2001 with lots of appearances. Toward the summer,
Laura decided to put performances of the Laura Preble Band on hold for awhile, so
that she can concentrate on her fiction writing. Laura is doing some freelance writing
for newspapers, as well, and wrote an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune about
her trip to France in the summer of 2001. She plans to write new tunes, and perform
them with the band in the Spring or Summer of 2002. In the meantime, Laura contributed
her original composition "Remember Me Home" to the Christmas CD, "Reflections
on Yuletide," by the Chris Klich Jazz Quintet, released on December 1st, 2001.
The CD features Laura on 5 of the 14 tracks, and she's appearing at most of their
performances. You can view the Chris Klich Jazz Quintet calendar, and read more about
them, at their Web site. Sales
of the Christmas CD have been brisk, and Chris and Laura are considering recording
a CD of Jazz Standards, featuring Laura on each track. Laura and Chris would love
suggestions from fans. If you have a great jazz tune you'd like to hear her singing,
please use the contact form to let her know!
The Laura Preble Band has hand many memorable performances, and looks forward
to playing again, soon. The biggest highlight for the band was their performance on
June 9th, 2000, opening for Grammy award-winning supergroup Steely Dan at the Coors
Ampitheater in Chula Vista, California. Later in the summer of 2000, the Laura Preble
Band opened for Judy Collins as part of the San Diego Symphony's Summer Pops Concert
series. In February of 2001, the group headlined the GoGirlsMusic.com festival at
the San Diego Hard Rock Cafe, in the Gaslamp part of downtown. The charity event raised
over $1500 for the Nicole Brown Charitable
Foundation, and El Nido, a shelter for victims of domestic violence.
Laura's song "Juliet," from her CD "Voices In My Head" was
chosen to be featured on a compilation CD for "This House," the compilation
CD that also benefits the Nicole Brown
Charitable Foundation. The album also features the talents of Lisa Sanders, Eve
Selis, Candye Kane, Randi Driscoll, Peggy Lebo, and several others, and is available
at their Web site.
Laura Preble's piano-driven originals have made her a favorite on the San Diego
singer-songwriter scene. Her music can best be described as alterna-pop acoustic with
a twist of jazz and blues. Her songs are reminiscent of the tunes of Joni Mitchell,
Sarah McLachlan and Laura Nyro, according to her fans, and her voice has been described
as "whiskey velvet."
Laura's music is marked by fresh and unusual tunes laced with soulful lyrics.
Her compositions cover a range of styles, including alternative (I
Believe), rock-blues (Goodbye Song, Can't
Get Out), smoky jazz (Make Me Marilyn)
and sultry ballads (Air). Her song These
Days was used in the film documenting Aids Walk '97, and another song, Valeria
was used for the 1999 documentary.
Laura has been a featured performer in San Diego at such venues as Croce's, Winston's,
the Bacchanal, Twiggs, and the Bookworks, to name a few. She can be heard as a back-up
vocalist on one of the Rugburns' early albums, Lick Her Shoes. In addition to being
a songwriter, her talents as a lyricist were showcased in the San Diego Rep's 1996
production of the original musical Dracul, for which she also wrote the libretto.
Laura's performed on many local theatre stages, including the San Diego Rep (Six Women
With Brain Death) and the Old Globe (La Pastorela). Her first CD, Voices in My Head,
has recently been released.