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Debra Dicembre
. . . is a multi-award winning Australian Jazz, Gospel & Songwriting
artist.
She is gifted with one of the finest female jazz and soul voices to be
found.
Presently , Debra is preparing to head into the studio with Pianist
Kevin Hunt and guitarist David Holmes, to record her 2nd Gospel CD. This
will be all original works. A second CD about to be released, is "The
Ballad Of Malcolm Campbell". This CD of Australian Life Stories is also,
all original works, recorded over a number of years , in a band setting
and all proceeds will go to "Teens In Crisis".
Now based on the Shoalhaven South Coast, Debra Dicembre's South Coast
Jazz Review has just completed the Winter '09 series of gigs at Mountain
Ridge Wines. This series of shows saw her perform with longtime
colleagues Kevin Hunt, Mark Isaacs as well as newer collaborators, John
Harkins, Brendan Clarke, Denys Mason & Phil Scorgie.
Most recently, Debra has been performing with children's bigband
Kinderjazz, with whom she recorded the CD, “THE ONE FOR ME”. Oct/Nov '08
saw them play to a sold out Sydney Opera House audience for 2 weeks at
Baby Proms.
Born into a family of musicians, Debra took to the stage at age 5 and
went on to win
2003 Australian Gospel Songwriting Award – Best Lyrics
1997 Unisong International Songwriting Comp. 1st place R&B Division
1991 ABC Young Australian Writers Series
1988 Australian Jazz Singers Award
Debra has recorded to 2 CD's, the highly acclaimed Gospel CD 'HE HEARS
ME' and the rock pop blues of original material, 'WHAT YOU ARE”,that
have both sold out of their 1st & 2nd pressings.
From 1989-'93 Debra enjoyed cutting her teeth as a live performer,
playing the sydney jazz circuit with a host of top talent including Dale
Barlow, Jackie Orszaczky, Carl Orr, Gordon Rytmeister, Kevin Hunt, Mark
Isaacs, Steve Hunter, Victor Rounds, Sean Wayland, David Holmes,
Jonathon Swartz & Hamish Stuart.
During these years she also put together
FULL BODY MESSAGE – a 4 piece , all girl ,Accapella Gospel group.
Together Debra , Chrissy Thomas, Lea Mason & Narelle Nielson enjoyed a
series of tv, radio, live & recording dates. The band was very well
received, doing supports for international Gospel act, “THE BIRMINGHAM
SUNLIGHTS' and local guy TOMMY EMMANUEL.
1993 Debra moved to NYC where she lived & worked for3 yrs composing ,
recording and performing on piano and guitar.
When she returned in 1996, Debra began teaching vocals at the School Of
Creative Arts ( Aust. & Singapore), and put together a pop rock band
with a dash of country flavour . She began writing in this genre, &
began a new recording project that became the CD 'WHAT YOU ARE”,
collaborating with Douglas Weaver, Ralph Marshall & Glen Wilson.
In 1998 “He Hears Me", was released and the following years saw Debra
returning to her 2 great musical loves, Jazz & Gospel. By 2003 she had
begun to form 'Manhattan Love Bistro' with Sean Wayland, Dale Barlow,
Jonathon Swartz and Gordon Rytmeister and made a recording of that band
(yet to be released in hard copy but available online).
Career Highlights include:
-producing and presenting 'Sunday Brunch' ; a 3 hour jazz and cool music
radio show, from 9am till 12 noon, every Sunday on 2CCR 90.5FM. (2006)
-National ‘Jazz For The Forests’ tour with Galapagos Duck, Don Burrows,
James Morrison and Tommy Emmanuel.
-Top jazz artists in Australia , including Dale Barlow, Mark Isaacs and
Carl Orr, have invited Debra to perform live in their ensembles, and
collaborate on their recorded work.
Recording Projects include:
-Lead Vocal , 2 trx on debut album of Carl Orr. Co-write on ‘When I
Don’t See You’
-Lead vocals on Mark Isaacs pop project ‘Grace City’
-Lead vocal on 2 trx ‘Re-birth Of The Cool’ – Dorian Mode
-Vocalist on ABC recording of Kevin Hunt's, "Ceremony"
DISCOGRAPHY
- ‘He Hears Me’ – An eclectic soulful jazz mix of Hymns & Gospel songs. 17
trx, 6 original, all original arr. Piano – Kevin Hunt, Debra- all vocals
- ‘What You Are’ – 5 trk EP , all original Rock/Pop/Blues
- 'The One For Me' with children's big band KINDERJAZZ
Now the mother of two beautiful children, Debra is based on the
Shoalhaven South Coast.
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