Please upgrade to the latest version of Flash Player.

Click here if you already have Flash Player installed.

Critically acclaimed voice, eclectic musical palette, recipient of the 2001 Michigan council of the Arts/Artserve Michigan Jazz Composers Award, Six time ASCAP Award winning songwriter, and Jazz educator, define Kathy Kosins the Jazz artist.

A serious musician from Detroit, she began singing and arranging background vocals for producer Don Was in the early eighties, acquiring over 35 credits to her name. As a lead vocalist she recorded for both Cararre (Sony) and Quality Records then toured with Was/Not Was. By the early nineties, her musical taste in R&B evolved to straight ahead Jazz. Stints with the JC Heard and Nelson Riddle Orchestras followed and led to a 1996 release of "All In A Dreams Work" (Schoolkids Records), an impressive debut featuring a first rate collection of nine originals and a cover of Miles' Four. Reported by over 250 Jazz stations, she reached the top 20 in the Gavin. Her 2002 release of "Mood Swings" (Chiaroscuro Records), continues to bring her recognition and success at the national level. On "Vintage" (Mahogany Jazz), she rediscovers little known songbook gems which she places alongside a few widely known, yet unexpected tunes from outside the jazz tradition. She is supported by a stellar cast of instrumental talents including pianist/arranger Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers, drummer Eric Harland, guitarist Peter Bernstein, flugelhornist Jeremy Pelt and multi-instrumentalist John Ellis.

Kathy torches her way through the sessions, infusing her original material with the romance of the swing era.

Audiences respond immediately to her music. Directly focused, expressive and sexy, with a tinge of soul around the edges, Kathy Kosins is a strong performer who delivers a song in smashing fashion.

Testimonials:

"Outstanding...." Herb Wong

"...her performance maintains a balance of swing and sensuality... great vintage songs... I wasn't expecting to fall in love..." Will Friedwald, NewYork Sun

"If Jazz had four seasons, Kathy Kosins would be spring." - Inside Connection

"...Kosins has got it going on and you should get on the train. Hot stuff." - Midwest Record Recap

"One of the most alluring voices in Jazz" - Chicago Tribune

"Kathy Kosins is one of the finest singers in the world." Don Was, producer

"... A joy to listen to"- Conde' Nast Publications

"... A swing era torch singer ... Akin to Sarah Vaughn" - SOS Jazz

"Mood Swings is a fine and fun ride without a boring note played" - All About Jazz

"Fab"- Billboard Magazine

"... Cool jazz chanteuse" - Cadence

"A fine record and a real talent" - WDNA, Miami

"She's wonderful" - WBGO, Newark

"Your performance was extraordinary!" - Ross C. "Rocky" Anderson - Mayor - Salt Lake City

"...Solid intonation, unwavering swing and a voice that can conjure both the girl next store and her older wiser sister.." - Chicago Reader

"Kosins' voice is rich, filled with that rare combination of range and resonance" - Sounds of Timeless Jazz

"Kosins is a delightful surprise... reminiscent of Peggy Lee...worthy of Dinah Washington" - Jazz Times

"Kosins possesses a voice that communicates intimacy and focus..." - EJazznews

"Best vocal jazz record from first half of 2002 - Jazz USA

Festivals:

  • Bay Springs Mississippi Jazz Fest,
  • Jazz in June - Lincoln Nebraska
  • Jazz In June - Norman, OK
  • Salt Lake City Jazz Fest
  • Snowbird Blues & Jazz Fest
  • Neenah Jazz Fest - Neenah, WI
  • Cathedral Park Jazz Fest - Portland, OR
  • Savannah Coastal Jazz Fest
  • Detroit Festival of the Arts
  • Detroit Ford International Jazz Fest
  • Park City Utah Jazz Fest
  • Birmingham Jazz Fest
  • Detroit Tastefest
  • Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Fest
  • Grand Rapids Blues and Jazz Fest
  • Flint Jazz Fest
  • Muskegon Summer Fest
  • Southwick MA. Jazz & Blues Fest
  • The Crescent Jazz Festival - Salt Lake City
  • The Coleman Hawkins Jazz Festival
  • Rhythm & Ribs Festival - Kansas City

Performing Arts Series:

  • Charleston Jazz Series - Charleston, WV
  • Miami Jazz Party
  • Jazz Arts group of Fargo - Moorhead
  • McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage - Illinois
  • Oakland Community College Performing Arts
  • Calumet Theater Concert Series
  • Ironwood Theater Concert Series
  • Dennos Museum Concert Series
  • Carnegie Concert Series
  • Acorn Theater - Three Oaks, Mi
  • Amazing Things - Framingham, Mass
  • Historic State Theater -Bay City, Mi

Clubs:

  • The Blue Note
  • The Jazz Standard - New York
  • Jazz Bakery
  • Lunaria
  • The Vic - Los Angeles
  • The Metropole
  • Lush Life
  • Andy's - Chicago
  • Nightown-Cleveland
  • The Jazz Kitchen - Indianapolis
  • The Jazz Factory - Louisville
  • The Dakota Jazz Club - Minniapolis
  • Dazzle Jazz Club - Denver
  • The Green Mill - Chicago
  • Steamers Jazz Club - Long Beach, Ca
  • Chans - Rhode Island
  • Kansas City Blue Room

Clinics:

  • Gainful Employment and the Art of Hustling the Gig
  • Lyrically Speaking (Vocal Interpretation on Jazz Standards)
  • Kathy's Kamikaze Comping Clinic (Surviving Skills for the Jobbing Date)