Laura Ainsworth is a second-generation musical prodigy.  Her late father, Bill Ainsworth, was a renowned big band musician and arranger who played with Freddy Martin and other top bandleaders, and was possibly the youngest member ever of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, backing Frank Sinatra at just 16.  As a young girl, Laura watched enraptured as her dad accompanied such idols as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme and Marilyn McCoo, playing lead sax and clarinet at Dallas' famous Fairmont Hotel Venetian Room.  Laura grew up worshiping the great jazz, big band and club singers like Ella, Keely Smith, Doris Day, Margaret Whiting and Rosemary Clooney, as well as comedienne/singers Madeline Kahn, Carol Burnett and Mary Tyler Moore.  Both music and humor became a big part of her life.

Laura's debut album, "Keep It To Yourself," produced and arranged by jazz piano genius Brian Piper, and featuring the Brian Piper Trio (John Adams on bass, Mike Drake on drums), spotlights Laura's nearly three-octave voice, surrounded by some of the greatest jazz musicians in Texas in a delightful genre- and era-skipping collection of songs from the 1920s to today, from ballads to swing and from standards to obscure gems.   The hilariously seductive title tune is already being played on radio stations worldwide, and is striking a chord with women as the perfect female revenge fantasy in this era of famous cheating men.  Guest artists include violinist Milo Deering of the hot jazz/bluegrass fusion group Beatlegras, adding a Stephane Grappelli-like touch to a swinging "La Vie En Rose;" and jazz guiltarist Chris Derose, a favorite accompanist of Michael Feinstein and Willie Nelson, dueting with Laura on a stripped-down, recorded live-in-one-take version of the Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer classic "Skylark."  This rendition was summed up by a fan at Jango online radio in a single word:  "Wow."   "Keep It To Yourself" is now available at CDBaby.com, iTunes and other download sites, and locally in Dallas at CD Source in Old Town.  It can also be ordered by any brick-and-mortar store.   Click here to buy the CD or download it from CDBaby.com. 

Laura creates, produces and performs her own fully-realized, live musical shows that have become known for her gorgeous voice, her unique sense of humor and her trademark elbow-length satin gloves and beaded gowns that would fill Julie London with envy.  She ushers audiences into her own enchanting world, a cocktail mix that recreates the elegant retro style of nightclub shows of the ‘30s and ‘40s, but with a sophisticated modern musical sheen and just a twist of flirtatiously naughty humor. It’s an intoxicating blend that has attracted some of the top jazz players in Texas to her side, including longtime partner Brian Piper, one of the most sought-after pianists/producers in the Southwest and the 2011 Sammons Center for the Arts honoree as “Dallas Jazz Musician of the Year.”

Brian Piper focused on accounting, law and football in college, but luckily for music fans, he quickly changed direction and has been a vital part of Dallas’ music scene for...well, a long time.  His resume requires a lot of slashes, as in "Composer/Arranger/Conductor/Performer/ Recording Artist.”  His most recent title, from the Sammons Center for the Arts, is "2011 Dallas Jazz Musician of the Year."  

His modern jazz group, the Brian Piper Trio (with John Adams and Mike Drake), was chosen as one of the spotlight new artists for the 2008 Newport Jazz Fest Beach Party.  They have released two fantastic CDs, "Piperville" and "TerrrRIFFic," on 90th Floor Records.  A frequent presence in the Dallas Summer Musicals orchestra pit, he has accompanied the national touring companies of such hit Broadway shows as "Wicked" and "The Producers."  He has backed legendary stars ranging from Cab Calloway to Mabel Mercer to Jerry Jeff Walker (you can hear him on a number of JJW albums as a member of the Gonzo Compadres Band) and can often be seen tickling the ivories with the ‘Nawlins Gumbo Kings.  As owner of Brian Piper Music, he’s created numerous radio IDs and spots for such clients as NBC Sports.

An avid pilot and self-described “ski bum,” Brian shares his life with wife Carlene and daughters Haley and Caroline.

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