Paula Atherton
(sax, flute, vocal, bandleader)

To listen to some audio pls go to:  http://www.box.net/shared/b4zc9enicc

Paula Atherton was born and raised in New York. She began singing and studying flute at the age of nine, and added sax to her repertoire while in her teens. Ms. Atherton has studied privately with prominent jazz players and teachers such as Bob Mintzer, (Bob Mintzer Big Band, Jaco Pastorius, the Yellow Jackets), Lee Konitz, Sal Mosca, Liz Gorrill (Lennie Tristano), and Gerry Janssen (Vocal Fitness Center).

Paula has toured various parts of the world, including Japan, Monte Carlo, Portugal, Canada, and the U.S. Paula has toured Japan four times, playing such places as the Pit Inn in Roppongi, and the Bottom Line in Tokyo. She also appeared on a popular Japanese talk show, performed, and was interviewed. Paula also had the honor of playing at the New York Ball in Washington, D.C., for President Clinton’s Inauguration.

Paula devotes much of her time to her group, Interplay. She has been very busy composing all of the material that the band plays, as well as taking care of bookings, and all business. Paula Atherton & Interplay were finalists in the Hennessy Cognac Jazz Search, which was hosted by WQCD, 101.9 FM. Paula is the sax player, as well as the band leader for the Lifetime network comedy show “Girls Nite Out.”

Early in 1998, Paula did a television commercial for Kellogg’s, in which she sings and plays sax on, “All of Me.” Paula did a full page interview in Sept. 1998 for the New York Business Women’s Calendar, under the title, “Women at Work.” Paula co-wrote the featured love song for the romantic comedy “Rum and Coke,” which premiered August 1999 at the Urban World Film Festival. Paula performed her composition, “Tuesday Morning” at the “Many Colors of a Woman” jazz festival in Hartford Sept. 25, 1999.

Ms. Atherton has performed with her band at clubs in Manhattan, including the Lone Star Roadhouse, B.Smith’s Rooftop Cafe, Le Bar Bat, Tavern on the Green, Tramps, The Bitter End, and the South Street Seaport. Paula has also performed at Radio City, Jones Beach Theater, and the Garden State Arts Center. Interplay also opened for such well known artists as Ray Goodman and Brown, Najee at a festival in Connecticut, and for Stuff II, featuring Gordon Edwards. Paula has also performed at the China Club, Carnegie Hall (opening for Tito Puente), the Hard Rock Cafe, The Ottowa Women’s Jazz Festival, Summer Jazzfest in Pennsylvania, a jazz festival in Estoril, Portugal, the Taj Mahal and Caesar’s in Atlantic City, and Cafe 880 Jazz in Hartford. Paula has also performed at many colleges, including C.W. Post, Nassau Community, Stony Brook, Hunter, Vassar, Hofstra and Yale. In March 1998, Interplay performed at Christie’s for a silent auction of rock memorabilia, art work, and photographs. In February 1999, Interplay performed at Cipriani’s in N.Y.C. for the opening of Cindy Crawford’s Omega line.

In 2001 and 2002, Interplay performed for Wall Street Rising - a fundraiser for businesses that were devastated by September 11th. Some dates from 2002 included a double bill at the Harry Chapin theater with Cornelius Bumpus (Steely Dan, Doobies) and his band, and a concert at Sleepy Hollow park on the Hudson (sponsored by the Jazz Forum). Some highlights of 2003 were opening for latin star Johnny Pacheco in Robert F Wagner park (NYC), performing for a second time at Harry Chapin theatre, and the Donald Oat theatre in CT in November.

In 2004 Paula performed at the Martini room in Memphis (March 11th), sponsored by WJZN. Paula Atherton and Interplay played the Peoria Jazz festival in IL Sept 4th. and Paula played at the Blue Note (NYC) with jazz greats Hank Jones, Joe Wilder, Eddie Bert, Jim DeJulio, Tony Corbiscello and Betsyann Faiella with a tribute to Frank Sinatra in March. Paula's CD, "Let Me Inside Your Love" debuted at #54 chartbound on the national smooth jazz charts the week of March 20th, 2004.