VOCALIST AND SONGWRITER NICKY SCHRIRE LEADS CANADIAN QUARTET ON “NOWHERE GIRL”, FIRST ALBUM IN TEN YEARS

Blurring the lines between jazz, singer-songwriter and folk traditions, ‘Nowhere Girl’ is the shimmering new quartet album from British/South African/Canadian vocalist and songwriter Nicky Schrire.

RELEASED 9 JUNE 2023 ON ANZIC RECORDS

Vocalist and composer Nicky Schrire was born in London and grew up in Cape Town, South Africa. She moved to New York City to attend the Manhattan School of Music and, after nearly five years in the city, returned to Cape Town via London. She relocated to Toronto, Canada in 2020, armed with experience and the desire to forge meaningful musical relationships with like-minded musicians. Nowhere Girl is the result of that wish.

While Schrire has grappled with identity at times, she does see the upside to having moved around so much, explaining, “The album is called Nowhere Girl because I have lived in so many different places. It is something for which I’m immensely grateful, but it increases a sense of belonging anywhere...and therefore nowhere.”

Schrire’s appreciation for the international nature of the jazz community means she understands how identity weaves itself into music-a vocal inflection, a specific harmonic progression, certain melodic intervals. “I identify as British and South African, while my love for both jazz and the singer-songwriter genres is a huge part of my musical aesthetic. It’s been challenging to figure out exactly what my sound is, given my heritage is a mixed bag,” Schrire contemplates. Her multi-nationality is reflected in her style of jazz singing, which is clearly shaped by contemporary jazz vocalists from all sides of the pond-Norma Winstone, Gretchen Parlato, Maria Pia De Vito.

Ten years after her previous release, Schrire teams up with pianist Chris Donnelly, bassist Dan Fortin, and drummer Ernesto Cervini (collectively known as the JUNO-nominated trio Myriad3*).* Guest musicians include saxophonist Tara Davidson, JUNO Award-winning vocalist Laila Biali, and Mozambican guitarist Julio Sigauque. The album is produced by Grammy-nominated producer Oded Lev-Ari (Anat Cohen Tentet), mixed by Brian Montgomery (Maria Schneider), and mastered by Jeff “Fedge” Elliott (The Weather Station). Nowhere Girl is a stellar example of “less is more”, with Schrire’s crystalline voice and signature unaffected delivery at the fore of deftly crafted songs brought to life by a gathering of Canada’s finest jazz musicians.

This album also serves as something of a travelogue, with songs about the places that have shaped Schrire and her music. Her British heritage is audible in the folk influences of “A Morning” and “Father”. Her South African upbringing is present in “Closer To The Source” (music by the late South African pianist Bheki Mseleku and lyrics by Schrire) and “My Love” (featuring Mozambican guitarist Julio Sigauque). The five years she lived in New York are summarised by “This Train”, and the one month she spent in Paris (successfully sampling croissants instead of attending French language classes) is captured by “In Paris”. There is, fittingly, also a tip of the hat to Canada with Anna McGarrigle’s “Heart Like A Wheel”, which sees Schrire duet with Canadian vocalist and friend, Laila Biali.

With her previous albums, Schrire garnered comparisons to songwriters and lyricists like Joni Mitchell, Tori Amos, and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Taking this high praise to heart and, in her words, “trying not to buckle under the pressure”, she offers up nine original songs that skillfully balance a reverence for songwriting and storytelling with the spontaneity of improvisation. Schrire elaborates, “I find that a lot of original music composed by jazz vocalists is either light on well-crafted lyrics and thoughtfully constructed melodies, or scant on jazz in the form of improvisation and a spirit of collaboration” She cites songwriters Randy Newman, James Taylor and Shawn Colvin as firm favourites. In fact, she describes the lone duo tune on the record, “Keep It Simple”, as “the musical lovechild of Randy Newman and Mary Poppins’ the Sherman Brothers.”

Nowhere Girl arrives a decade after Schrire’s last album. “I’ve had ample time to write, reflect, edit, and strive to capture these songs as lean but vibrant vessels,” she says. The result is a collection of 11 songs, expertly crafted and then beautifully performed by a like-minded collective. While she may have wandered in her travels, Nowhere Girl puts Nicky Schrire firmly on course as a songwriter and vocalist with a singular voice.

