Madeline Kole
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Madeline Kole is a vocalist, bassist , and bandleader. She has made music her full time career since 1975. Madeline started playing guitar and singing when she was 10 years old. From her earliest days she knew she wanted to be a musician.. Her father used to shuttle her to her very first gigs at bowling alleys, restaurants, and local venues. When she was 14 she switched to electric bass. This is when she found her niche........ BOTH SINGING AND PLAYING standards. The songs of the Great American Songbook became the focus of her attention and talent.

When Madeline was 19 years old, she put her bass down and embarked on a solo career as a featured vocalist. She could be seen at Dangerfields, at the hotels in the Catskills, and local supper clubs in Westchester and NYC, under the musical direction of the late Ted Auletta. During these years she honed her skills as a superb vocalist. She missed playing though, and needed to be back with the fellow musicians she loved. She went back to playing and singing, doing club dates on Long Island and Queens.

Madeline graduated Long Island University with a BA in Music Education, in 1987. While she was in college, she began a very successful freelance career....doing upscale "club dates" in NYC. Working for just about every popular music office in the city...Lester Lanin, Jerry Kravat, Bob Zottola, Roy Gerson, Gerard Carelli, Peter Duchin, Paul Errico, Steven Scott, Bill Harrington, Emery Davis, Bruce Bonvissuto, and Tony Monte.....she was and is sought after as a specialist in American popular song.

In the 1980s she began a long, and productive association with pianist/composer Richie Iacona ....(who she later married). As a talented arranger, he recorded two albums with his BAD LITTLE BIG BAND, with Madeline Kole as the featured vocalist; PAINTER OF DREAMS, and A LONG WAY TO GO. These recordings received rave reviews in DOWNBEAT, JAZZ TIMES, AND MODERN VOCALIST magazines.

In the 1990s Madeline Kole recorded an album in tribute to the composer Cole Porter...KOLE SINGS COLE. As a bassist, Madeline has played for many wonderful performers, Bobby Rydell, George Burns, John Pizzarelli, Ann Hampton Callaway, Mary Clare Heron, Julie Budd, George Benson, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Warren Vache, Liz Callaway. Also, Madeline plays bass on A SWINGIN' AFFAIR with Tony Babino, and ARLEN PLAYS ARLEN, with Sam Arlen (son of Harold Arlen)...to be released in 2005.

Madeline has just completed her latest recording, DON'CHA GO 'WAY MAD...which is a collection of 14 of her favorite standards. She is accompanied by the finest musicians around, Richie Iacona (piano), Mike Hall (acoustic bass), Tony Tedesco (drums), Ron Afif (guitar), Paul Meyers (guitar), Madeline Kole (fender bass and vocals)

Chances are.....if you've been to any private event where they have live music.....you've probably seen her perform.