Vocalist and songwriter Vanisha Gould heralds an ode to the power of imperfection with She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth, releasing November 8, 2024 via Cellar Music Group

To purchase click here

Every performer, whether a musician, orator, thespian, or athlete, knows the sensation: despite everything being pre-planned – from wardrobe and stage plot to the materials and the travel route – inevitably, there will be some unforeseen eventuality that threatens to derail the flawless facade of the performance. Simply put, if the devil is in the details, then the danger is in the design. While to some, this inability to control every element may be a stressor, to vocalist and songwriter **Vanisha Gould**the vivacity of every onstage moment is the execution of the craft despite, and even due to, the nature of unavoidable flaws. Armed with a fresh perspective and an indomitable ability to hit the song home regardless of circumstances, Vanisha presents She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth, an homage to the beauty that abides within and around the flaws in everyone’s perfect plans.

Vanisha’s embracing of imperfection was not something that initially came naturally, but was a realization and perspective that came with experience. “All of these little things we do, that I do, to make sure everything goes smoothly – you can bet your bottom dollar that something will go wrong,” Vanisha expresses. “That perfect outfit I finally chose? I’ll sweat through it within ten minutes on the stage. That perfect makeup? It’s gone by the time I get off the subway to the gig.” Amidst the ever-present torrent of potential hangups that encompass daily life for a performer, Vanisha embodied the choice that every individual has to make: either be crippled by the entropy of one’s circumstances, or use the cracks in the wall as a new canvas for something remarkable. “This album was created when I realized I can’t be perfect,” she says. “And you know what? Dammit, I like that. What a relief to embrace that idea.”

The timing of Vanisha’s watershed realization could not have been more fortuitous. Shortly after she gained her newfound outlook, Vanisha was commissioned by The Jazz Gallery to compose a complete set of music. “BAM! My writer’s block was cured,” Vanisha says. “I fed off of that idea: imperfections and embracing them.”

It is from these circumstances – the ideation and the motivation – that She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth was born. The phrase that became the album’s title is also the first phrase heard on the album, further hammering home the central concept of Vanisha’s work. “It seems to me that true adulthood or maturity is accepting that you cannot and will never be perfect,” Vanisha says. “I will never be shiny. I will never be smooth.” Beyond the title track itself emphasizing this point directly, Vanisha further reinforces the concept on the piece “Demure”, but done in an almost tongue-in-cheek cute manner. The further layers of meaning behind “Demure” are, however, obstinate and emphatic. “I was raised in a society where being demure is cute. To shrink is cute. To not be demanding, to not ask for too much, to make yourself small in order to leave room for others to shine,” Vanisha says. “I’m not rude or disrespectful, but I’m also not a fool and I’m not invisible. I want there to be absolutely no misunderstanding: I am not demure; not anymore.” 

As the album continues, Vanisha explores the concept of embracing imperfection in varied manners and through universal themes. Whether speaking on empowerment, joy, or heartbreak, she admits, “I’m not trying to reinvent any wheel. The only wheel that’s been reinvented is my mindset of acceptance – acceptance of myself and the circumstances of life; riding the wave and making art out of it.” A salient example of Vanisha’s practice of ‘riding the wave’ can be heard in the track “Don’t Worry Bout Me”, which she composed after an off-putting stranger stole her phone. Instead of growing irate about circumstances she could not control, she chose to write about it and process through it. “In the moment I was livid, then – because I didn’t have a phone, I was bored,” she explains. “So I wrote that song. Thank you, weird dude.” Vanisha’s favorite song on the album is anthemic, with arguably the starkest message. Entitled “Get Out Of My Way”, the piece contains a clear-cut message. Unobscured by florid, metaphoric language, the composer wanted the piece to be a clapback against the selfish, unkind actions taken by those individuals with whom everyone is unfortunate to know in some form or fashion. 

