Lascivious Biddies

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The Lascivious Biddies

The Lascivious Biddies are a band based in New York City that play a mixture of pop, jazz and cabaret.

So far two albums and two E.P.s have been released. Biddi-luxe!, their debut album, was released in 2002, the I Feel Biddy E.P. was released in 2003 in wait for their next full album and finally Get Lucky was released in October 2004. They have a DVD available at their website, "Live in New York City". Their latest E.P., Love You Mean It, was released in May 2007.

The Lascivious Biddies are also known for their "Biddycast," a Podcast they started in 2005.

[edit] Band biography

The Lascivious Biddies, an all female cocktail pop quartet based in New York City, are making headlines for having an energetic and tightly woven live show, full of humor, expert musicianship, and a dash of sentimentality. Blending jazz, pop, and cabaret with four-part harmonies, this irrepressible foursome has carried their fresh, genre-defying sound from coast to coast including performances at The Kennedy Center, Birdland, and numerous theaters across the country. The Biddies and their music have been featured on The Food Network, The Discovery Channel, Fuse TV, a national TV commercial for Chili’s Restaurants, a segment on CBS Evening News, and heard nationally on NPR, dozens of local radio stations across America, and internationally on the BBC.

The band has gained a steady following and garnered much media attention touring the US and Canada. The Washington Post calls them "Manhattan's hippest girl group" while The Austin American Statesman pointedly states that "If the Donnas are rock’s answer to girl power, then The Lascivious Biddies are jazz's answer to female singularity." CBS Evening News confirms: "The Lascivious Biddies could teach us all a thing or two."

The name existed before the band. During a retreat in the mountains of Canada, pianist and composer Deidre Rodman Struck was indeed struck by an odd thought: "I've always wanted to be in a band called The Lascivious Biddies." Back in New York some weeks later, Deidre mentioned the idea to the notoriously proactive jazz and swing singer, Lee Ann Westover, as the girls were looking to start a Go-Gos cover band. Lee Ann stated simply yet full of resolve: “That’s it. That is the name and we are that band.” Add another couple of friends from the NYC scene, 5+ years worth of rehearsing and good luck (minus most of the 80s cover tunes) and there you have The Lascivious Biddies as reality: equal parts pluck, innovation, talent and fun.

The Lascivious Biddies balance their infectious spunk with impressive skill. The group includes a multi-linguist, a Juilliard grad, a published writer and a circus performer. On their collective résumé, The Biddies have shared the stage with luminaries such as Elvis Costello, Natalie Merchant, Enya, Debbie Harry, and The Jazz Passengers. Their discography includes critically acclaimed recordings on Eastway Records including their most recent album, Love You Mean It, which features such fan favorites as a modern take on "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". In addition, they have released a concert DVD, “Live in New York City.”

Deidre Rodman (piano, melodica and vocals)

An Idaho native, Deidre moved to New York in 1997 after receiving a master¹s degree in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas. She found work (and her husband!) playing for the Big Apple Circus, and spent her free time going out to hear all the music she could. Soon she was collaborating with many great musicians: reedist Roy Nathanson from The Jazz Passengers (they co-lead a 10-piece big band), bassist Steve Swallow (their duo CD, Twin Falls, is out on Sunnyside Records), vocalist Darius De Haas (Daydream, a Strayhorn recording, won the 2002 Bistro Award for Recording of the Year), vocalist Debbie Harry (they recorded a song together for the soundtrack of Pie in the Sky: The Brigid Berlin Story), vocalist Mike Viola (of Candy Butchers fame), and, of course, The Biddies! Deidre has also shared the stage with the luminous Elvis Costello. She recently returned from Italy, where she recorded a CD of solo piano music at the renowned Fazioli Concert Hall.

Lee Ann Westover (lead vocals)

Lee Ann Westover moved to New York after studying Italian Literature at The University of Texas. A single opera taught her that a career in translation was not to be her path. It was by pure coincidence that she became a vocalist in 1997. A chance meeting with another singer scored her a first gig, and she began touring nationally almost immediately. After a few years in swing and then country-rock combos, Lee Ann forsook most other projects for The Lascivious Biddies. Aside from The Biddies' credits, her music has been featured in several films screened all over the world, including the Sundance, Venice and Tribeca Film Festivals. Lee Ann also enjoys writing for the stage. Most notably, she created a segment for "8x10", which was workshopped and debuted at the famed New York Theatre Workshop alongside Norah Jones and Jesse Harris. 10 years after leaving Austin, Ms. Westover has finally melded her literary, linguistic and musical pursuits by writing about music for several publications, including New York City's The Villager and Downtown Express.

Saskia Lane (bass and vocals)

A San Francisco native, Saskia Lane began her classical career at the ripe old age of four when she took up the violin. By 11, she'd outgrown her instrument (in spirit only, of course) and decided to have a go at the double bass. Saskia's passion for the instrument soon led her to migrate from her ancestral home in San Francisco to New York, where she attended The Juilliard School, earning a Masters Degree in orchestral performance. Soon after graduating, a pursuit of other musical projects led her to the Biddies. Now, Saskia dons many musical hats, actively performing jazz, classical, pop, rock, and cabaret in New York and across the country. In addition to her work with the Biddies, Saskia tours internationally with Grammy award-winning children’s music phenom Dan Zanes & Friends. She can also be seen sharing the stage with the likes of Natalie Merchant, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Enya. Additionally, Saskia has recorded original works by composer Ned Rorem (Albany Records), which she premiered at Carnegie Hall. She can also be heard on a disc featuring the music of Lou Harrison (New Albion Records) and soon, on a new recording with Dan Zanes featuring the music of Latin America.

Ila Cantor (guitar and vocals)

Ila Cantor was raised in New York, the daughter of an author and a filmmaker. She was a devoted visual artist throughout school, but inher mid-teens she became infatuated with the guitar. Following early graduation from high school she moved to New York City to play and study music, but after attending the New School in NYC for a year, Cantor decided to forgo a formal education to study guitar in the vibrant musical landscapes of New York and Barcelona. Her list of mentors reads like a who's who of the current New York jazz scene--from guitarrist, John Scofield to composer, Guillermo Klein. Cantor released her first album under her own name on the Spanish jazz label Fresh Sound New Talent. When not playing with The Lascivious Biddies, Ila leads her original jazz trio, The Trapezoids. She has played extensively with gypsy-jazz virtuoso, Stephane Wrembel and works with numerous jazz, rock, and experimental musicians.