Comfort & Joy

"Comfort & Joy" offers a fresh new sound to your favorite Christmas songs! Arranged and produced Thomas Ransom and sung by noted vocalist, Toni Gates, these delightful contemporary jazz versions will become your favorites of the holiday season! Visit us online at: http://www.RansomedProductions.com or at: http://www.ToniGates.com http://www.ArtistsRecordingCollective.com BIOGRAPHIES... TONI GATES enjoys singing (SURPRISE!), songwriting and producing the One by One Concert Series. Her professional experiences include being a church soloist, recording radio commercials, touring as lead vocalist with a big band, singing in cabaret shows, fronting jazz combos and uniting with others in traditional choral and vocal jazz ensembles. She has taught vocal music at Paseo Academy for the Performing Arts, the 18th & Vine History and Performing Arts Summer Academy, The University of Kansas, the Music Arts Institute and Penn Valley Community College. Toni produced her first CD “Outside the Lines” in 2003 and in February 2008 released her second CD, “I’m Old Fashioned” which features fresh takes on classic standards. She has had the great fortune to hone her musical skills and talents during visits to Florida, Chicago, the Caribbean and London. Meeting individuals such as Clark Terry, Nancy Wilson and many others has encouraged her to continue listening and growing to become a well-rounded musician. Toni would like to send Big Love to the Musicians for giving so much of their time and extraordinary talents to make this night such a wonderful experience for all and her family for their love, encouragement and support. TOM RANSOM is a graduate of Berklee College of Music (Boston) and owner of Ransomed Productions. He has produced and engineered numerous internationally-released CDs and has been cited for his production in such magazines as Audiofile, Gramophone (US) , Les Cahiers de la Guitare (France), Gitarre und Laute (Germany), Luster (Holland), The Soundboard (US) and EQ (US). Tom has also released three of his own CDs which have received national radio airplay and has written and arranged numerous instrumental and vocal compositions for radio and various multi-media productions. He also teaches Digital Audio Recording at Johnson County Community College. CLARENCE SMITH is an instructor of music at Metropolitan Community College Penn Valley (MCC-PV) where he teaches percussion, Music Appreciation, Jazz History and directs the MCC-PV Jazz Ensemble. He holds degrees from Central Methodist University and Lesley University. Prior to his appointment at MCC, Smith taught band in the Marshall, Missouri public schools and at Paseo Academy of Fine and Performing Arts High School. He serves as Associate Director of Kansas City Youth Jazz. He is a past Downbeat Magazine Teacher of the Year recipient as well as a Northwestern University Music Fellow. Smith has performed throughout much of the U.S. and Canada and has had the privilege to perform with the likes of Bill Watrous, Mike Vax, Rich Matteson and local musicians Chris Burnett, Jay McShann and Joe Athon. He and wife Janet are the proud parents of 5 great children