One of the most powerful elements of Vanisha’s album is the contributions of her band. Jongkuk Kim, the band’s drummer and a powerhouse name in the New York jazz scene in his own right, is beloved by the bandleader for his emotive playing to the lyrics of her every song. “His sound is so tasteful and complementary to my voice,” Vanisha says. “My songs have a lot of lyrics and I want each word heard. He allows that for me and he never overpowers until the lyrics call for it.” Notably, she remarks that “I don’t use a drummer if Jongkuk is not available”, a further testament to his prowess. Pianist Chris McCarthy is described by Vanisha as her “right hand man”, and is credited with bringing every chord and line to life in a lush and vibrant way. “He can make anything sound like a masterpiece,” she says. Bassist John Sims is admired for his immovable sense of time, and eternal adherence to her vision and intent for every song. At the core, Vanisha values how intimately they know and respect her music. “They know me, and they show up and treat my music like I’d like them to treat my music,” she says. “I know my music with my eyes closed, upside down, in my sleep; they do too.”

With She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth, Vanisha Gould presents a musical philosophy and ultimatum, declaring the beauty of imperfection, and the artistry of dancing between the fractures in every fleeting moment. Vanisha summarizes it all aptly when she speaks to the heart of the recording itself. “The band knows I’m not shiny, and they know I’m not smooth. I think subconsciously that’s why it all works,” she says. “Because they’re not either, and we don’t try to be. We’re all just hangin’.”

*She’s Not Shiny, She’s Not Smooth *releases November 8, 2024, via Cellar Music Group.

Thank you to Lydia Liebman for sharing the press release

3 years in the making, the new album from multi-award-winning vocalist, pianist and composer Laila Biali offers a cinematic set of winter-themed original songs that feature JUNO-winner & GRAMMY- nominee Jane Bunnett, the Venuti String Quartet and chamber orchestra.

Release Date: November 1, 2024 (Independent Release)

Stream/purchase here

18 months after the release of her critically acclaimed and JUNO-nominated jazz standards album, Your Requests, Laila Biali is back with an entirely fresh and original offering, marking her 10th recording as a bandleader. Composed from a cabin surrounded by snow-capped mountains during a writing retreat in the heart of Canada’s Rocky Mountains, ***Wintersongs ***is Biali’s musical love letter to winter.

For more than 10 years, Alberta’s **Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity **has been a creative haven for Biali, who expresses deep gratitude for the intensive independent residencies that have allowed space for the genesis of new work:

“The Banff Centre is where I go to meet my muse. I have been fortunate to spend time there in every season, but I was especially surprised at how much I loved winter. I was offered a 2-week residency as part of their Fleck Fellowship and arrived on campus in late November of 2021. Every day from dawn to dusk, all I could see and hear was music – in the awe-inspiring sunrises and sunsets behind mountain silhouettes, in the wind as it rose up through towering trees, and in snow that constantly shape-shifted from stillness to storm. Those images and that experience fill this suite of songs.”

With funding support from Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council, Biali and her team moved this ambitious project from concept to realization. As new production ideas emerged, the vision for ***Wintersongs ***expanded to include not only Biali’s usual collaborators – like her longtime co-producer, drummer and husband Ben Wittman – but also one of the most in-demand orchestrators, Rob Mathes (Sting, Bruce Springsteen).

Biali comments, “Rob Mathes has been on my dream-list since I first heard his early work.. There was magic in his writing. He and (GRAMMY nominee) Drew Jurecka really brought grandeur and a spirit of play to Wintersongs through their string treatments.”

Another fresh collaborator for Biali is the highly-decorated flutist and soprano saxophonist Jane Bunnett, who will join Biali on an extensive tour in support of the album’s launch this November and December. Bunnett sparkles as she adds sweeping improvisational phrases and solos to both Rocky Mountain Lullaby, Biali’s ode to the majestic peaks of Banff National Park, and Dance of the Pines, a sonic journey inspired by flora, fauna and the aurora borealis. Other guests include the acclaimed trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, organ wizard Sam Yahel and the Detroit-born singer Wade O. Brown.

