Indie Music

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MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE
LIVE CLUB REVIEW

DENISE VASQUEZ
THE GIG
HOLLYWOOD

THE PLAYERS: Denise Vasquez, vocals, acoustic guitar; Clayton Halsey, lead guitar; Randy Martinez, bass; Cynthia Rivera, drums.

MATERIAL: Music Connection has reviewed this artist previously, and each time we've noticed an improvement. Well this time, Denise Vasquez has finally taken it over the top. Her songs which were originally unique singer/songwriter fare, now have a rockin' mainstream commercial appeal. The change is dramatic and impressive. Though intimate in nature, her material has become larger than life. Now all Vasquez has to do is to continue writing songs in the same manner, with an even stronger focus on the choruses.

MUSICIANSHIP: The players are excellent musicians, and each of them contributes significantly to the overall sound. Halsey is a tasty and precise lead guitarist. His licks are like lightening strikes, hot and intense. Rivera and Martinez form a solid rhythm section that propels the songs into the arena-rock stratosphere. This allows Vasquez to burn brightly. Her voice is bluesy at its core and sweet at heart. If you didn't know better, you'd think that she was the love child of Aaron Neville and Jewel.

PERFORMANCE: Denise Vasquez owned the stage. Her warm, charming personality and absolute joy in performing completely enchanted the packed venue. On this night, she was truly a star. Her bandmates, on the other hand, could have picked up their game and brought it up to her level. One major distraction-and a pet peeve of this reviewer-is that both Halsey and Martinez hardly ever took their eyes off their fret hand. With players of this caliber, that's simply inexcusable.

SUMMARY: This artist has set the bar high for herself. Now, her band must follow her lead. Based on this gig, Denise Vasquez has the potential to do big things and is prime for industry attention. In fact, indie labels and publishers should take note. This is an artist ready to break.

-Bernard Baur
MUSIC CONNECTION MAGAZINE
September 10, 2007-September 23

http://www.myspace.com/denisevasquez