CD Review - Clear Days

The Philadelphia Inquirer – Sunday, January 16, 2000

By Karl Stark

Clear Days ( Self-produced )

Michelle Kiner

Singer Michelle Kiner, who's based in this area, is worthy of wider recognition. Projecting a velvet legato and some sassiness, she's a sonic dose of good mood.

Kiner runs the gamut here, from an uptempo "Scarborough Fair" to some tasteful rhythm and blues to a typical array of jazz standards, including Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi," sung in Spanish.

The arrangements and tunes tend toward the conventional, but are amiable enough. Unlike with many .self-produced CDs, Kiner gets heavyweight help from producer Bill Jolly, who helped shape Grover Washington Jr.'s sound, as well as pianist Jimmy Gaskins, bassists Matt Parish and Gerald Veasley, and drummer Lucky Thompson.

The highly professional result lacks a strong personal stamp, but it shows range and could appeal to a lot of people.

- K.S.

Customer Reviews from Amazon.com

“What An Incredible Songstress....,” April 7, 2006

I had the privilege of hearing this wonderful Lady last evening in Dallas and I cannot tell you how great she is!!!! She takes you to another time and place when vocalists truly told the complete story and you left knowing that you had just been apart of something very beautiful indeed!!!!

"One to remember," February 14, 2004  -

Years after first hearing the lyrics of Michelle, I find myself still relaxing to a vocalist voice that's heart felt and memorable.

"Voice of silk," December 6, 2001

Ms. Kiner can go and has a voice of silk. She takes you on a trip that you won't want to come back from. For anyone that loves jazz, this is the one that you must have. Listening to Michelle is like having her make love to your ear. Hmmmmmmm

"MICHELLE ROCKS!," September 19, 2001

I can't get enough of Clear Days. I dearly love the warm and sexy sounds of Michelle Kiner. She takes the familiar tunes and gives them the feeling of a new birth.

Article - The Times, Friday, June 6, 1997

By CURT YESKE 

The jazz attraction at this weekend's Heritage Days in Trenton has a distinctive new , look.

Also new to Heritage Days and to Trenton is jazz singer Michelle Kiner. While this may be her first engagement on this side of the Delaware, she has been making some fast tracks in the Philadelphia area since she went public about five years ago as a jazz singer.

She came from a musical family in Buffalo, N.Y., and had some early training in music. But when she opted to become a jazz singer, Kiner had no illusions about the hard work to come. "I did a lot of studying and went out to listen to established jazz people," she said. "And I had (pianist) Gene Rizzo as my private teacher. He's the one who guided, me into learning proper jazz form and was a major influence in helping me develop my own style."

"As for other influences, there are so many, but Sarah Vaughan and Dee Dee Bridgewater are the two most important. Sarah had that classical sound and Dee Dee is more my contemporary." Being able to absorb and adapt those influences has begun to pay off for Kiner. Among her recent I engagements were appearances at Zanzibar Blue, the Blue Moon and Samuel's, leading Philadelphia jazz venues.