AMERICAN singer Dana Masters marks the release of her debut EP Crossing Lines with a Belfast gig tonight.
The singer, now based in Lisburn with her husband Andrew and three children, plays The MAC – backed by a band made up of Linley Hamilton (trumpet), David Howell (saxophone), Johnny Taylor (piano), Gareth Hughes (bass), James Nash (guitar) and Paul Hamilton (drums).
Originally from South Carolina, Dana grew up with soul, rhythm and blues and gospel music. After studying vocal performance at university, her love of music took her to Minneapolis and Los Angeles.
While living in California she met the Co Down man who would later become her husband and they have been based in the north since 2008.
After meeting jazz musician Linley Hamilton in 2012 and performing at Bert’s Jazz Bar, she and Hamilton joined other musicians as part of a weekly residency in McHugh’s in Belfast.
Dana has been on the rise ever since, popping up on BBC Radio 4 and at Proms in the Park. She has shared the stage with Van Morrison, sang as a backing vocalist for Brian Houston and is a fan of everything from Bruce Springsteen and Bernhard Herms to Marvin Gaye, James Brown and Earth, Wind and Fire.
Dana played at the Out to Lunch festival in Belfast at the start of the year and says she’s both nervous and excited about her EP launch gig tonight: “I’ve never put my own stuff out there before, so this is big for me”.
Dana Masters plays The MAC in Belfast tonight from 8pm, with support from Hannah McPhillimy. Tickets (£17.50) available from the MAC box office, via TheMAClive.com or by calling 028 9023 5350