Upcoming Performances

26 June 2023 - 2023 TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Toronto, Canada

1 August 2023 - Pizza Express Jazz Club, Dean Street, London, United Kingdom

1.  Nowhere Girl 3.15 (Schrire)

2.  Traveler 3.52 (Schrire)

3.  A Morning 4.31 (Schrire)

4.  Closer To The Source 4.19 (Mseleku, Schrire)

5.  This Train 4.09 (Schrire)

6.  Father 5.18 (Schrire)

7.  In Paris 4.05 (Schrire)

8.  Heart Like A Wheel 5.26 (McGarrigle)

9. Love Is For The Birds 3.38 (Schrire)

10. Keep It Simple 3.58 (Schrire)

11.  My Love 3.55 (Schrire)

Nicky Schrire, Voice Chris Donnelly, Piano Dan Fortin, Double Bass Ernesto Cervini, Drums

Tara Davidson, Alto and Soprano Saxophones (1, 4, 7, 11) Laila Biali, Voice (8)

Julio Sigauque, Guitar (11)

Recorded by David Travers-Smith at The Canterbury Music Company, Toronto, Canada Mixed by Brian Montgomery, New York

Mastered by Jeff “Fedge” Elliott, Toronto, Canada Design by Tim Thornton

Photos by Matt Griffiths Produced by Oded Lev-Ari

Nicky acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.

Nicky Schrire website

Tania Giannouli’s music has global appeal. Variously described as complex, lyrical, intoxicating and highly original, she is inspired by many different traditions and influences, resulting in compositions and interdisciplinary projects that span an impressive range of styles.

A pianist, composer, improviser, bandleader and multi-media artist, Giannouli’s imaginative, eclectic collaborations with international musicians have been heard in the most prestigious venues and festivals in Europe (Jazzfest Berlin, Madrid International Jazz Festival, Enjoy Jazz, Brussels Jazz Festival, Skopje Jazz Festival, Bimhuis, Flagey, November Music, Ars Musica and more).

In addition to appearing solo, or in trio with her Greek compatriots Andreas Polyzogopoulos (trumpet) and Kyriakos Tapakis (oud), Giannouli is currently collaborating with several highly regarded musicians who defy categorisation: Norwegian trumpeter and vocalist Arve Henriksen (in duo), Italian vocalist Maria Pia De Vito (Book of Lost Songs), Italian percussionist Michele Rabbia, Italian double bass player Daniele Roccato (HEMERA), American trumpeter Amir ElSaffar (guest artist), Swiss pianist Nik Bärtsch (duo) and Korean drummer Sun-Mi Hong (duo).

Her imagination and explorative musical nature, has led to four unique recording collaborations, all released on New Zealand’s foremost art-music label, Rattle Records: Forest Stories (2012, with Portuguese wind player, Paulo Chagas), Transcendence (2015, featur- ing works composed for her Tania Giannouli Ensemble), Rewa (2018, a critically acclaimed, entirely improvised collaboration with traditional Maori instrumentalist, Rob Thorne) and In Fading Light (2020, a trio with trumpet player Andreas Polyzogopoulos and oud player Kyriakos Tapakis). All four albums received wide international acclaim and were included in numerous ‘Best of’ lists, with *Transcendence *cited as one of the decade’s most important Greek albums.

Giannouli's next step is the release of an album of solo material, capturing the essence of her solo recitals which invite listeners into her passionate sonic universe – a world which is characterised by extended gestures and an imaginative and seamless blend of improv- isation, classical, and global music. Each concert explores the possibilities of a subtly prepared piano, and she has impressed audiences in Copenhagen (Piano Days), Brussels (Ars Musica Festival & Flagey Piano Days), Ghent (Handelsbeurs), Mannheim (Enjoy Jazz Festival), Wrocław (National Forum of Music), Bergamo (Bergamo Jazz Festival), Trondheim Jazzfest, Prague (Rudolfinum) as well as her hometown, Athens.

‘‘…magnificent canvas woven by the compositions of Tania Giannouli… feels like a sea wind which carries off the miasma of a deleterious time…” Le Soir (Belgium)

The filmic nature of Giannouli’s music means that she is in demand as a collaborator for video, documentaries and film. Synched to moving image, her music has travelled to festivals, museums, galleries and Biennales worldwide. And her concert music has been performed by the Camerata/Armonia Atenea String Orchestra, Dissonart Ensemble, the Athens Youth Orchestra and the Galaxy String Quartet.

Giannouli is the recipient of many accolades and prizes (including a nomination Deutscher Jazzpreis alongside pianists Tigran Hamasyan and Shai Maestro), and is often invited to speak about her work, educate the next generation and participate as an artist-in- residence in various contexts.

Available here

CHLOÉ JEAN has held many titles in her lifetime, including All American track star at UC Berkeley, Ford NY model, wife, and mother, but the one element that has been a constant in her life is music. She was singing before she could talk, and her mother encouraged her participation in musical theater and school choirs. While pursuing a life track that conceivably could have included Olympic gold as a runner, she joined the gospel choir at UC Berkeley. She became one of the group’s lead vocalists and became “addicted to the feeling of singing onstage.” After graduation, she discovered more opportunities to sing than to run, so she shifted her attention back to music. Drawing on a wide range of influences, including jazz icons Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone, as well as pop divas Roberta Flack, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill and Jill Scott, Chloé Jean has performed and composed in many musical genres. Her song “What Could Be Better” won an award from the West Coast Songwriters Association….in the Bluegrass category!

