Talented local singer Kelsey Mira — who performs as simply “Mira” — is a regular presence in the venues of Greater Cincinnati, playing a selection of original songs and covers that pull from Jazz, Pop, Soul, the Great American Songbook and beyond.
Mira recently showcased her songwriting and arrangement skills on her first full-length album, a self-titled affair, which also draws from those wide-ranging influences, resulting in a unique collection of songs. The album is reminiscent of Norah Jones’ output, but primarily in the way Mira's technically proficient, Jazz-based vocals are expertly transferred to a distinct sound that transcends that genre or any other simple categorization.
This Sunday, Mira will celebrate the album release with a show at The Woodward Theater. For the event, she’ll perform her AltPop songs with a band of gifted musicians that share roots in the local Jazz scene (but who’ve also expanded beyond the genre), including Brad Myers, Brian Batchelor-Glader and Michael Mavrodoglou. They, along with Jason Smart, Don Gauck and Matt Wiles, also played on Mira.
Sunday’s show begins at 6:30 p.m. with a set from Just Strange Brothers, another all-star band of experienced veteran musicians from the area. Mira also recently announced through her Facebook page that some of her students (including those from classes at School of Rock Mason) will join her to sing backing vocals; a pair of her songwriting students, Sydney & Ava, will perform original songs at 7:20 p.m. Mira and her band hit the stage at 7:45 p.m. Tickets are available here or at the door. Find more show details here.
The Mira CD (along with other “perks” to support the project and the Ronald McDonald House) can currently be purchased through Mira’s Pledge Music campaign. It is also available on major platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
Mira is heading to Los Angeles this summer to promote the new album and work on new material. Midwestern tour dates are also forthcoming.
Here’s a good example of Mira’s conglomeration of styles from the new album, “You Have Taken My Heart Away”:
