Yoshi's Jazz Club and Restaurant (San Francisco, CA)
Yoshi's Jazz Club and Restaurant presents Renee Olstead in her San Francisco debut, alongside Paula West. Only 19 years old, singer and actress Olstead recently released Skylark, an acclaimed debut album which puts a fresh spin on classic jazz tunes. San Francisco's own Paula West has earned international acclaim for her soulful renditions of standards from the Great American Songbook.
Event summary prepared by the Goldstar Editorial Team.
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A great double-bill. Paula West has a strong, willing and more soulful sound, while Renee Olstead has more polished technique. Personally, I prefer the soulful voice, and I love them both.
Paula West was phenomenal. She's an excellent interpreter of the standards. Was very happy to see her at Yoshi's - a great venue for her. She made the room feel very intimate. Her musicians were excellent!
This is worth going to to hear Paula West. Rennee Olstead was good but not great in my opinion. Her voice just doesn't compare. To her credit, probably anyone following Paula West is going to sound mediocre by comparison. The song selections were very good.
One thing, though, I will comment on aside from the music, is that Renne Olsteads youth stands out esp. when she engages the audience in a little banter, which I personally found a little annoying (not just me, either). It's nice she is trying to connect and makes jokes (one seems to be that SF is so cold), but the way she does it with her expressions, and mannerisms make her sound even younger, less experienced, and less sophisticated than her age.
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Yoshi's Jazz Club and Restaurant in San Francisco features two shows per night in a smoke-free atmosphere that welcomes all ages. Cocktail and dining service are available throughout each show, and a purchase of one item minimum from the food and beverage menu is requested. The restaurant's executive chef, Shotaro "Sho" Kamio, specializes in modern Japanese cuisine with "a bit of a surprise."
Website: http://www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artistpopup?showid=764
With her bright copper hair, porcelain skin, and flashing green eyes, Renee Olstead commands attention whenever she enters a room. But when this 19-year-old jazz-pop artist opens her mouth to sing, jaws tend to drop.
Olstead’s confidence infuses every aspect of her new David Foster produced album, Skylark, a fiery yet elegant collection that finds her putting a fresh, youthful, and thoroughly modern spin on some of her favorite tunes from the American Songbook, including classics made famous by Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Ray Charles, and Nat King Cole, and three original tunes written by Olstead in collaboration with Foster, the Grammy Award-winning songwriter-producer. Olstead is also an accomplished actress with several feature film credits to her name, including The Insider with Russell Crowe, End of Days with Arnold Schwarzenegger, and 13 Going on 30 with Jennifer Garner. She also starred in the CBS sitcom Still Standing from 2002 to 2006 and is currently appearing on the ABC Family Series, “The Secret Life of the American Teenager”.
San Francisco's own Ms. Paula West has been thrilling national and international audiences with her heartfelt renditions of well-known standards and unique interpretations of dynamic jazz songs. With a particular dusky soulfulness, West has captured the hearts of critics and audiences alike from coast to coast - from festivals to cabaret clubs - with just the lilt of her voice. The Great American Songbook has never sounded as captivating as it does when Paula West sings.
Yoshi's San Francisco at Fillmore Heritage Center Yoshi's Jazz Club & Japanese Restaurant will open its second Bay Area location in November of 2007. Located at 1300 Fillmore Street (at Eddy), the new location will be a 28,000 square-foot, two-story, state-of-the-art venue and will feature the best of local, national and international jazz artists with seating for 417 in the jazz club and nearly 371 in the restaurant and lounge. Not only will it be a great destination for live music, but it will also be a great place to dine. Executive Chef Kamio will oversee the menus at both San Francisco and Oakland Yoshi's. Chef Sho's menu in San Francisco will feature a slightly different version of his modern take on Japanese cuisine, which will surely enhance the overall Yoshi's experience, making it the only place in the City with great food and world-class jazz.