Her present album FAIRY TALE FAIL combines original lyrics drawn from Chloé’s personal life with songs originally written as assignments for private studies with noted songwriting instructor Jai Josephs.

Around this time, she joined forces with Bay Area guitarist Derrick Kudrow to form a jazz duo. Through her participation at an open mic event, Chloé was introduced to promoter Jeffrey Trager, who in turn introduced Chloé to jazz guitarist/producer RAY OBIEDO. In preparation for this album, Chloé gave Ray copies of her demos and Obiedo arranged them for a small rhythm section and horns. The sidemen included Santana keyboardist DAVID K. MATHEWS, Tower of Power bassist MARC VAN WAGENINGEN and percussionist PETER MICHAEL ESCOVEDO. Also on rhythm section duties were pianist PETER HORVATH, Hamilton bassist DAN FEISZLI and drummers BILLY JOHNSON and JASON LEWIS. Featured horn soloists are trumpeter MIKE OLMOS and tenor saxophonists NORBERT STACHEL and CHARLES McNEAL.

In addition to Chloé Jean’s five originals, the album also includes covers of Julie London’s “Cry Me a River,” Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” the Irving Berlin standard, “Blue Skies,” and a Latin-tinged version of Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy.” The main tracks were recorded over two days at Opus Recording in Berkeley, California. Instrumental overdubs, editing and final mixes were completed by Obiedo at his Werewolf Studios in Oakland, California. Chloé’s composition “Crazy” was recorded in front of a live audience at Oakland’s 25th Street Recording. Also recorded and filmed at that session were live versions of the title track “Fairy Tale Fail” and Lizzo‘s “About Damn Time.” A video of Chloé performing Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” was filmed at Bridgeway Studios (where decades earlier, Fleetwood Mac recorded their classic album, Rumours). The videos will be premiered close to the album’s release date.

The originals explore significant periods in Chloé’s development. The opening track, “Black Sheep,” discusses the struggles of being an artistic person in less than sympathetic surroundings. She encourages others to “sing proud when you finally find your voice” and “be proud to be a black sheep.” “Fairy Tale Fail” warns that life does not always have Disney endings. Prince Charming may “pick you up, but eventually lets you down.” “Free” recalls a youthful journey with a treasured friend. “We were unaware that we had it all; we were kings who didn't know that the freedom we took for granted was a treasure trove.” “Where Love Began” also looks backward to a simpler time “when love was all we had.” Finally, “Crazy” speaks to the insane behavior that one exhibits when in love: “I walked into a tree today cuz in every cloud I was seeing your face and I laughed through the pain.…”

For the past few years, Chloé Jean's life has been complicated with several health issues, most notably Stage 4 Breast Cancer. She was diagnosed in 2016, but reports that she feels very good right now, and that she is the first participant in a clinical study at the University of California San Francisco, a school considered to be at the cutting edge of cancer research. She says that she likes to talk about her illness “because it connects with so many people. After all, everyone knows someone who has been affected by this disease.” However, she doesn't want her life story to shade a listener's appreciation of her music. She calls this album, “a triumph of will and dedication. I’ve been singing all my life, and this music tells why you can never give up on yourself.” She is extremely proud of this work, and she was "thrilled to work with such incredible musicians.” At low times in her career, like many others, she questioned her motives in pursuing music as a career. But this collaboration with producer Ray Obiedo shows that she was on the right track all along.

To follow and support, please visit Chloe's website here

Vancouver-based artist Mary Ancheta, releases her debut EP, Level Up, out now. The five-track project explores complex feelings of self-reflection, determination, joyful noise, and freedom.

Early press support comes from the likes of Exclaim!, CBC Music, Postmedia, and Northern Transmissions. Previous singles “Gotta Get It” and “Level Up” have had substantial coverage through The Georgia Straight and CBC Vancouver.

This album was written during COVID. Over the years afteri supporting so many Canadian Artists such as Kimmortal, Amanda Sum, Jill Barber, Khari McLleland, and Ashleigh Ball and many more as a side person I feel like I have come into my own with my writing. I felt like I finally had something to say and had found my own voice as a writer and as a musician. Mary Ancheta Quartet were looking to capture more of a rawness in the sound and emotion while not looking for a polished sound.