Together, they elevate one of the album’s more epic tracks, Outside (a Biali original) with such irresistibly hooky melodies, romantic imagery and opulent orchestration it could well become a contemporary seasonal classic.

The spirited original romp, Keep on Moving, takes off with soaring vocals from Joanna Majoko, Genevieve Marentette, and Jackson Welchner. Here the Venuti String Quartet (Rebekah Wolkstein, Drew Jurecka, Shannon Knights & Amahl Arulanandam) add their trademark virtuosity to George Koller’s formidable bass, Ben Wittman’s dynamic drums and Biali’s blistering piano. It is a stunning contrast to the album’s tender opening number, Drifting Down Ice, a warm invitation into a world of winter wonders as Biali’s vocalise floats overtop shimmering strings and **Lori Gemmel’**s lilting harp.

Gemmel makes an enchanting reappearance ensconced by Mathes’ ornate orchestral voicings on the lyrical ballad, Snow.

Winter Waltz is a charming instrumental version of the French chanson she co-wrote with Sonia Johnson, released last year as Belle nuit de Noël. It’s a whimsical nod to Vince Guaraldi (A Charlie Brown Christmas) that shines a spotlight on the Venuti String Quartet, with a masterful arrangement and bandoneon playing from Drew Jurecka. The album concludes with Jesus, He is Born (Iesous ahatonnia’), a 17th-century carol first attributed to Jean de Brébeuf that most listeners will recognize as “The Huron Carol.” Following extensive conversations with the Wendat artist, Andrée Lévesque Sioui, who is decolonizing this traditional song with her own brilliant re-written verses, Biali felt it was crucial to strip away John Middleton’s English lyrics, to offer an instrumental arrangement she hopes will help create space and open up dialogue about Lévesque Sioui’s important work.

Wintersongs draws us into an organic experience that feels entirely new and yet achingly familiar – uncharted terrain that resonates with the strong echoes of home.

Upcoming Performances click here

Emma Smith new album ‘Hat-trick!’ Out on Oct 25th (pre-ordered copies are sent out 3 weeks before official release!)

Emma Smith returns with 'Hat-trick!', her third studio album following the success of 2022’s ‘Meshuga Baby’, which received a plethora of praise from fans and critics alike.

Pre-order your signed copy of Emma's new album now and receive it before everyone else.

'Hat-trick!' will be introduced to the world by a triple show album launch by Emma and her swinging trio and is an amalgamation of music from three very diverse EP’s, but is much is much more than a celebration of all things thrice, as Emma explains: 

"Being an independent artist in this day and age is a roller coaster, to say the least. But whilst the music industry landscape remains totally unpredictable, there is one thing that can be relied upon; one must be capable of wearing an abundance of hats. We must be able to write the theme tune, sing the theme tune, design the front cover of the theme tune, register the theme tune for royalties collection services...etc. So this album is simultaneously a tip of the hat (whoops!) to all the incredible, brave and resilient independent artists out there following their dreams, and also to the supportive, loving and culture-curious music fans who buy the music, come to the shows, and roar with joy when we succeed. I see you, I respect you and I am you!"

 It is this outlook that has helped Emma Smith achieve a whole range of diverse and extensive experiences throughout her career to date, performing everywhere from the 02 Arena to the leading jazz clubs of New York City, collaborating and recording with the likes of Michael Buble, The Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum, Georgie Fame and Seal along the way. Emma Smith has created a formidable reputation as a powerful and expressive artist in UK jazz and will continue to augment this with Hat Trick, as its concept can extend beyond the music word.

Emma remarks that “As a society we so used to wearing so many hats; mother, daughter, sister, wife, employee, friend, career, student, boss, explorer, creator... it’s sometimes a challenge to get in touch with the truest, purest part of who we are. Music helps me to do that, the intangible, heartfelt, joyfulness of it. And so my wish is that this record allows you, even if for a few minutes. to get close to that pure, magical true, YOU.”

