Linda's Biography

• Aerospace engineer
• Classical pianist
• Teacher: London, Moscow, Massachusetts, Virginia
• Photographer: in Moscow, USSR for US Trade Department
• Game inventor: Bee Victorious! Now in Denver, Littleton, Englewood and Boulder schools.
• Rancher
• Songwriter!

Vern & I recently bought a house on the Big Island of Hawaii, where I have founded a new group, the Purdy Good Singers. We have 10 great voices, and they sing my songs and arrangements. You may hear us this winter in a gig in Waimea or one of the resorts; if so, cheer like mad!

I have two wonderful daughters. Anne Pell is a piano teacher and jazz pianist, and was the force who inspired me to start studying jazz piano. Anne has completed her degree at Cornish School of the Arts with a fabulous recital displaying her amazing virtuoso piano and original music, from sacred liturgies to jazz. Read more about her work at Anne Pell.

Jenny Pell is finishing on her Master's at Washington State University and is a director of the Wilder Institute, which provides intensive courses in sustainable agriculture in Hawaii on the Big Island and in Nicauragua, Costa Rica and the Bahamas. Need a change in your life? Check it out at Permaculture NOW!

Jenny and I are collaborating on a picture book for children called Super Mono & Manuel, which will come with a CD with a new song, Super Mono Man, and narration of the story in Spanish and English. Super Mono is a White-faced Capuchin monkey, very smart, and his friend Manuel and he "help out" at Punta Mona's plantation in Costa Rica. Vern and I went down to Florida to record Super Mono Man with the fabulous Calypso Steve and his friends. Read all about it, hear the song, see pictures of the session, and download your very own copy in mp3 from SUPER MONO!

I started composing while working with lively jazz piano teacher Holly Holverson, who played with the Freddie-Henchi band, and taking classes in jazz improv at CU Denver with guitarist Paul Musso. All the sheet music for my original music and for Anne's choral music is available here at Sheet Music Catalog.

My friends tell me stories about their wonderful children and fabulous, intelligent grandchildren, and soon a song appears. In 2001 I collaborated with Denver children’s book artist Bobbi Shupe and publisher Pat Holmberg of Voice of the Rockies to produce a music book, Songs for You & Me. The book is for children and their families, with lively, easy arrangements and terrific illustrations for each song. My first CD, Songs for You & Me, with 11 original songs, was released in 2001. It features Celeste Krenz with 9-year-old Kelly McPhail and other local talent, with me at the piano. It is tucked into the back of the book, and the CD itself is available from CD Baby.

I call this CD “fresh.” It certainly is not "over-produced!" The songs are just about the kids and me, sitting at the piano and singing. Kids love it; even babies wave their fists around and laugh. And my friends’ grandchildren are thrilled to hear "their" songs. I wrote them because they needed them! The Swallow Hill Choir sings The Blessing on this CD. Songs from the CD have been picked for play on the XMKiDS! Station on XM Satellite Radio, and PlayhouseRadio.com.

Pirates & Cowboys, More Songs for You & Me was produced at Coupe Studios in Boulder, and has 11 brand new original songs. Celeste Krenz is again the featured singer. She is backed by marvelous talent: James Hoskins, Nelson Rangell, Chris Daniels, Chris Engleman, Christian Teele, Mark Oblinger, and ky.

Several songs are very special on this CD.

• I wrote Amy for my elementary school friend Lois and her granddaughter Amy.
• The poem "To My Husband" by Margot Manseau, clipped from a newspaper probably sometime in 1932, was found in my mother's desk when she died. My brother Griff read it at her funeral, and this song was written two days later, and became the canon Hand in Hand. Celeste sings it to perfection, backed by James Hoskins on cello and Nelson Mangell on flute.
• My younger brother John is a radio man; Radio Man Blues is for him.
• And Big Will the Pirate was written for my great-nephew William Montgomery. He's five! He really has 3 giant uncles named Griffy, Tuggy, and Ben.

I've stretched the genre on this CD. There are 4 new songs for kids, and a lullaby for the babies, but for the rest of the family I added a blues song in close harmony, 2 cowboy songs, 2 tender love songs, and a song for everyone’s holiday gathering. I was able to bring together a great Schumann canon with a Kipling poem to render Seal Lullaby for Celeste to sing. With the Handel intro, this song spans 4 centuries! I was thrilled to work with all these great musicians, including Mollie O’Brien, who stars with Jane Simms and Barbara Kuepper in the classic Bb jazz blues Radio Man Blues. That was a great delight!

Jennifer's I Got the Money reached the Top 10 in several categories on Broadjam's list.

Again there is a song with special meaning on this CD. Missin' Barry Blues was written for my dear friend Barry Morley, who died unexpectedly and left his family, friends, colleagues and many, many former Sandy Spring Friends School students bereft.