Divas Together | Divas Separately | Dates | Reviews
Divas CD | Dishin' with the Divas | Cooking video | Divas Recipes

Our Dishin' with the Divas cooking video is here!

Watch us in action at a Dishin' with the Divas event.

Divas Together

Beth Ullman, Mady Kaye and Dianne Donovan are the ebullient Beat Divas. Three remarkable voices in tight harmony romp through American jazz and pop with a joie de vivre and vocal abandon rarely heard. Sexy, sassy and swingin', their repertoire includes original works, jazz standards and the best of American pop music jazzed up. From bebop to pop-gone-salsa, the song styling is totally refreshing. The Divas’ songs about food, which they include in their local cooking classes, are delicious and hilarious.

Each singer has a successful solo performing career. Beth and Mady are teachers of voice. Dianne has a background in jazz radio and is an esteemed classical radio host. The three friends bring their expertise and diverse musical influences together as the Beat Divas. The blend is uncanny. The arrangements are exquisite. Prepare to be delighted.

The Beat Divas with the great saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman at the Jazz at St. James concert in Austin, TX. The Divas warmed up the stage for Mr. Newman and his ensemble.

Divas Separately

beth

Beth Ullmanhas been wowing audiences in the Southwest for the past fifteen years with her innovative renditions of jazz standards. Her 1994 debut CD, "Aren't We the Lucky Ones," garnered enthusiastic reviews from JAZZTIMES and CADENCE magazines, the latter noting: " She has an absolutely exquisite instrument.” Viewpoint Records released her follow up CD, “I Love You Too Much,” which featured many original compositions. "It's hard to resist the sublime and haunting interpretations of vocalist Beth Ullman." JAZZIZ, May 1995. "The lady swings hard and positively shines on ballads." CADENCE, April 1995. "Ullman's vocals connect both head and heart. A virtuoso musician." Michael Point, Austin American Statesman. Ms. Ullman has also released two CDs that are a unique blend of pop and new age styles of original meditation music: “Go Within” and “Remember Me.” KUT-FM Public Radio host John Aielli selected “Go Within” as his favorite release of 1998. Ms. Ullman is on the Commercial Music Faculty at McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, where she is an instructor of voice and vocal ensemble, a vocal arranger and accompanist.

mady

Mady Kayehas been singing ever since she learned to walk. As a jazz vocalist, Ms. Kaye is known for her impeccable phrasing and improvised lyrics. Of her debut jazz CD, “Songs for All Seasons,” Raoul Hernandez, Austin Chronicle Music Editor writes: "Sophistication and elegance are swooning under the spell of Kaye's cool, seductive jazz stylings… she sings jazz - lives each note, breathes every line, inhabits every song.” Ms. Kaye also performs cabaret, notably at Zachary Scott Theater in Austin. Her first show, “A Tribute to Tin Pan Alley” was recorded live, and the CD “Mady Kaye Goes Cabaret” is the happy result: “…when she gives voice to these master-pieces of wit and romance, she communicates all the craft, all the feeling that has made these songs the standards… Kaye's polished technique makes every word clear, every clever phrase ring… her voice comes out like a taut thread of silk." Robert Faires, Arts Editor, Austin Chronicle. “Mady Kaye is Austin’s premier straight-up, can-do-it-all vocalist.” Rita DeBellis, The Good Life. In addition to performing, Ms. Kaye is a full time vocal instructor. The Austin Chronicle's "Critic's Picks" named her the best professional voice instructor in Austin.

dianne

Dianne Donovan is queen of the classical radio airwaves in central Texas, as daily show host and also producer of “Classical Austin” for KMFA Radio. Ms. Donovan is a Montreal-born jazz vocalist who spent most of her professional life in Alberta, western Canada, where she balanced her singing career with work as a jazz radio host. She currently produces a weekly vocal jazz show, “Voices in Jazz” for CKUA Radio in Edmonton, and has interviewed jazz greats from Bobby McFerrin to Shirley Horn. As vocalist with Gary Guthman’s Symphony Pops Show “Tribute to Harry James,” she worked with many orchestras in the U.S. and Canada. Ms. Donovan’s first jazz CD, “Yes and No,” was produced by Canadian jazz icon Tommy Banks and received critical acclaim and national airplay. Her follow up release, “A Musing,” features mostly original compositions. “This is a disc that… establishes the local jazz singer as one of the more creative voices on the western Canadian jazz front.” Peter North, See Magazine. “…songs that are the epitome of smooth, sensuous jazz, offering solace but leaving behind a lingering simmer.” Wayne Arthurson, Vue Weekly. “…very beautiful, moody music.” Katie Malloch, Jazzbeat, CBC.

Divas Together | Divas Separately | Dates | Reviews
Divas CD | Dishin' with the Divas | Cooking video | Divas Recipes

Divas on Stage

Catch The Beat Divas in person at the venues listed below.

