Rita Shelby

About the artist: Rita Shelby



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It's been a jazzy ten year ride since Miss Rita Shelby proclaimed her love for jazz and pusued the genre professionally as a singer/songwriter. She teamed up with her high school buddy Willie Daniels and the result is A Date With A Song! Rita has been singing since she was six years old, when she burst out her first note while at the side of her mother Florence Hawkins, a gospel pianist. Rita is warm and witty in her performance and sultry in her style. She delivers a classic jazz vocal tinged in melodies that hint of jazzy tones from days gone by. Rita Shelby is a new lady for a new day in a most jazzy way.



LaRita is also an actress who starred in the movies South Central, Outrighteous and Walk By Faith. Forthcoming is the movie Kings Of The Evening for which she and Willie wrote the song The Best Of Me.



On the radio, LaRita has worked for Lee Bailey, Tom Joyner and Tavis Smiley.

She was also an international radio personality on the Armed Forces Radio Network. Miss jazzy Rita is a devoted mom and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho. Here's to love, life, miracles and music!



About the album: A Date With A Song

Rita Shelby’s debut album is titled A Date With A Song featuring ten songs by Rita Shelby & Willie Daniels and one song by Mike Melvoin and Arthur Hamilton. Special guests on the CD include jazz legend Mike Melvoin, vocalists Warren Conner, Gene Van Buren, Wendy Moten, Dorie Pride and saxophonist Aaron Fletcher. The production team includes the creative genius of Willie Daniels, Stafford Floyd, Michael Wells and the Grammy Award winning Andre' Fischer.



For booking info: Rita Shelby at 2jazzy@sbcglobal.net



Post your jazzy comments at My Space or contact Rita at 2jazzy@sbcglobal.net



What the critics are saying:

The evening was almost stolen by the humor, commentary and songs of Miss LaRita Shelby; host of the Starlight Jazz Serenade. Shelby’s spontaneous performance was entertaining enough to demand attention with or without a connection to the evening’s star performers.

Don Heckman- Jazz Critic, The Los Angeles Times



About The 2 Jazzy Crew:



The 2 Jazzy Crew is headed by Rita Shelby and the incomparable Willie Daniels, the son of Gennie Daniels, a spirited gospel musician. Like most familiar stories, the church was Willie’s stomping ground where he cranked out holy wonders for congregations throughout Memphis, Tennessee. This is where he met LaRita Shelby while at

Overton High School of the Performing Arts. Many years later they reconnected in Los Angeles and collaborated on the music for A Date With A Song. LaRita brings the words and melodies. Willie brings the music to complete the masterpiece!



Pictured are Willie boards, Miss Rita on vocals, Jimmy Watlington on drums and Lindsey Redman on bass. For a list of other players on the project, see the CD’s liner notes. We are grateful for all of the fine musicians who lent us a hand, thus making them honorary member of the 2 Jazzy Crew!



About The Shelby/Daniels songwriting team



Four of the Shelby/Daniels collaborations appear in the new movie Walk By Faith: The Runaway Bride, available for purchase at www.BlackChristianMovies.com. Cherish The Moment has proven to be a favorite of all who hear it. Listen out for it in the movie Fair Game, directed by Michael Whaley. The team also scored another song placement in the forthcoming movie Kings Of The Evening. Rita Shelby and Willie Daniels share a passion for music and they hope to join the long list of songwriters who have made history.

For Rita Shelby contact: 2jazzy@sbcglobal.net To contact Willie Daniels email:

williedaniels@ca.rr.com