Some of the music on Hat-Trick will remain off streaming platforms for sometime to give exclusivity for those who purchase the album. To honour you, my loyal fans.

Beyond its many meanings, Hat-trick is quite simply a showcase of Emma Smith’s unique and uniquely exhilarating vocal ability – a slice of inspiration in musical form for the world to enjoy.

Pre Order here
For Emma Smith website click here

KRISTIN KORB BRINGS NEW LIFE TO EURYTHMICS CLASSICS! "SWEET DREAMS" ALBUM DROPS OCTOBER 25.

“She has a way of taking anything and making it sound cool!" - London Jazz News

Step back into the iconic sounds of the 80s with American jazz vocalist/bassist Kristin Korb's eagerly anticipated Eurythmics tribute album Sweet Dreams, set to drop on October 25, 2024.

REIGNITING THE 80s

MTV and the innovative sounds of Eurythmics provided the soundtrack to Kristin Korb's teen years. Annie Lennox’s powerhouse vocals and striking imagery were impossible to ignore and left a lasting impact. Now, Kristin brings her unique artistry to these timeless hits, blending her skills as a bassist and vocalist to create spellbinding renditions that honor the originals while showcasing her personal connection to Annie and the band’s music.

 A JAZZ JOURNEY THROUGH EURYTHMIC'S GREATEST HITS

Sweet Dreams is more than just a cover album. Kristin Korb reimagines Eurythmics' classics through her jazz-infused lens, weaving vibrant new arrangements and interpretations.

The project began with a sensational live debut at the legendary Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark, in September 2023. The crowd went crazy, and the enthusiastic response spurred Kristin and her band to capture this magic in the studio, resulting in twelve carefully curated tracks that embody the essence of Eurythmics with a jazz twist.

FEATURING A-LIST COLLABORATORS

Kristin's bass grooves swing deep and hard with her long-time co-conspirators Magnus Hjorth on piano and Snorre Kirk on drums. Their familial connection is clear from the first beat, and you can really hear the trust and friendship that comes only with years of making music together!

The album also features the multi-awarded young Danish harmonica virtuoso Mathias Heise, who masterfully extends Stevie Wonder’s original solo on "There Must Be An Angel", transforming it into an outstanding lead part with a catchy Brazilian twist.

Joining in is also Swedish saxophonist titan Karl-Martin Almqvist,adding a dynamic layer to the songs, e.g. to the up-tempo version of the iconic anthem "Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves". Additionally, the project includes Danish trombone master Steen Nikolaj Hansen, and the vibrant rhythms of Cuban percussionist Yohan Ramon.

"Sweet Dreams" is available on CD and on all major digital platforms from October 25, 2024.

Kristin Korb website

The gorgeous and fluid album from Canadian born, New York-based cellist Sahara von Hattenberger entitled 1Q84. 

IQ84 will be released worldwide on Friday, October 18th, 2024 on ODD SOUND.

To purchase follow this link

Fans of Japanese literature may recognize the title of Montreal cellist Sahara von Hattenberger’s new album as having been borrowed from acclaimed author Haruki Murakami’s most famous fantasy novel, 1Q84. The story begins in 1984 and follows a young woman named Aomame as she travels to a parallel universe - one almost identical to our own, except for a few eerie differences. She calls this parallel reality 1Q84 (‘Q’ is pronounced Kyuu, the same way that the number 9 is pronounced in Japanese.)

The year 1984 also sees the completion of composer Claude Bolling’s Suite for Cello and Jazz Piano Trio - and whether it was his intention or not, this new music acted as an antidote for the angst of the era. Massive inflation, the AIDS epidemic, financial unrest, an overwhelming fear and obsession with technology - these all loomed large in the zeitgeist. Von Hattenberger’s bold re-imagining of this famous crossover suite maintains the same sense of overwhelming joy and wit as the original. The Bolling Suite - over an hour in length, in 6 movements— is what comprises the first CD of this ambitious double album.

