Denise was born to sing. At thirteen she was introduced to Jazz by an uncle, Herbert Tatum, who had an extensive collection of Jazz LP's and a cousin Cynthia who had a love of Nina Simone. Her "studies" involved hours of listening to the Jazz greats, both vocalists and instrumentalists. Borrowing phrasing styles from Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Nat "King" Cole and Frank Sinatra she gained an appreciation for lyrics from Lil Jimmy Scott, Nancy Wilson, Carmen McCrae and Nina Simone. Listening as intensely to Jazz as she did R&B or music of her era, she had no idea that her listening sessions were preparing her for a career in music.

She was "discovered" by a friend who heard her singing outside of her home and introduced her to the world of Jazz performance. Sam Reed, sax man and leader of the legendary Uptown Theater Orchestra helped her overcome her stage fright. Early on in her career, she shared the stage with many legends, Butch Ballard, Arthur Harper, Sam Dougherty, Cecil Payne, Jymie Merritt, Bootsie Barnes, Lex Humphries,Phil Wright, Cecil McBee, Christian McBride, Dexter Wansel, Orrin Evans, McCoy Tyner, Bobby Watson, Lonnie Plaxico, Uri Caine, Sid Simmons, Dr. Guy Ramsey, J.D. Walter, Derrick Hodge, Chris Beck, Billy Paul, Jean Carne, Celine Dion, Bunny Sigler and more. Teaching her the importance of having something to say every time she stepped up to the microphone stressing to tell a story through the words and music and not just sing the song.

Listening to her warm tone, impeccable phrasing, and the absolute control she has of her voice is mesmerizing. Whether she's singing a Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan standard, or a Gladys Knight or Aretha Franklin cover, she puts her heart and soul into every note. Denise has mastered the art of making a song her own no matter what the genre. When performing with her band whether trio, quartet or quintet they are the driving force behind her and support her every note.

Olivier Hutman, a musician whom she had worked with 12 years prior found her on Facebook. He told her if she would come to Paris he would find her work. True to his promise he organized performances at clubs, festivals and concert halls across France, Belgium and Italy. After contacting Fred Midgeon producer, together they recorded a new CD, "No Tricks" on Cristal Records. It has garnered and continues to receive great reviews. Together with DKOH Trio they have toured extensively in France, Belgium and Italy. She is currently writing lyrics for an upcoming project for Summer 2012.

In the past 25 years, Ms King has sung at almost all of the top venues in Philadelphia, several in New York, Paris, Turkey, Brazil, Africa, Germany and Japan. She is a self-proclaimed torch bearer, a keeper of the flame holding the preservation and presentation of the traditional style of Jazz singing close to her heart. No gimmicks, no pyrotechnics, just a intense focus on the melody and the lyrical content.

With a voice described as velvet smooth, warm and steeped in sophistication, she captivates you and holds you with every note. In this age of auto-tune, quick fixes and artistic gimickery, her love of people, performance style, and energy have ensured her a spot in the Jazz community for a long time.

Olivier Hutman has an impressive career of his own, he has worked and recorded with many artists amongst which: Pepper Adams, Art Farmer, Clark Terry, Harry ‘ Sweets’ Edison, James Moody, Michel Legrand, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mark Murphy, Stephane Grapelli, Toots Thieleman, Gary Bartz, Junior Cook, Frank Wess, Clifford Jordan, Mundell Lowe, Teddy Edwards, David ‘Fathead’ Newman, Von Freeman, and Roy Hargrove.

Be sure to turn off the music player in the upper left column so that you can receive this video presentation without interuption.

Tour dates:
3/8 JazzKeller Frankfurt Germany
3/9 Jazzbar Volger Munich Germany
3/10 Austria -TBA
3/14 Cercle Suedois Paris France
3/16 Ajaccio Corsica