The Dana Abbott Band From: New Orleans, Louisiana Genres: Indie, New Orleans R&B, Roots Rock and Blues About the Artist If you hear a Dana Abbott song or catch a performance and find it familiar, don’t be surprised. It’s supposed to sound and feel that way. “I want you to leave my show with the feeling of being buzzed, alive and on the prowl,” Abbott reveals. “I want you to feel connected to some undercurrent that opens you up, makes your soul ache and your hips shake. I want people to have a church-like experience — to move and be moved.” Her main instrument at first was a piano, and she retained an identity as a classical pianist through her teenage years after relocating to Burlington, Vermont. But eventually she started listening to T-Bone Walker, Koko Taylor, Led Zeppelin, Big Mama Thornton and especially Tina Turner, and the guitar began to dominate her musical endeavors. Abbott moved to Chicago at 18 to develop her musical identity, and several years later she moved to New Orleans to pursue her dream. That was only a few months before Hurricane Katrina hit the area in 2005, and after a brief exile, she returned to New Orleans and began performing at venues all over town, building her repertoire and sound. In addition to a busy gig schedule of festivals, private events and nightclubs with her band, Abbott has performed with high-profile acts like Terry McDermott, Russell Batiste, John “Papa” Gros and Eric Lindell. She has also appeared on TV (“The Voice”, “Big Easy Brides”) and in the documentary film “Street Saints”. Her recordings include the EP “Halfway Home” and “The Dana Abbott Band – Live in Ocean Springs”, showcasing the many different sides of her musical personality. The Dana Abbott Band will release a new full-length studio album of original songs in April 2015. Press for the Dana Abbott Band Offbeat Magazine “The Dana Abbott Band describes itself as a ‘modern R&B extravaganza’ and that’s accurate: The opening song on their debut EP, ‘Oo We La La,’ is a technical original that sounds exactly like something accidentally left off of Van Morrison’s ‘His Band and the Street Choir’ album. Remember? The one with the big horn section and the New Orleans-inspired songs? That one. Abbott herself is blessed with a very expressive voice that belts like soul and moves like jazz, which won’t stop those Van comparisons, either.” —Robert Fontenot, 2013 Musicians Magazine “Each performance is a beautiful expression of the human spirit. She reaches her truth with each song, each breathy exhalation of feeling, so powerful – speaking the language of the soul directly to the soul. I just can’t get enough! More, more, please…” —Erin Payne, 2008 New Orleans Times-Picayune “Abbott’s songs were dark, rippling and atmospheric, like taking the time to study the patterns of light on the Mississippi River at night.” —Cathy Hughes, 2010