Divas Together | Divas Separately | Dates | Reviews
Divas CD | Dishin' with the Divas

Divas Reviewed

“If ever there was a time to drink in the healing power of music, a new album from Austin divas provides the elixir to soothe whatever ails you. The lustrous voices of local jazz artists Dianne Donovan, Mady Kaye, and Beth Ullman, known collectively as the Beat Divas, soar in a stunning, carefully orchestrated live recording from Austin's newest (only?) jazz supper club, Reed's. From standards like “Straighten Up and Fly Right” to bebop and a vocally thrilling tribute to John Coltrane (“There Once Was a Man Named John”), the Beat Diva's sharp harmonies, clear voices and mature, nuanced delivery is a marvel. Although recorded live, there's no sense of spontaneity in Live at Reed's, but that's not a bad thing. Together with Eddy Hobizal on piano, Paul Spikes on acoustic bass, and Kenny Felton on drums, Live at Reed's demonstrates the master musicians' attention to detail with highly deceptive effortlessness.”
–Belinda Acosta, The Austin Chronicle, CD Review

“The Boswell Sisters meet Crosby, Stills and Nash – and haven't forgotten Stephen Foster.
I love it.”
–John Aielli, Host of Eklektikos, KUT-FM Public Radio

Dishin’ with the Divas Review

“I know few pleasures greater (none I’ll confess to in these pages anyway) than preparing a meal with friends, wine glass in hand and good music carrying it all along. The Beat Divas are hip to this notion and the musical trio is back to make sure you are too. The Divas return to present an evening of wine, women, song and food in a Central Market Cooking School class called Dishin’ with the Divas: Eye-Popping Summer Suppers.

“During the funny, entertaining and informative class, each Diva teaches two of the six dishes on the menu and, while the food is being served, they sing songs about food. The Divas, with an accompanist, will debut two new original songs at this class. One is called “Sweet Treat,” which is every woman’s fantasy about her lover also being her pastry chef (oh yeah!), and the nostalgic “In My Mother’s House.”

“Here’s what the Divas plan to cook up:
• Texas bruschetta
• Chillin’ cantaloupe and honeydew soup
• Tri-colored “veggie” pate with herbed mayonnaise
• Grilled and peppered pork tenderloin with smoky sour cream sauce
• Peach and white chocolate cake
• Chocolate strawberry shortcake

“Dish with the Divas Saturday, June 10, 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Central Market Cooking School, 4001 N. Lamar. The cost for the class is $50. For reservations call 512.458.3068.”
— Rita DeBellis, Out & About, The Good Life, June 2006

Musicians on the Menu Review

“In concert or in the kitchen, these locals have the chops.

“Austin has the well-deserved reputation as a city that fosters creative expression of all kinds: musical, literary, theatrical, culinary and artistic. It only makes sense that in a city with such a wealth of creative energy, genres would tend to overlap. The local connection between live music and dining out is particularly strong, perhaps due to the immediacy of the gratification involved in both endeavors. Live music and good cooking are created to be consumed immediately, to satisfy the senses and nourish the soul. So it’s no wonder that a connection between food and music would flourish here and be recognized by fans and musicians alike. The connections is supported by historical precedent, local-business participation, and a huge talent pool…

“When the Beat Divas perform the Mady Kaye original “Cookin’ in the Kitchen,” it’s not just a catchy tune about lovers cooking Louisiana food set to a swamp-romp rhythm; it also illuminates an important new aspect of their professional collaboration.

“The Beat Divas – Mady Kaye, Beth Ullman, and Dianne Donovan – are all accomplished musicians and singers, as well as passionate home cooks. Now, in addition to performing a delicious mélange of jazz standards, jazzed-up American pop tunes and clever original material, they are cooking together and presenting quarterly classes at the Central Market Cooking School. Each class includes the demonstration of a seasonal dinner menu developed by the trio, served up with side dishes of their music. The lucky guests at the upcoming June 10 class will feast on such items as Cantaloupe and Honeydew Soup, Grilled Peppered Pork Tenderloin with Smoky Sour Cream Sauce, and Peach and White Chocolate Cake, in addition to tunes like “A Little Bit of Chocolate,” “Sweet Potato Jive,” or their newest salute to a hunky pastry chef, “Sweet Treat.”

“The Divas’ culinary collaboration works much the same way as their musical endeavor, with each woman bringing unique talents to the table and to the stage. Donovan, whose rich contralto defines the Divas’ distinctive harmonies, likens her own cooking style to playing jazz, saying, “I’ll add a little lemon or vinegar if something needs a brighter top note, or maybe a little cumin if the dish needs a note farther down the scale.” Ullman confesses she’s still not completely comfortable cooking in front of an audience, “so I use humor to relax the situation.” All three women describe how the breaks in their music rehearsals invariably dissolve into discussions about food and relate how some of their personal cooking experiences inspire the original material for a CD of all food songs. “Beth and I operate on so much the same musical wavelength that it’s easier for us to write material for the group,” explains Kaye, but she’s quick to point out that all three of them choose the material the group performs as well as the recipes for their classes and planned cookbook.

