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Jennifer Porter with Dana Packard Tiny Screen Concert

Jennifer Porter

Jennifer Porter with Dana Packard delivered an exceptional Tiny Screen Concert experience on May 12.

Jennifer Porter is an award-winning musician, actor and screenwriter. Jennifer, who is a musician's musician, has sung with Classical and Jazz Orchestras, including the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, and smaller combos including her own quintet. She is also an accomplished Blues pianist, and has played with C.J. Chenier and The Red Hot Louisiana Band, Nathan and The Zydeco Cha-Chas, and Ils Sont Partis. Her musical repertoire spans from Jazz and Blues to Country and Opera. She has recorded 7 albums to date, and recently released her newest album, "These Years," recorded with legendary producer Jay Newland. These Years has seen significant radio play and received rave reviews in Europe and The United States. Her song Road To Redemption, from These Years, charted at #1 on National Indie Radio, the Independent Music Network Country Charts, New Music Weekly's Country Charts and National Radio Hits Country Charts. Road To Redemption also reached the top 3 on The Independent Music Network's Mainstream charts, and National Radio Hits and New Music Weekly's Adult Contemporary, and Top 40 charts. She was also nominated for 5 Indpendent Music Network awards and won Female Crossover Artist of the year. Her album Easy Living (2014), was nominated for a 2015 Independent Music Award in the Jazz With Vocals category, and was heard on jazz stations around the United States, including KJAZZ in Los Angeles, WWOZ in New Orleans, and Public Radio International's Jazz After Hours.

As an Actor, Jennifer's more than 80 stage credits include Betty in Chapatti, Rose in The Woolgatherer, Scarlett in Coyote Ugly, Bella in Angel Street, Rita in Educating Rita, Aldonza in Man of La Mancha and Patsy Cline in Always...Patsy Cline.

Jennifer starred in, and composed and performed the film score for Ballad of Ida and Doob (1999) and wrote, starred in, and composed and performed the film scores for the critically acclaimed Mr. Barrington (2003) and the multiple award-winning 40 West (2011). For her work on 40 West, Jennifer received Awards of Merit for Acting and Original Score from The Accolade Competition, Gold Prestige Awards for Acting, Original Score and Original Song, and a Silver Prestige Award for Original Screenplay.

Dana Packard is a theatre and film actor, director, and drummer. He has directed over eighty plays with The Originals, the AEA Small Professional Theatre company at Saco River Theatre in Buxton, Maine, which he founded with Jennifer Porter in 1988, and for which he serves as Executive Director.

In 1998, with Porter, Dana formed Honey Tree Films. He wrote, produced, directed and edited the award-winning 16 mm short, Ballad of Ida and Doob (1999); produced, directed and edited the critically acclaimed feature film Mr. Barrington (2003); and produced, directed and edited 40 West (2010), featuring Wayne Newton — winner of 17 international awards, including Grand Jury Prize: Amsterdam Film Festival, and Best Director: NYC Downtown Feature Film Festival. Dana is a member of the Directors Guild of America, the Screen Actors Guild, and Actors Equity Association.

He frequently plays drums with Porter, and doubles as her booking agent and tour manager.