GINGER COMMODORE
SINGER/SONGWRITER/ACTRESS
Ginger Commodore CD's at cdbaby
Ginger has been a member of the Twin Cities music scene for many years.
Her career has taken her down many musical roads. She began her performing as a long time member of the Grammy Award winning Sounds of Blackness, touring across the United States. She was (and remains) an original member of the local female group, Women Who Cook and has performed with The Twin City Gospel Ensemble, The J.D. Steele Singers and a whole host of others.
Her theatrical credits include: the World Premiere of DEATH IN THE FAMILY with the Minnesota Opera Company, SELMA with the Penumbra Theatre Company, BLACK BELTS at the Mixed Blood Theatre, STAMPING, SHOUTING & SINGING HOME with the Children's Theatre Company, SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE at Hey City Theater and most recently Black Nativity (Penumbra).
She has been a featured soloist in the Minnesota Orchestra Pops series at Orchestra Hall with Doc Severenson. And as part of the Witness Music Series under the direction of Phillip Brunelle, she takes her musical knowledge and skills into the schools to work with students and through which she has performed with Patrice Rushen and the Fisk Jubilee Singers.
And now she's firmly planted in Jazz!
Ginger currently performs with the noted jazz ensemble, MOORE BY FOUR. With them she tours the United States performing at Colleges and Universities, Concert Halls and Coliseums and renown Jazz Festivals. Portugal, Italy, Finland, Sicily and Japan have sampled her wares.
Ginger was honored to be a part of a two month tour of the U.K. as a member of the Lengendary "Chiffons" (famous for such songs as He's So Fine, One Fine Day) Special thanks go out to Judy Craig Mann, leader singer of the Chiffons and Bobby Vee.
She fine tunes her craft by working with her own trio, Ginger Commodore and GCQ.
Ginger Commodore is one of the premier jazz vocalists in the upper Midwest. Whether performing with her own quartet (GCQ) or as a member of the internationally known vocal jazz quartet "Moore By Four", Ginger is one singer you will soon not forget.
My Trio's bios
LEE BLASKE
(Piano)
Composer/producer/keyboardist Lee Blaske is in continual demand as an arranger and composer of television and radio commercials, music for industrial shows, and compositions, arrangements and orchestrations for recording projects of all kinds. His orchestrations are found on the albums of many Flyte Tyme artists such as: Janet Jackson, Sounds of Blackness, Karyn White, Mariah Carey, Gladys Knight, Boyz II Men, Alexander O'Neal, Johnny Gill, Evelyn "Champagne" King and Color Me Badd as well as those of Nona Gaye, The Boys, The Steeles, and Amy Grant. His long list of commercial credits includes Coca Cola, Target, Mattel, Wal-Mart, Best Buy, United Airlines, Porsche, Tour de France, Marshall Field's, Rollerblades, Lee Jeans, Kemps, Piper Jaffry, Rite Aid, Ameritech, the Minnesota Twins, Kirby Vacuum, Toro, Coast to Coast, Purina, Bissel, Easy Spirit, Perkins, Friendly's, the Minnesota Lottery, Musicland/Sam Goody, and many, many others. He has performed with a diverse collection of artists including Michael Johnson, The Mills Brothers, Chuck Berry, Tex Bennike, Lou Christie, Del Shannon, Bobby Vinton, The Osmond Brothers, The Coasters, and The Pied Pipers as well as doing "pit" duty for numerous Broadway musicals on tour.
MARK WEISBERG
(Bass)
Mark Weisberg served as bassist, guitarist, and musical director for several nationally syndicated television shows on the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) between 1978 - 1984. While in Detroit he backed up many nationally known jazz performers including guitarist Earl Klugh and vocalist Phyllis Hyman. He performed several times at the Montreaux Detroit Jazz Festival during this period. He was the bassist and lead vocalist for jazz recording artist Bugs Beddow and his quintet in Detroit between 1980-1984.
Since moving back to Minneapolis in 1984 (to open his practice as a clinical psychologist), Mark has performed and/or recorded with numerous jazz artists and groups in the Twin Cities. They include: Moore By Four, Rio Nido with Prudence Johnson, Jeannie Arland Peterson, Michael Monroe, The Wolverines Jazz Band, Dreamscape, Connie Evingson, Michelle Moline, Dennis Spears, Patty Peterson, Bruce Henry, Bobby Peterson, Cynthia Johnson, Irv Williams, Adi Yeshaya, and Ginger Commodore
BOBBY COMMODORE
(Drums)
Long time Twin Cities resident BOBBY COMMODORE has filled the drum throne for many local ensembles in many different genres of music.
In 1974, he began a 20-year affiliation with the Grammy Award winning group ‘The Sounds of Blackness’ with whom he toured the United States and recorded several ‘albums’ and where he met his wife, Ginger (who was also a member of the ‘Sounds’). Working with the ‘Sounds’ lead to many other musical opportunities within the Twin Cities gospel community.
Then, in 1986 he took the plunge into the world of Jazz. Bobby received a call from friend Sanford Moore to perform with a new group at the Ruby’s Café. That one time performance lead to a 12-year affiliation as drummer and business manager of the renowned jazz ensemble, MOORE BY FOUR. With ‘MB4’, Bobby played to sold-out houses across the Midwest, toured the world playing at prestigious Jazz Festivals and appeared on several PBS specials featuring the ensemble. Being featured with Moore By Four has allowed Bobby to perform on all the local major stages including the Guthrie Theater, Orchestra Hall, The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts and The Fitzgerald Theater.
Bobby continues to refine his skills while serving as Musical Director and drummer for his wife, Ginger Commodore, and her band GCQ. Bobby defines his playing style as “being in the pocket, in-the-groove.” Vocalists enjoy working with him because of his ‘big ‘ ears and use of dynamics. Local favorites, Debbie Duncan, Bruce Henry, Dennis Spears, Connie Evingson, Yolande Bruce and Cynthia (Funky Town) Johnson have all featured him in their bands.