I had the pleasure of seeing and interviewing Leslie Kille when she recently performed at the Sunset Grill. She informed me that her new CD Cover of the Clouds will be released in November. If you like jazzy show tunes ala Michael McDonald, kd Lang or Amanda Marshall, you’ll love Leslie!

Kille works full-time as a psychologist, but still finds the time to write and record marvelous music. Her voice is reminiscent of Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls), but she also flows between the vibe of, say, a bluesy  Rickie Lee Jones with a high falsetto ala Bonnie Raitt. When she sang Alicia Keys’s “It Ain’t Got You” it gave me chills! Leslie’s original “Freedom” was as good as anything Rickie Lee Jones ever did, and her hands were meticulously pounding the keyboards. Leslie is definitely talented and a true Bay Area gem.

Born at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania and raised throughout the United States and Vietnam as a “military brat,:, Leslie started writing music at age 5 on a backyard swing set. When she lived in Alaska, Leslie was singing/writing for churches and this musical “habit” continued in Maryland, Colorado, Oklahoma and, finally,  Florida. At 13 she played in her first ‘band’ and, for the most part, was “hooked” on the gift and life-giving world of music.

Ms. Kille has played venues from Washington, Boston, Canada, New York and the Tampa Bay area. Her roots stem from jazz to classical though she enjoys music that’s piano and keyboard-oriented. She has shared the stage with Lisa Koch, Tret Fure and Chris Williamson from the Lighted Tree adventures and The Friday Morning Musicale Theatre. She’s directed theatre productions from 42nd Street, Jacque Brel, Suessical the Musical, and Once Upon a Mattress. Ms. Kille recently relocated to Florida from Savannah, GA and currently performs in downtown jazz clubs, wineries and private clubs. She has recorded three album projects – Storm, Moving Closer, and Loosely Sane (with Women’s Blues Review’s Barb Brown playing alto sax), the latter a swarthy musical outfit with sultry vocals, driving keyboards and saxophone hits! Loosely Sane’s  moving ballad “Art of a Whisper” is rotation on the Top 10 of MP3.com’s Jazz Vocals charts. Check out Loosely Sane’s new CD available at CDStreet.com. On a sad note, Barb is in need of some medical care and is unable to perform at this time. Look for more info on Leslie’s website regarding a possible musical bash/fundraiser. For more information, please go to www.lesliekille.com.