Official Biography (courtesy of Sharon Rae North)
Sharon Rae North is a talented songstress who sings jazz (straight-ahead, contemporary, smooth, etc.) and standards. Though, she often adds in some jazz versions of R&B, Rock and Top 40 hits. Her latest CD “Gee Baby” collection of straight-ahead jazz standards is well on its way to follow in the footsteps of her last project, the smooth jazz “The Way You Make Me Feel”, which continues to receive airplay in markets internationally and has received phenomenal reviews.
Sharon sounds just as good live as she does in the studio. She puts on a fabulous performance and has opened for many national acts, including Joe Sample and the Jazz Crusaders, Patti LaBelle. She has shared the stage with Chaka Khan, Lalah Hathaway, Stanley Clark, Boney James, Chuck Mangione, Norman Brown, Poncho Sanchez, Marcus Johnson, Bob Baldwin and many others. Following her performances at the Jazz at Maymont festival in Richmond, VA, Baldwin expressed an interest in working with her on her next project. Stay tuned.
She has performed at venues throughout the U.S., including the famed Georgia Aquarium, Ritz Carlton Reynolds Plantation (where country star Carrie Underwood married), Isaac Haye’s Restaurant in Memphis, Twins Jazz in D.C., James River Cellars in Richmond, VA, Bayfest in Mobile, AL, Fridays at Sunset and Jazz at Maymont in Richmond, VA, Durham Summer Music Series in NC. She has been invited to perform at Jazz in Lapidariz in Croatia, CJW in Shanghai and countless other venues
Sharon has worked with Joel “Razor Sharp” Johnson, keyboard player for funk-masters Bootsy Collins and George Clinton, piano virtuoso Frank “Buzz” Amato, who accompanied Curtis Mayfield for many years, pianist Walter Bland, the only musician listed on the soundtrack of the HBO series Oz. Others include, drummers Robert “Mousey” Thompson of the James Brown Band and Jimmy “Junebug” Jackson, who played with jazz great Jimmy Smith for nearly two decades, keyboardists Earl Fleming, formerly of the Tyler Perry band and currently with Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players, Keith “Keecho” Rawls, who played for Peabo Bryson and for the UniverSoul Circus, and keyboardist Danny Jackson, who has produced for Grammy winning artist India.Arie. She also has worked with Michael “Kid Funkadelic” Hampton, lead guitarist for George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic and has done sessions with Clarence “Doctor Bob” Ross, the current saxophone player and back-up singer for the Isley Brothers and music programmer for Chaka Khan, En Vogue, New Edition and many others. She has performed with Jerry “Louie” Poindexter, veteran keyboard player for the “Godfather of Soul”, James Brown and jazz recording saxophonist, Derwin Daniels. Derwin also produced Sharon’s first CD, a 4-song demo that has received international airplay.