinguished and celebrated performers of today with her incredible arranger, pianist and musical director, the world renowned Werner. Betty Buckley won a Tony Award for her performance as Grizabella, the Glamour Cat, in Andrew Lloyd Webbers Cats. She received her second Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a musical for her performance as Hesione in Triumph of Love, and an Olivier Award nomination for her interpretation of Norma Desmond in the London production of Andrew Lloyd Webbers Sunset Boulevard, which she repeated to more rave reviews on Broadway. She most recently starred in M. Night Shyamalans The Happening released in June 2008. Her other film appearances include her debut in Brian de Palmas screen version of Stephen Kings Carrie, Bruce Beresfords Tender Mercies, Roman Polanskis Frantic, Woody Allens Another Woman and Lawrence Kasdens Wyatt Earp. Most recently, Buckley appeared on the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors. She has also starred in the HBO series OZ and as Abby Bradford in the hit series Eight Is Enough. She has appeared in the CBS series Without A Trace, the NBC series Law & Order: SVU, the FOX series The Jury and Monk for the USA network. She has received two Emmy Nominations. Buckley has completed 11 CDs, among them Quintessence and Betty Buckley 1967 and the Grammy Nominated Stars And The Moon, BettY BuckleY Live At The Donmar. For over thirty-five years Ms. Buckley has been a teacher of scene study and song interpretation, giving workshops in Manhattan and various universities and performing arts conservatories around the country. She has been a faculty member in the theatre department of the University of Texas at Arlington, the Terry Schreiber Acting School in New York City and currently at the Casa Manana Theatre in Fort Worth, TX. In March of 2007, Ms. Buckley was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in Austin. Kenny Werner was born on November 19, 1951 in Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S.A.At the age of eleven, he recorded a single with a fifteen-piece orchestra and appeared on television playing stride piano. He attended the Manhattan School of Music as a concert piano major. In 1970, he transferred to the Berklee School of Music. In 1977, recorded first LP that featured of the music of Bix Beiderbecke, Duke Ellington, James P. Johnson and George Gershwin and later that year with Charles Mingus on Something Like A Bird In 1981, recorded his own solo album of original compositions entitled Beyond the Forest of Mirkwood . The following year, Werner recorded the sounds heard coming from his Brooklyn-based studio - a hotbed of late-night jam sessions and titled the record after his address, 298 Bridge Street. In the early 80s he toured extensively and recorded with Archie Shepp. In 1981-1995, formed his first trio with bassist Ratzo Harris and drummer Tom Rainey. Their first trio CD for Sunnyside records was entitled, Ken Werner - Introducing The Trio. He would do another trio album for Sunnyside called Press Enter and a beautiful quintet album featuring Randy Brecker, Joe Lovano, and Eddie Gomez entitled, Uncovered Heart. The trio with Harris and Rainey was an association that would last 14 years and record two more albums, Guru (TCB) and Live at Visiones (Concorde) That trio was generally acknowledged as being among the most creative, intense and innovative trios of its day. In the mid 90s Mr Werner joined the Mel Lewis Orchestra. He was beginning to perform more and more in Europe and New York City. He has also written compositions for the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, now known as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and has since written jazz orchestra compositions for groups such as the Cologne Radio Jazz Orchestra (WDR), the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, The Metropole Orchestra (Holland) and the Umo Jazz Orchestra (Finland). He g as appeared with his current trio featuring Ari Hoenig on drums and Johannes Weidenmueller on bass. They have recorded three CDs to date, Form and Fantasy, Beat Degeneration and Peace, Live At The Blue Note. In 2007 he recorded his first CD for Blue Note Records titled Lawn Chair Society featuring Chris Potter, Dave Douglas, Brian Blade, and Scott Colley. That same Year He also recorded and released The Delirium Blues Project; Serve or Suffer, a collective effort featuring Rosanna Vitro, Randy Brecker, James Cater, Ray Anderson, Adam Rogers, John Patitucci, Rocky Bryant and Geoff Countryman for Half Note Records. In 1996, published a groundbreaking book on the emotional, spiritual, physical and psychological aspects of mastering and performing titled Effortless Mastery. The book has since been translated into several languages and is regarded as an essential read for artists of any kind. It is required reading in many universities.