The 1994 Down Beat critics poll acclaimed her as a “talent deserving wider recognition.” To Down Beat columnist Michael G. Nastos she possesses “…the unrelenting scatability of Ella Fitzgerald, the pristine elegance of Sarah Vaughan and the blues-bucket gutsiness of Aretha Franklin.” To Jazz Times critic Fred Bouchard, “…(she) sings like a velvet gauntlet, the smoky atmospherics of Morgana King veiling the harder realities of a Carmen McRae.”

Roseanna started her singing career in Houston, Texas in the late 1970s. Texas tenor and jazz legend Arnett Cobb became her mentor and would later feature her at his performances at the Village Vanguard in New York. Ted Weems’ vocalist and Houston native Ray Sullenger became her vocal coach and exposed her to a wealth of material. Roseanna honed her craft for two continuous years at Houston’s Green Room, hosting a weekly broadcast on KUHF-FM, featuring her own group and touring jazz greats. While attending one of her performances, Oscar Peterson was so inspired he spontaneously joined her on stage. Many other guests including Bill Evans, Tommy Flanagan, Joe Williams and Eddie Gomez would appear at the club and urge Roseanna to move to New York.

Soon after her arrival in New York, Vitro sat in with Lionel Hampton’s band. After hearing one swinging scat-blues, Hamp told Roseanna she was one of the best he’d heard and immediately took her on the road. Through the support and encouragement of great musicians, Roseanna has headlined in New York at Town Hall (with Steve Allen), Fat Tuesday’s (with Sal Nestico, Big Nick and Turk Mauro), The Blue Note (with George Coleman and Ken Werner) and Condon’s (with Andy Bey). Roseanna has studied classical voice with Gabore Carelli (Manhattan School of Music), jazz technique and concept with Anne Marie Moss (Manhattan School of Music), ear-training with Ken Werner and Fred Hersch, piano with David Leonhardt and Portuguese with Barbara LuBambo.

Roseanna has five albums to her credit: Passion Dance, her most recent (January 1996) and her debut album for Telarc Jazz, features Kevin Mahogany, Christian McBride, Ken Werner and Elvin Jones; Listen Here featuring Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Ben Riley and Arnett Cobb; A Quiet Place with Fred Hersch, Eddie Daniels, Joey Barron and Marc Egan; Reaching for the Moon with Ken Werner, George Coleman, Joe Lovano, Victor Jones, Kirk Whallum and Harvie Swartz, and Softly featruing Fred Hersch, George Coleman, Jay Anderson and Tom Rainey.

These recordings, combined with supportive press and major airplay, have given Ms. Vitro the exposure to perform at numerous jazz festivals including 1994’s Newark Jazz Festival’s live one-hour broadcast on WBGO, Charles Earland’s 1994 Jazz Cruise with Etta Jones, Freddie Hubbard and Gloria Lynn, Chicago’s Green Mill sponsored by WBEZ Radio with the Willie Pickens group, the 1994 Dallas Museum of Art Festival with George Coleman, the 1994 Santa Barbara Jazz Festival with Latino Jazz, the 1993 Telluride Jazz Festival recorded for live broadcast on NPR, the Clearwater Jazz Festival with the Bobby Enriquez trio, the 1992 Asbury Park Jazz Festival and the 1992 Houston Jazz Fest. Many other club and concert performances include venues in Aspen, Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Hollywood, Florida, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, St. Louis, San Francisco, Tampa, Toledo and Washington D.C. She has shared the stage or opened for many jazz greats such as Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, Al DiMeola, Elvin Jones, Kenny Barron, Walter Davis, Jr., Hank Jones, Junior Mance, Archie Schepp, Mulgrew Miller, Randy Brecker and others.

Steve Allen has been a long-time supporter by featuring Roseanna on an album of original tunes performing at numerous concert appearances including his 1993 Hollywood Friars’ Roast and on NBC television’s Fantasy program. Roseanna’s most recent television appearance was on Ramsey Lewis’ BET on Jazz show with Steve Kuhn and Keeter Betts.