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Western Michigan University's Keith Hall talks about jazz greats and talks with current practitioners of the art.0000017c-60f7-de77-ad7e-f3f73a350002

Jazz Currents: Vocalist Sunny Wilkinson and Matthew Fries

sunnywilkinson.com

Sunny Wilkinson, a beloved jazz vocalist in Michigan who has trained a generation of singers at both Michigan State and Western Michigan Universities, recently decided to take a little time for herself and her trio in the recording studio, which resulted in her new album, Into The Light.

Credit Keith Hall
Sunny Wilkinson in action (and engineer Martin Klemm in the booth).

A longtime friend and colleague of Jazz Currents host Keith Hall, Wilkinson agreed to join him in WMUK's Takeda Studio to sing a few of her favorite songs, backed up by jazz pianist Matthew Fries. It was the first time she and Fries had met. They put their spin on the songs "It Could Happen To You," "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," "Charlie's Tune," "Squeeze Me," and "Your Eyes."

Hall asks Wilkinson about her early career as a singer on the Los Angeles scene, her secrets to a positive attitude, and how bodywork - methods like the Alexander Technique, Feldenkrais, NIA and more - have changed her approach to her singing and herself.

Sunny Wilkinson, Gene Bertoncini, and Thomas Knific will perform on Monday, March 26 at 7:30 pm in the Dalton Center Recital Hall.

2018-03-16_Wkd_LHI_Wilkinson.mp3
Part 2 with Sunny Wilkinson and Keith Hall, with Matthiew Fries, piano and Martin Klemm, audio engineer.

Credit Keith Hall
Matthew Fries and Sunny Wilkinson in WMUK's Takeda Studio.

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As Chief Engineer for WMUK, Martin Klemm is kept busy by tending to a variety of issues - from computers to tower lights - he will never run out of things to fix. Before coming to WMUK in 2003, Martin worked in Los Angeles making records with some outstanding producers, but preferred to be close to his family here in west Michigan. He enjoys keeping a busy schedule balancing WMUK, loving on his friends' doggos, and remodeling his home in the Edison neighborhood (which never seems to end)
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