The second disc represents the 1Q84 of this project. Composed in the ‘alternate reality ‘of 2024, where we’re experiencing an entirely different pandemic, inflation is as high as it was 40 years ago, and the threat of AI is suddenly omnipresent. (It shouldn’t be surprising that mullets have come back into fashion...) 2024 feels a lot like 1984 - reminding us of Aomame’s parallel reality in Murakami’s tale. In that spirit, the record’s second disc is a beautiful collection of newly commissioned pieces that pay homage to the original Bolling suite. Both halves of this record will evoke pure joy for everyone who listens. This album is a welcome respite from the pressing darkness we often find ourselves in today.

Thank you to Orange Grove Publicity for sharing with us

Singer-Songwriter Courtney Cutchins Re-Imagines Potent Songs from her ‘90s Youth in Seattle on Genre-Bending Debut. Grunge to Grace includes jazz interpretations of tunes by Soundgarden and Nirvana

MUSIC AVAILABLE ON OCTOBER 18, 2024 ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS.

Pre-order/Purchase LP, CD, DL: http://courtneycutchins.com

A singer with an uncommon command of her luminous voice and an organic, soulful and dramatic sense of phrasing a lyric, Seattle native Courtney Cutchins is also a vivid storyteller and prolific songwriter. All of those qualities come to bear on her auspicious debut as a leader, Grunge to Grace (Laseryn Music***)***. Backed by a stellar crew of rising stars on the New York jazz scene — pianist-producer David Cook (Taylor Swift, Mark Guiliana, Lizz Wright, Nicole Zuraitis), guitarist Nir Felder (Keyon Harrold, Terri Lyne Carrington), bassist Matt Clohesy (Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Maria Schneider Orchestra) and drummer Obed Calvaire (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Dave Holland, Cécile McLorin Salvant) — Cutchins deals in purely authentic terms on six stirring originals and three re-imagined anthems from her ‘90s youth in Seattle by grunge rock luminaries Nirvana and Soundgarden.

“These deep, introspective grunge rock songs make sense to me,” said the singer who spent three years in New York City and currently splits her time between the Big Apple and the Greater Savannah Area. “They fit the theme of this album, which is about living in your authentic truth. It’s about the journey to become who you are and who you want to be.”

Recorded at Bunker Studio in Brooklyn, Grunge to Grace is the culmination of an idea that was sparked nine years ago and picked up momentum through the years. As Cutchins wrote in the liner notes: “In 2015, while navigating difficult times, I found my way to a supportive music therapy exercise: ‘rediscover songs from early childhood that bring you joy.‘ After combing through dozens of Disney soundtracks, folk songs and Muppets movies, an unexpected memory hit me from when I was growing up in the Seattle area — hearing Soundgarden’s mystical, soaring ‘Black Hole Sun’ on the radio. With this song as my muse, I created a variety of reinventions of grunge tunes from my youth and had some of the most fun ever performing them in NYC.”

Performing her new jazzgrunge repertoire at venues like Rockwood Music Hall, Cornelia Street Cafe, Silvana and the 55 Bar was a liberating experience for Cutchins, allowing her to live her own authentic truth through song. “Grunge emerged from a need for musical rebellion and rawness, and it sits in an introspective space which speaks to me deeply,” she said. “This album includes three of my favorite arrangements from that time. It’s my intention to encourage and inspire the listener to be free and live as who they are, and then shine that out into the world.”

That theme of struggle for self-identity is apparent from the opening track, a daring interpretation of Soundgarden’s “Boot Camp” from the group’s fifth studio album, 1996’s Down on the Upside. Against an urgently swinging undercurrent provided by Felder, Cook, Clohesy and Calvaire, Cutchins sings about the oppressed resigning to the authority of the oppressors, conforming to the status quo while still fantasizing about how there must be something good/there must be something else/far away from here. Courtney’s vocals are resounding and cathartic while Felder unleashes with signature fluency on his guitar solo against Calvaire’s unrelenting pulse, putting a new and decidedly ‘jazzy’ suit of clothes on this grunge classic.

