Sunday, February 11, 2007

Tulsa band G-Note set for Bartlesville gala

Tulsa band G-Note set for Bartlesville gala


By Natasha Washington
Staff Writer

TULSA — Although two group members left to pursue other interests, Tulsa's G-Note remains one of the most sought-after groups in the area after just three years. George Allen, Annette Peters and Toby Denton bring vocal talent to the forefront.

"We basically do a little bit of every style of music — R&B to country to Frank Sinatra to Tony Bennett,” G-Note member George Allen said in a recent telephone interview. "We enjoy interacting with the crowd, getting people involved. It's a fun time, and we do a lot of requests for people who ask for them at different times.”

Perhaps the band's ability to adapt to any musical environment is why G-Note will perform Saturday at Bartlesville's All That Jazz, a fundraising gala that benefits the city's Westside Community Center, a United Way agency. Now in its fifth year, the All That Jazz gala will salute New Orleans' musical heritage by blending European traditions with Caribbean influences. G-Note, known for its audience interaction and an all-vocal sound, will perform after the Bartlesville Bruin Jazz Band.

Allen said although G-Note doesn't have musicians providing background sound, their sound is "solid and doesn't carry a karaoke feel to it.”

"Most of our (background) tracks are on a computer, so the music is always on key,” he said. "We don't have to wonder about a missing drunken guitar player or drummer. We simply set up our lineup and just go at it.

"We are certainly different from what most people envisioned. The people who attend the All That Jazz event will be greatly surprised.”

Allen was a 2005 finalist in KOTV-6's vocal talent contest Gimme the Mike, and Peters was a contest finalist last year. All three G-Note members have backgrounds in music and have performed in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas and Kansas.

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