Halloween Night !

HALLOWEEN! ‘CAUSE y’all know I’m a freak fro Halloween! Had an amazing time in Paris at a super cool Halloween party! Lots of good people, dancing, eating, drinking! It was so spooktacular I had to share a few pictures with you! For the record, Beetlejuice was one of my favorite movies as a kid and my manager Jean-Noël was up for a challenge on that 🙂
And I’m always all in when it comes to a challenge with the makeup 🙂 That’s me, Lydia … from the wedding scene towards the end of the movie 🙂

Oh yea, and then there was Halloween part 2 (an unexpected party) So I threw a little 70’s look together and danced the night away. Check out the picture page of the web site 🙂

Officially on to Thanksgiving and Christmas now!

Summer 2019 is upon us (hopefully!)

Happy Almost Summer!

Memorial Day weekend always marks the official start to the summer season and I’m going to be doing some BBQ of my own! 🙂
It’s great to be home and spend some time with family and friends and I’m looking forward to getting my grill fired up! I’m thinking of doing a cedar plank Salmon and some nice healthy side dishes… Sound yummy? Come over and hang 😉

Seriously though, This summer is gonna be a little bit more relaxed on the touring side of life as I’ll be headed to NY in a week to record my next album. I’m looking forward to working again with pianist and producer, Shedrick Mitchell. I’m gonna be recording some of my favorite cover songs and looking forward to hearing how they evolve into my own.

I do have a handful of shows to tell you about.

Sat, JUL 6th – Parc Chantemerle Corbeil-Essonnes, France (free event)
Sun, JUL 7th – Salle Jéliote Oloron-sainte-marie, France
Tue, AUG 6th – Musicales de Cormeilles – Cormeilles, France

If you are in the area come out and see us! Have a glass of wine and let the music fill your soul!

Enjoy your summer and see you soon!

Xoxo,
Robin

My March Tour is upon us…

Hey everybody!

Is spring really on the way? Here in Upstate NY it’s STILL snowing and really cold so I’m super happy to be headed over to Europe where there are some signs that spring is on the way!

MARCH SHOWS !!

I’ll be hitting a few spots in France first… Chevilly-larue on March 15 and then heading back to le Jam in Monpellier on the 16th! I really dig this club and have some great memories of the last time I played there! Looking forward to being back!
Then I’m gonna bring some light and love to London @ Ronnie Scotts on March 18 and 19!
We will finish out our run on March 23 in Aurillac, France!

NEW ALBUM
Yes! I”m working on a new album and I am already going to be in the studio with the band in the next few weeks! I don’t wanna spill the beans yet about what I’m working on but I’m excited to be recording with my trio. These guys are super talented and I’ve really enjoyed making music with them over the past year! I think it’s going to be a very fun process and really creative! I’ll keep you posted!

I want to also thank Jazz Aspen and all the great people I met while out there performing. It was really a special weekend and a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with some of my previous band mates. ( along with my current trio) I had fun mixing up all the different styles in one show.

I don’t have a ton of shows coming up this season as I’m working hard on my next album but I do hope to see you somewhere along the way! If you are a fan of what I do, please check out my Spotify Page and subscribe! This helps me out a lot so if you haven’t done that… Please do and keep hitting us up on Facebook and Intagram!

Thanks again friends and until next time! Let the good times roll!
Xoxo,
Robin

Back 2 School and Back to work!

Summer is winding down and I’m finding it hard to get back to my routine but thanks to this past weekend, I’m finally back in work mode! I had 2 great concerts in Montpellier and Paris at Jazz a La Villette and I’d like to take a moment to thank all my fans who came out! We had transportation problems and we had a hard time getting to Paris but in the end all went well and we loved it.

Summer was filled with family time and a few small trips with friends. I spent time in the south of France and when back in the US, I headed to Charleston, SC to experience the food scene which is booming! I pretty much ate and drank my face off, so now it’s time to get back in that gym and melt away the rose! It’s all worth it… and I like the challenge of getting back into a more serious fitness routine! I need little challenges to keep me motivated!