Her own moody ballad “Star on the Sea,” underscored by Calvaire’s brushwork and Cook’s gentle piano accompaniment, is as intimate and poignant as Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life” or Sarah Vaughan’s rendition of “Midnight Sun.” As Courtney explained, “This song is about a place where femininity is safe and celebrated and imagines a galaxy where women are free to live in a place of peace and power.”

“Passenger” is Cutchins’ catchy, R&B flavored ode to the New York City subway system. Paced by Calvaire’s insistent backbeat, the tune features a striking, warm-toned guitar solo from Felder. As the kinetic piece builds to a dramatic crescendo, Calvaire is turned loose to wail on the kit.

Perhaps the most intimate and revealing song on Grunge to Grace is Cutchins’ duet (with Felder on steel string acoustic guitar) on a version of Soundgarden’s “The Day I Tried to Live” from their 1994 album, Superunknown. A droning bit of introspection written by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, it addresses the introverted singer’s frustration at trying to “be normal” by going out and living with people. And while it may be tinged with melancholy, Cutchins also sees a sense of hope in the lyric: One more time around (might do it)/One more time around (might make it). As she offered, “We can have the best of intentions, but for one reason or another we feel a sense of failure — or we’re living a lie and get caught up in something that isn’t actually true to who we are. It’s about identifying these aspects of ourselves and growing as human beings.”

Courtney’s affecting ballad “Hold Up the Moon” opens with some ethereal wordless vocals against a drone, setting an atmospheric mood. The song was based on a dream and describes a sense of devotion despite disaster.

Tackling Kurt Cobain’s “All Apologies,” which appeared on Nirvana’s third and final studio album, In Utero, was daunting. But Cutchins rose to the occasion with the most moving and dynamic performance of the album, full of soaring wordless improvisations and nuanced interpretation of the tortured lyrics. “That song was definitely a big part of that soundtrack from the ‘90s, for me,” she said. “The melody is beautiful, so I really wanted to play with it and put it on a different musical planet. But the message remains the same. I interpret it as such a great statement on vulnerability and equality, while also being a defiant proclamation of living unapologetically.”

Courtney’s “Prison in Your Mind” is a lilting, confessional number with universal appeal about her struggle with perfectionism, while “Grunge to Grace” is the album’s soul-stirring hymn. “That one is my personal favorite,” said Courtney. “It came about soon after Chris Cornell had passed in 2017. That was a shock.

Between that tragic event and the general weight of the world at that time, everything felt painful. So, I wrote a song acknowledging the pain that we can all feel and experience, while staying hopeful at the same time. Those two feelings can exist together and that’s okay.”

“Illuminate,” is the big power-chording, distortion-laced guitar closer that gradually builds to a throbbing crescendo with Obed bashing forcefully over a band ostinato. “It’s got a little bit of Radiohead in there, some Soundgarden, a little David Bowie, just a mix of things that we also felt,” said Cutchins. “This song was inspired by the pandemic, my experience with chronic fatigue, my love of the ocean and the process of soul- searching. I felt it would be like an exclamation point at the end of the album.”

These songs of self-discovery reveal a singer-songwriter who was deeply immersed in jazz through her college years (she earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Vocal Performance from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and a Master of Music degree in Jazz Vocal Performance from prestigious Manhattan School of Music in New York City) but still felt a symbolic connection to the music of an earlier time in her life. Both sides represent the full picture of this sensational, risk-taking singer who is coming into her own with Grunge to Grace.

courtneycutchins.com

All compositions and arrangements by Courtney Cutchins except The Day I Tried to Live (Chris Cornell), All Apologies (Kurt Cobain) and Boot Camp (Chris Cornell, Arr. by Cutchins/Cook).

Produced by David Cook

Recorded by Aaron Nevezie at The Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, NY, September 12 & 13, 2023 Mixed by Christian Paschall

Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering

Photography by Mackensey Alexander Photography, Savannah, GA and Anna Yatskevich, Brooklyn, NY Design by Miriam Castillo