Review Colleen Kitchen

Reviews are like gold to a musician. Bookers actually read them, but bogus reviews are a problem. Going forward, I am preferring reviews to be written on Facebook or some other third party publication, because it affords built-in authenticity. If you are on Facebook and wish to write a review, go to my Facebook Review area and start by clicking stars where it says "Tell people what you think." If you don't Facebook or prefer to review me somewhere else you can email me a review or a link to it from the contact form. Please be specific about what you liked (or didn't like): words like "awesome" don't really tell a potential booker anything. Huge thanks to everyone who has written a review--you're all VIP's! Reviews eventually get copied back to this page, with a linkback to the original.

Reviews

• A joy to collaborate with… I have had the blessing of knowing Colleen online, through our common passions and pursuits in music. I find her to be honest, and dedicated to her art, a joy to collaborate with and a beautiful spirit. I hope to hug her tight in person sometime and I am grateful for souls like her in my life.

  (from Facebook) Michelle Katz, collaborator

• A real gem… Colleen is lovely and a real gem. Her live FB show is just enough to fill my soul while not getting my day off track. It is only 30 minutes. It also leaves me craving more! LOL! I do feel so blessed to share earth time with her!

  (from Facebook) Megan Paterson, fan

• Inspiring… I really appreciate Colleen as a musician. She is able to sing and play a variety of different styles of music oh so nicely. I love the happy, swingy songs of Chuva Boa, and the rich and easy [solo] jazz sets. It is always fun to her lyric translations and mc comments. The care she takes in creating and producing her music is inspiring.

  (from Facebook) Laura Uhler, superfan

• Different… I’m looking for something completely different these days. And here she is – Colleen R. Kitchen. She plays latin jazz on keyboard and composes and throws in some covers. I went to listen to her stuff and the first song I found was a spoof on “Girl from Ipanema” called, “The Thing from Mar-a-Lago.” Yes, it’s about Trump and it doesn’t sound like she’s a fan. That’s fine with me. But, that was all the spoofs I found. She has a cool sound and it’s definitely different than the usual fare here in Salem.

  (from Salem Weekly) Julie Eaton, "Music Picks" columnist

• Tenacidad… He tenido la gran oportunidad de compartir el arte de la musica con mi amiga Colleen, no me queda la menor duda de que ella es una gran profesional, una excelente pianista y una maravillosa cantante. Debo destacar su tenacidad y pasión para con la musica, y mas aun cabe ser destacada su calidad humana por lo que es merecedora de mi mas grande aprecio y admiración.
  (TRANSLATION) I had the great opportunity to share the art of music with my friend Colleen, I have no doubt that she is a great professional, an excellent pianist and a wonderful singer. I must emphasize her tenacity and passion for music, and even more can be highlighted her human quality for what is deserving of my greatest appreciation and admiration.

  (from Facebook) Alexander Contreras, proprieter, Universal Coffee

• Effervescent!… Colleen's effervescent personality bubbles through every endeavor she tackles. Whether hosting a gaggle of jazz players in her back yard or grooving with her bands or soloing at an intimate venue, she is 100 per cent focused on making sure her audiences have a great time. I played with Colleen for a couple of events back in "the last century" and it was always a pleasure. Give her (and her incomparable bands, Chuva Boa and Studley-Kitchen) a listen!

  (from Facebook) Cherie Gullerud, harpist and drama coach, movie producer

• Colleen sparks the party… We were so happy to have Colleen provide the entertainment for our mom's 90th birthday party. She set the mood for this once in a lifetime event with great hits from my parent's early courtship years. We had a fantastic time visiting and sharing memories and Colleen kept the fun going with a variety of music that was both light and peppy. Thank you so much for being that something special that we needed to make the party a real shin-dig!

  (The Stein family)

• LOVE this Band!… We had Starlight Crossing play for a very large picnic (700+), and they are fantastic! Appealing to young and old alike, this is a band of true professionals .. smooth, sophisticated and jazzy arrangements with phenomenal vocals. Whether you want to just listen, dance or enjoy great music -- I would highly recommend Starlight Crossing. I received many unsolicited comments of praise at our event, such as .. "I love this band! Where did you find them?". The Willamette Valley is so very fortunate to have such wonderful talent -- I can't wait to hear the band again, and plan on bringing them back to our event again this year!

  Jim Kildea, picnic coordinator, St. Mary's of Corvallis

• Fantastic… It was a fantastic Jazz set. Can't wait to have them again.

  The Still, a favorite venue

• Delightful… A fun, delightful evening is what you can expect from a concert by Colleen Kitchen, and the group "Chuva Boa". She is a talented, witty lady, who with the group or solo, delights with her renditions of Brazilian songs. Chico, Chico! Yes!

  Barbara Triska, house concert host

• Meaningful… Starlight Crossing brings some of America's greatest songs to life. From the Gershwin brothers to Cole Porter.. From Richard Rogers and Jerome Kern to Billie Holiday and Fats Waller, this is music that comes from the soul of America, and music that fills the hearts of Americans. The members of Starlight Crossing have a special feel for music from this era, and their interpretations of these tunes is meaningful and heartfelt. From the instrumental excellence of Colleen Kitchen and Bill Veley to the soaring, beautiful vocals of Yvonne McMillan, this is a group that knows what it's about, and knows how to interpret an entire genre of music to modern day audiences.

  Mark Weiss, director, Best Cellar Coffeehouse