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Gaynell Rose, an Rock Jazz singer with a heart of soul, grew up in the Washington, D.C. area where she became immersed in the rich tradition of rock, blues and jazz. She began singing and dancing while young, influenced by her musician father who took her to local clubs to see the jazz greats.
Influenced by the musical giants like James Brown and Marvin Gay, Gaynell began her professional singing career while still in her teens, joining a local band as back-up singer and dancer, occasionally singing a lead song. Gaynell went on the road in the summer, touring nationally singing backup for a band as opening act for such groups as the original Platters.
Gaynell began her own career as a lead singer by forming her own East Coast band. In the late 1990's, with her close friend, music director, and bassist, Rowe Oliver, she assembled perhaps the top rhythm section currently performing on the East Coast. She has taken the band from its humble beginnings playing at country clubs and local bars to headlining at Caesar’s Palace and the Beau Rivage Casino on the Gulf Coast. Gaynell Rose has performed at the Harlem Jazz Festival; for three years by popular demand as head liner at the Vietnam Memorial Day “Rolling Thunder” celebration; at D.C.’s Black Pride Day where she joined national act, Crystal Waters, to open for Patty Labelle; and was offered twice to open for the Rolling Stones. In Mexico, she has performed at the Tepi Jazz Festival, on Televisa TV and Radio, for the City of Guadalajara summer music program and for clubs in Guadalajara.
Gaynell expresses uncommon dramatic depth in her musical performances, her low, throaty voice enhancing the experience of the band’s performance that sweeps her audiences through a spectrum of emotions. From the haunting “You Were Never Mine” to the hard driving and always beguiling “Leave Your Hat On,” enthused crowds have compared Gaynell’s style to the tortured passions of Billie Holliday combined with the raw emotion of Joe Cocker, and, when called for, topped off with the diva-like gutsy strut of Tina Turner. Her effect is haunting, her appeal is universal.
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