“The Divas hired a videographer to shoot their most recent Central Market class, and clips of the trio cooking and singing for a very receptive crowd can be viewed on the Web at www.madykaye.com/divas. Having a DVD of their culinary and musical collaborations to shop around is just part of a serious master plan and professional wish list: They would love to teach the Central Market tour of Texas, they envision a musical cooking show with a companion cookbook called Dishin’ with the Divas, and they’d welcome a guest shot on the Food Network. “I think we’d be a natural to guest on Emeril Live,” Kaye says. We concur.”
— Virginia B. Wood, Food Editor, The Austin Chronicle, May 12, 2006

"The Beat Divas write songs about food—and life—and sing them as they cook, often for a paying audience. It's a chilly March evening, but the sold-out Central Market Cooking School classroom is warm and fragrant with the recipes-in-progress, and the mostly middle-aged crowd is entranced. As the class moves seamlessly from appetizer (spanakopita) to dessert (lemon-strawberry mousse), singer/cooks Mady Kaye, Beth Ullman and Dianne Donovan serve up equal tidbits of cooking advice and confessional along with their music. We learn not just how to cool quinoa, but why some marriages cool off into nothing at all. And somehow it's all fun and informative and delicious. Not only that, the songs, stories and recipes are all 100 per cent original."
There's more. Read the complete review.
–Marla Camp, Publisher, Edible Austin

“...one of the best, and surely the most polished performance by a singing group to be seen in Austin — or anywhere. Kaye, Ullman and Donovan each have separate careers, performing alone or in other combos, teaching, hosting radio shows, etc. But when they're together, they are SO together. Close harmonies, jazzy body language and snappy repartee, slinky black cocktail dresses and sexy high heels. These Divas rock!”
–Dot Fowler, Lake Travis View

“Sexy, sassy and swingin'.”
–Dick Gimble, Bassist for Johnny Gimble's "Texas Swing"

“Conventional wisdom tells us that three women, let alone three Divas, will not play well together and that too many cooks will spoil a dish. Throw conventional wisdom out the window this time, because the three multi-talented women who make up The Beat Divas have hit on the perfect recipe, their voices blending seamlessly in delicious harmonies. Any performance cooked up by these Divas is bound to be a very tasty treat!”
–Virginia B. Wood, Food Editor, The Austin Chronicle

“When jazz vocalists Beth Ullman, Mady Kaye and Dianne Donovan get together as a trio, you've got the ultimate entertainment experience known as The Beat Divas. Put these ladies into an intimate venue... and you've got the makings for an unforgettable evening.”
–Ken Martin, Editor, The Good Life

“Working with The Beat Divas was a delight! These modern day Sirens packed the house for our St. Cecelia Jazz Festival, only releasing the audience after a spell-binding concert.”
–Scott McNulty, Founder/Director St. Cecelia Jazz Festival, Austin

“The Beat Divas performance at the Texas Daily Newspaper Association's 2004 Annual Meeting this past week was outstanding. Everyone present thoroughly enjoyed the group's exceptional talent, and your colorful and entertaining production provided the ideal way to close out a long day and a delightful evening.”
-Donnis Baggett, TDNA President and Publisher/Editor of The Eagle, Bryan, TX

“... three chanteuses in black cocktail dresses... known collectively as The Beat Divas, Mady Kaye, Beth Ullman and Dianne Donovan combined casual banter and tight three-part harmony to enthrall a capacity crowd of 500.”
–Paul Klemperer, in a review of St. Cecelia Jazz Festival, XLENT, Austin American Statesman

“When music is concerned, sometimes one plus one plus one adds up to more than three. That's the case with the Austin-based Beat Divas, a female trio whose collective harmonies bring something distinctive to jazz vocals.”
–Carl Hoover, Entertainment Editor, Waco Tribune-Herald

“Three magical voices come together, weaving an evening of musical energy loaded with humor and surprises that no audience can forget.”
–Zea Calvin, Waterloo Ice House

“How about a hot night of jazz with three great singers? Then The Beat Divas performance at Wimberley Winter Jazz is the right date to make.”
–Wimberley View, Life & Arts

“What a wonderful, eclectic mix of arrangements you performed with perfection! I never expected to hear a very different interpretation of a Beatles classic... only from The Beat Divas.”
–Chris Hilsabeck, Freelance Film & Video Producer

Divas Together | Divas Separately | Dates | Reviews
Divas CD | Dishin' with the Divas | Cooking video | Divas Recipes

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