Vocalist, songwriter, and cultural commentator Dara Starr Tucker makes her debut at Catalina Jazz Club on Sunday, October 19, 2025 to celebrate her new album: Time Wouldn’t Wait, a soul-stirring collection of original compositions and cinematic reimaginings that reflect on the passage of time, the beauty of impermanence, and the power of presence. With a voice described as “commanding and clear” (NPR), Tucker weaves a rich tapestry of sound and story. Time Wouldn’t Wait features a dynamic blend of seven of Tucker’s original songs alongside deeply personal renditions of songs from classic and contemporary films. She reimagines “Pure Imagination” (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), the hauntingly beautiful “Twilight and Mist” (Legends of the Fall), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “I Have Dreamed” (The King and I), and showcases a stunning cover of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For” from Barbie. Among Tucker's seven original compositions are the title track “Time Wouldn’t Wait,” a poignant meditation on impermanence, the radiant “Shining,” the gospel-tinged “Tall Georgia Pines,” and a song of heartbreak and forgetting “Brick Wall.” Each track is a carefully crafted emotional vignette, driven by Tucker’s singular ability to fuse jazz, soul, folk, and filmic songwriting into something wholly her own. "This is not just an album to hear; it’s an album to feel" Tucker said. “While we are certain that time is fleeting, it is also full of infinite possibilities." Tucker’s artistry extends far beyond the studio. A Woodshed Network Fellow, selected for the prestigious program founded by jazz legend Dee Dee Bridgewater, she has toured and recorded with guitarist Charlie Hunter and co-wrote the title track for Keb’ Mo’s 2020 Grammy-winning album, Oklahoma. Tucker was the silver medalist at the American Traditions Vocal Competition where she additionally won the Johnny Mercer Award and the Ben Tucker Jazz Award prizes. Her 2021 release, Dreams of Waking, reached #7 on JazzWeek’s national radio charts, while songs from her previous album, Dara Starr Tucker, were included on Apple Music's Jazz Vocal Essentials,  Spotify's Best Jazz Vocals 2023 and Amazon Music's Vocal Jazz playlists, further cementing her status as a rising voice in modern jazz. Tucker’s thought-provoking commentary and musical storytelling have garnered her national attention. She has been featured on NPR’s Jazz Night in America, NPR’s Jazz Inspired, and is the new host of "The Front Page" on Radio Free 102.3FM in Los Angeles, a station owned by Stevie Wonder. A powerful presence on social media, Tucker uses her platform to explore race, culture, faith, film, and music—garnering a combined following of over 1.3 million across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Her videos, commentary, and songs have been featured on HBO, FX/Hulu, The OWN Network, BET.com, Revolt.com, Shondaland.com, Ebony, and Jet.  With Time Wouldn’t Wait, Dara Starr Tucker offers not only an album, but an experience that is a deeply introspective examination of the fragility and fullness of time, and a call to embrace every breath we still have.

The American dream came true for Catalina Popescu in October of 1986 when she and her husband Bob created a supper club devoted to serving an experience of superb eats and the shared magic of live performance. That grand experience began at the door where every night her mother Maria would greet each guest as family and share in their love of music. Housed in Hollywood and decked out in a timeless charm, the club offers a cozy ambience under sparkling stage lights garnished with its signature concoction — Jazz. The first artist to grace the stage was the masterful flutist and saxophonist Buddy Collette, and ever since then, over the past 36 years, the Catalina Jazz Club has hosted the most illustrious legends of all time — from the powerful puffers of Dizzy Gillespie to the electrified fingers of McCoy Tyner, the bubbly belt of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Lynda Carter, the flirtatious saxophone of Joshua Redman, the slick strumming of Kenny Burrell, the insane drum clinic of Steve Gadd, the romance of Steve Tyrell, and the masterclass of Mike Stern. For Catalina, Jazz is our way of life. It breathes pain. It knows love. It dreams hope. It bleeds courage. Whether we’re showcasing Broadway, Soul, R&B, or stand-up comedy, the lesson learned from all the greats who have serenaded our spirits is how to connect to one another. And that’s why the Catalina Jazz Club will always have a table ready for you. The Catalina Jazz Club has been honored by A.S.M.A.C., California Jazz Foundation, Los Angeles Jazz Society, and a City of Los Angeles Certificate of Appreciation on their 25th Anniversary, which was awarded by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the LA City Council which included then City Council member and current Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.