Dorie Barnes To Sing Jazz
| 02 December 2009
Keep Saturday night, December 4th, open on your calendar. That's when Harpswell's great, young songbird, Dorie Barnes, has her next gig, together with her accompanist, Jessie Feinberg, at downtown Bath's hot new gourmet restaurant, Solo Bistro.
Dorie is 21 and a product of the West Harpswell School and Mt. Ararat High School, where she sang in the choral group. She holds an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Southern Maine Community College and is currently attending classes on a ¾ time basis while working on her Bachelor of Arts Degree there.
Her musical talents were discovered back in the third grade when she was cast in the lead role as Dorothy in the rock musical, The Wiz. She began serious vocal training in the 7th grade under Sandy Foreman and is currently studying voice again with Tracey MacLean in Topsham. Ms. MacLean is also Dorie's booking agent.
Dorie was introduced to jazz early in her singing career and enjoys the blues and pop standards from the ‘30's and'40's as well as folk, country and classic rock. "I like any kind of music," she says. "Even classical music, my favorite being Gabriel Faure´s Piu Je´su." Her favorite classic jazz number is Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Lady. She is also a huge fan of the great female vocalists from that era, especially Sarah Vaughn and Bessie Smith. "In fact, I'd like to be known someday as the pale, blue-eyed Bessie Smith," she says jokingly. Dorie also sings regularly as a member of a local folk ensemble called Folk Medicine. Dorie was heard most recently in this area as she performed regularly with that folk group at Harpswell's Blackbird Café. She also participates in regular jam sessions at Zachary's Cafe´ in South Portland and the North Star Café´ in Portland.
The budding vocal star has recorded a demo CD for distribution to jazz clubs, restaurants and other possible venues for future performances, to event promoters and regional jazz radio stations. She hopes to be able to record a full-length CD soon of her favorite songs for public sale.
After she graduates from college with her degree, Dorie would like to study abroad but is keeping all options open for the time being.
Dorie lives on appropriately named Dorie Drive in Harpswell with her parents, Henry and Darlene, her younger brother, Colby, and Bruno, "The Beast," as she calls him, an enormous over-friendly Chocolate Lab, who digs jazz.