Looking ahead to the fall, I’ve got lots of shows planned and a few special appearances as well. I’ll be performing with Jazz Loves Disney September 22 in Aix en Provence along with several great artists including China Moses, Hugh Coltman and Myles Sanko. And again at Disneyland Paris with Selah Sue and Ben L’oncle Soul! So if you’re a Disney fan you can’t miss this special occasion!

In October I’ll be in Spain and France for shows and even Denmark! Been a while since we’ve been there! And Early November FINALLY I’m heading back to Boston, NY and Cape May, NJ for a few concerts! It’s been a while since I’ve been to Boston and I’m really excited to play again at the Regatta Bar in Cambridge.

You can see all the dates and details on the website!

As always, thanks for your continued support and look forward to hopefully see you at a show sometime soon!

Xoxo,
Robin

News from the Road

With summer in full swing I’m happy to be back out on the road!

Although it was a whirlwind 3 days, we had a great time in Spain and France! And we did get to eat some amazing paella right on the beach before the gig! 🙂 yummy!

I’ve got a few days off until I will be doing a super group of musicians for the La Londe Jazz Festival. I’m really looking forward to singing some classic soul songs and I’m happy to be invited back to this great festival! This is a special project of the festival and it should prove to be a great reunion of several artists who have performed at the festival over the past 10 years!

August 4th I’ll be in Leuven, Belgium for one last concert before I go back home to spend time with family and friends in the US! And looking ahead to the end of the summer I’ll be back in Montpellier on August 31 and in PARIS Sept. 1 for Jazz a La Villette with Reggie Washington on Bass! It’s been a while since I’ve played with Reggie, so I’m really looking forward to getting him into the mix again!

I can’t end this news without saying a big thank you to my hometown community in Rochester! I felt so much love and support while there for the Rochester Jazz Festival! We had 2 packed shows and the audience was full energy and love! Thanks to all who have showed continued support throughout my career.

I do hope you are getting some time to relax and enjoy some downtime this summer!

Touring, Traveling and Cooking !

SUMMER!

Finally, the sun returns to us like that friend we haven’t seen in a while…The longer days, the beach, bike rides, barbecues, and the nostalgia of childhood fun. Summer always seems to make me feel like a kid again!

And that’s exactly how I feel returning to perform in my hometown at the Rochester International Jazz Festival! It’s always special for me to have so many friends and family in the audience. I’ll be at the Harrow East Venue on June 29 for 2 shows, 5:30 and 7:15 pm!
I want to thank everyone who came out to see our shows for this past tour. Paris was hot, as always and Germany proved to be pretty cool! 😉 Looking forward to being back in the EU this summer for a few festivals! I’m really excited about the live show and where it’s headed!

July 20 I’m heading to Granada Spain for some tapas and a show then heading back to France for some Rose in Poet Laval (21/7) and Montlucon (22/7)
On July 28 I’ll be at the La Londe Jazz Festival with some super cool musicians playing a special soul/jazz/funk show. I’ve been really looking forward to this collaboration and the music should be really fun! Some Herbie Hancock, Chaka Khan, Gladys Night and more!!! Come get your groove on with us if you happen to be nearby!

Hope to see you this summer! At a show or a BBQ!
Love
Robin

Melodic Canvas is available now..and the new website is here..

Welcome to my newly redecorated site! I am so excited that Melodic Canvas has been released.
I’ve really enjoyed having my hands in every part of this album from the writing to the artwork, it has been a joy to see it come to life! I thought I’d share some of my thoughts about making this album.

When thinking about making this record I was finding that I was really drawn to the idea of an acoustic sound. Using an instrumentation that would allow me to use more of the subtitles in my voice. I thought the idea of using percussion would give the music and earthy and warm vibe. And it would be totally different from anything I had sone in the past.

