Dayna Kurtz & Trio at The Falcon

“I know they may seem different on the surface,” Dayna Kurtz says of her recordings, American Standard and Secret Canon, Vol. 1, the two disparate yet complementary albums being released simultaneously. “But they’re both branches coming off the same root, to me.”

Over the past decade, the Brooklyn-based vocalist/writer/musician/producer has built a formidable body of recordings, won an international reputation as a riveting live performer, amassed an extensive file of rapturous critical raves, (3rd Coast Music in Austin, TX writes, “Kurtz is the kind of artist who teaches us ink- stained wretches to be miserly with superlatives, so we’ll still have a stock of them when she comes around.”) and earned an equally devoted audience around the world. She’s achieved these distinctions on her own terms, releasing five albums and a live DVD on her own Kismet label, touring around the world on her own dime, and building a remarkably loyal fan base....

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“I know they may seem different on the surface,” Dayna Kurtz says of her recordings, American Standard and Secret Canon, Vol. 1, the two disparate yet complementary albums being released simultaneously. “But they’re both branches coming off the same root, to me.”

Over the past decade, the Brooklyn-based vocalist/writer/musician/producer has built a formidable body of recordings, won an international reputation as a riveting live performer, amassed an extensive file of rapturous critical raves, (3rd Coast Music in Austin, TX writes, “Kurtz is the kind of artist who teaches us ink- stained wretches to be miserly with superlatives, so we’ll still have a stock of them when she comes around.”) and earned an equally devoted audience around the world. She’s achieved these distinctions on her own terms, releasing five albums and a live DVD on her own Kismet label, touring around the world on her own dime, and building a remarkably loyal fan base.

“I’ve always been a bit of a genre outlaw. which I guess makes it a little rough to market me,” Kurtz states. “But I’m in love with music, not with genres. If it’s a great song, it’s a great song. The songs I wrote for American Standard, and the songs I covered for it, were deeply influenced by my recent obsession with collecting ‘lost’ songs by forgotten singers on regional labels.”

Along the way, Kurtz was named Female Songwriter of the Year by the National Academy of Songwriters. Norah Jones and Bonnie Raitt have raved about her in interviews, and she’s performed on World Cafe, Mountain Stage and NPR’s Morning Edition. She’s toured with and/or opened for the Elvis Costello, Antony and the Johnsons, Richard Thompson, Rufus Wainwright, B.B. King, Dr. John, Richie Havens, Keren Ann, Joe Henry, Olu Dara, Chris Whitley, Richard Buckner, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Featuring Pete Vitalone/keys, Dave Richards/bass and Diego Voglino/drums.

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