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SHANA MORRISON’s musical style has been called pop with a side of blues and a side of rock, but she has never shied away from other ingredients, like country, R&B, and jazz into the mix. Her material is ever-changing, but what always remains the same is Shana’s unique and wide-ranging voice. Her dynamic and charismatic talent has earned the attention of national newspapers and magazines as well as airplay on major radio stations.
The daughter of legendary Northern Irish musician Van Morrison, Shana began performing with her group Caledonia in San Francisco Bay Area in 1996, releasing their debut CD on her own label, Belfast Violet Records. Since 2002, Shana has toured internationally, including numerous concert dates with her father. She has shared billing with the likes of Peter Frampton, Bonnie Raitt, John Lee Hooker, and Dr. John, and has played for various festival audiences, including the San Francisco Blues Festival and the Cork Jazz Festival. Her set always includes some of Van Morrison’s greatest hits.
SONY HOLLAND Band is a collection of musicians that can seamlessly play a sultry Brazilian ballad by Jobim next to Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” and make it sound like the most natural juxtaposition in the world.
As Duke Ellington said, “There are simply two kinds of music, good music and the other kind.”
From a background singing jazz in the nation’s top venues including Yoshi’s, Blue Note, Vibrato, SFJAZZ, and Feinstein’s, three long residencies in Asia, and hundreds of duo gigs with guitarist, husband, and #1 country hit songwriter Jerry Holland, Sony has cultivated a nostalgic yet daringly beautiful set list. Along the way, she has shared billing with George Benson, Rita Moreno, Petula Clark, Paul Williams, and Freda Payne.
“Sony Holland flooded the room with her dipped-in-honey voice and cool, collected attitude.” -Liana Aghajanian, Los Angeles Times
“My tribute show to Linda Ronstadt is one of gratitude to one of the finest and strongest women in music. Linda is a force. Linda took on one musical challenge after another. She gave of herself, night after night in concert and in the recording studio for over four decades, creating a musical legacy that will last forever. My show features 19 songs including folk, rock, country, jazz, mariachi and, of course, beautiful ballads. Please join us for a night of fun and nostalgia with stories and songs from Linda Ronstadt’s glorious career.”—Sony Holland
Sony got her start in San Francisco by busking at Pier 39, meeting locals and people from all over the world. “Busking led to many friendships and performance opportunities,” she recalls. “I got my first dates at the KRML Jazz and Blues Club in Carmel through busking and at Jazz At Pearl’s in North Beach.”
Ms. Holland sings for many of the Bay Areas top social events, benefits, festivals and gatherings. She held a 3 year residency performing at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton SF. She headlines at clubs such as Yoshi’s, the RRazz Room, Feinstein’s and SF Jazz and plays in Los Angeles and New York where she has recorded and performed with A-list musicians at premier venues. She toured in Asia for a year which included a stint at Tokyo’s famous New York Bar.
“I’ve found myself in a variety of situations. It keeps things interesting. From fronting big bands to singing in tiny venues with my duo, I love it all.” Sony has performed the National Anthem for the S.F. Giants and L.A. Dodgers. She has released several critically acclaimed CDs that have landed her on the national jazz charts. The SF Chronicle calls her ‘a decidedly modern jazz diva’ and the LA Times proclaimed that her voice ‘drips with honey’. The Minnesota born singer never stops working at her craft.
Recently Sony has been performing tribute concerts to Linda Ronstadt and Dusty Springfield for enthusiastic audiences. “This was something that started out as a personal vocal challenge during the pandemic. Learning and covering both repertoires wasn’t easy, but it’s gotten me to use parts of my voice I didn’t even know I had!” She’s also been using her unique blend of vocal power and finesse to sing original songs written by her guitarist/husband, Jerry Holland. The couple met on a blind date in Nashville shortly after Jerry’s song ‘Friends’ hit the top of the Billboard Country charts for Atlantic artist, John Michael Montgomery.
Through it all she’s discovered that fans respond to good music whatever the genre. “I want to put on a good show for my audience every time I walk on stage. That’s the reward I get for all of the work I do before the first note of each performance.”
SONY HOLLAND
Peninsula & East Bay Tour continues...
International multi-genre songstress SONY HOLLAND started her career as a lead singer in a Rock band in the Midwest. She moved to Nashville to experience the country vibe. San Francisco was where she eventually settled, having stints in Paris, Denver, and Los Angeles. Sony made a name for herself in Jazz, busking on Fisherman’s Wharf. From this, she soon got bookings at Jazz-at-Pearl’s, Plush Room, Yoshi’s, Rrazz Room, and SFJAZZ. Internationally, Sony was in demand, getting booked for residencies in Bangkok, Hong Kong, and toured the Blue Notes in Japan and NYC. Back in San Francisco, she was a regular at Sausalito Art Festival, had a 3 year residency at the Ritz-Carlton, and opened for George Benson at Rodney Strong Vineyards.
During the pandemic, Sony created a tribute to 70’s and 80’s icon Linda Ronstadt, and a tribute to 60’s icon Dusty Springfield. For these engagements, she will feature selections from these two singers, as well as Classic Rock, Country, and Jazz.