A few other things happened around the time I started writing for the album. First, I had just come off a tour with Danilo Perez and Jazz 100. I was totally inspired by making music with Danilo and the band. (Chris Potter on Sax, Avishai Cohen on Trumpet, Ben Street on Bass, Adam Cruz on drums and Roman Diaz on Percussion)
I also found that I was missing singing jazz. In a way, Melodic Canvas is like coming back to jazz. I’m a songwriter, singing jazz soul songs. I love that I’m able to use different timbres in the songs depending on what it calls for. It’s intimate and I love the idea that if you close your eyes, maybe you can visualize us playing the music in your living room. It’s not trying to be anything it’s not. It’s just the music that we played at that moment.

Last but not least, Trump had been elected and it seemed the world was crumbling to the ground… so I had a lot to write about.

Since the release, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback already and I have to say, it really seems that you all are connecting to the music in a way that only an artist can hope for. I appreciate all the feedback and I’m really looking forward to getting out on tour and delivering a wonderful live show for you guys!

This spring and summer I’ll be joined by some great musicians so be sure to check out the tour dates! We are still adding shows so stay up to date on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! If you’re not following me yet, please add us so that you won’t miss out on any important details!

Again, thank you guys for your support on this new journey! I am hoping to see you soon on tour!

Peace and Love!

Robin

Do You Believe has reached the earth !

As you can see we’ve been doing a little renovating here on the site. For those of you who know me personally, you know I love a good redecoration so I’m thrilled to present this new look to coincide with the release of Melodic Canvas!
So grab a coffee, tea or maybe even glass of wine (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere) and feel free to have a look around. Be sure you check out the new video for Do You Believe and let me know what you think. If you haven’t already signed up for the newsletter please do!
Lots of love to you all! Xoxo, Robin

Thanksgiving Season

HAPPY FALL MY FRIENDS!

THE AUTUMN LEAVES DRIFT BY MY WINDOW. 

THE BEAUTIFUL ORANGE AND RED LEAVES, A CRISP IN THE AIR, MULLED APPLE CIDER OR VIN CHAUD ON THE STOVE, JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT THIS TIME OF YEAR.

I FEEL LIKE A KID AT CHRISTMAS ALREADY. I’M WAITING PATIENTLY TO SHARE MY NEW “GIFT” WITH YOU BUT I THINK I STILL HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE LONGER.

NOW THAT THE MUSIC PORTION OF THE ALBUM IS COMPLETE, I’VE TURNED MY FOCUS TO THE ARTWORK.
IT’S BEEN COOL TO CREATE A VISUAL THAT CORRESPONDS WITH THE MUSIC. I’VE YET TO DECIDE ON A COVER BUT SOON I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE SOME OF THE OPTIONS WITH YOU ALL!

IT’S BEEN STRANGE NOT TO BE ON TOUR MUCH THIS YEAR BUT I’VE REALLY ENJOYED OTHER THINGS IN MY LIFE. I’VE HAD TIME TO TAKE IN MORE CONCERTS, AND FAMILY. AND FOR THAT, I AM VERY GRATEFUL.

WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY THANKSGIVING SEASON!

Late Summer Thang…

Every time the end of August rolls around, I look back on the past few months of summer and wonder how it went by so fast and it’s always a bitter sweet period for me. I love summer. I love the freedom that summer makes me feel. Whether I’m on tour for summer festivals or just hanging at home I feel so free.
I lived this summer gardening and did crafty house projects. I vacationed with my best friend in the Thousand Islands and I filled my creative well until it was overflowing with musical ideas. I spent long days and late nights writing and arranging all the music for my next album and I can’t wait to get to NYC to record in just a few short weeks.

In case you hadn’t noticed, I haven’t been as present on Social media. I’ve been enjoying my family and friends and it felt good to not be stuck to making a “post” everyday. Soon I’ll be back but I needed time for myself so thanks y’all for understanding!

I am so excited to get into the studio and watch this project come to life. I am really looking forward to sharing it with you all.

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer and Cheers to getting back to a routine and the the gym. lol

Peace to all

Robin

  1. No Ordinary Love Robin McKelle 1:49