Alongside the project, the Mary Ancheta Quartet are scheduled to start a run of live shows across June and July including an EP release show with BADBADNOTGOOD at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on June 29 in Vancouver. See the full list of dates below:

Upcoming Tour Dates:

June 24 - Winnipeg, MB (Winnipeg Jazz Festival)

June 25 - Toronto, ON (Toronto Jazz Festival)

June 26 - Ottawa, ON (Ottawa Jazz Festival)

June 29 - Vancouver, BC (Vancouver Jazz Festival) *EP Release / Opening for BADBADNOTGOOD

June 30 - Victoria, BC (Victoria Jazz Festival)

July 2 - Edmonton, AB (Edmonton Jazz Festival)

July 4 - Montreal, QC (Montreal Jazz Festival)

July 7 - Saskatoon, SK (Saskatoon Jazz Festival)

July 14 - Halifax, NS (Halifax Jazz Festival)

Vinyl for 7-inch are available here and here.

About Mary Ancheta:

Mary Ancheta is a Canadian Filipina Musician born in Hamilton, Ontario and is now a staple on the West Coast scene. Ancheta cut her teeth playing keyboards with such acts as Kimmortal, Amanda Sum, Ashleigh Ball and more. As a newly minted bandleader Mary is driven by process over perfection. Inspired by the likes of Squarepusher, The Meters, John Scofield, and Prince, Ancheta knows what’s up when it comes to arresting melodies and irresistible grooves. Also drawing from scoring for Film & TV you can hear some of this influence in the music. You can find some of her compositions on Netflix, HBO, National Geographic and most recently the Award Winning Feature Film Golden Delicious.

This music & tour has been made possible through the Support of the Canada Council.

For more information, please contact:

info@maryancheta.com

Debuting with her single 'Five Little Birds', Bridge The Gap are proud to present Jesa. Based in Paris, this exciting new artist is ready to break into the bubbling European future soul and nu-jazz conversation.

A singer, songwriter, producer & guitarist, Jesa builds her distinctive sound from a love for Afro-American music and contemporary soul. Training as a jazz musician in Paris led to her developing a deep understanding and affinity with rich harmonic language and rhythmic flavours, a toolbox used to full effect in her songwriting. Her music infuses soulful top lines with elements of jazz fusion and gospel, creating diverse sonic palettes with heavy, percussive grooves, expansive synths and a multi-lingual poetic flare.

Her debut, independent EP, 'FACES', has been a labor of love for the 24-year old. The project chronicles the ups and downs of young woman navigating relationships, love and personal growth. The songs on the project became a vehicle for Jesa to articulate feelings of loneliness & despair, process toxic relationships & trauma, and deal with the transition from adolescence into adulthood. In many ways, it's a coming of age record with a statement of intent and arrival, and a love letter to sonic influences like Esperanza Spalding, Prince and Lianne La Havas.

''Five Little Birds' is a perfect introduction to the sound world of the project. Early tension from mysterious chords is washed away by bright melodies and interaction between bopping basslines and tight percussion. The musicality reflects the duality of Jesa's lyrics, as she is stuck between acceptance and repression of her emotions.

I was torn between accepting my feelings of love or repressing them. I really wanted to give myself over, but I felt that I would not receive this love from the other. This song is the declaration of a half-lived, half-fantasized love, a reverie that invites the other to fall in love.

Faces is available here

The album 'From the Darkness to the Light' by the Italian Berlin-based duo EXTEMPORE, founded by singer Tamara Soldan and electronic musician Michele Pedrazzi, has been available on the Da Vinci Label since 26 May on record and all digital platforms.

The EXTEMPORE project is the result of long research work, a combination of archaic, electronic, contemporary music and improvisation. The union of the two musicians' musical backgrounds (jazz, contemporary, improvisation and early music for Soldan, experimental and electronic music for Pedrazzi) creates a virtual dialogue between past and present and between musical genres that are apparently distant but surprisingly compatible.

The universal and introspective character of Gregorian chant is the source of inspiration for EXTEMPORE, presented in an abstract light, detached from its original religious context, while retaining its depth and mystical flavour. Archaic song is re-imagined in a contemporary context through electronic textures. Fragments of melodies, urban and nature sounds are deconstructed and recomposed into a new musical concept.A new soundscape in dialogue between past and present, a continuous flow from darkness to light that invites us to explore the depths of human emotions and experiences.

'Extempore' means moving away from the original religious context of Gregorian chant, maintaining a universal mysticism without ideologies. It then evokes the sense of improvisation, ''out of the moment'' or ''in the moment'', typical of extemporaneous composition without prior planning or preparation.

The music of EXTEMPORE aspires to be not merely an aesthetic experience, but also a philosophical one, and contains an invitation to explore consciousness and the universal themes of human experience. Listeners can expect to be transported to a world of sound that transcends the boundaries of time and space. 

The album encourages one to delve into the depths of feelings and experiences and to go on a personal journey 'from the darkness to the light'.

Tamara Soldan is an eclectic singer and musician. Her projects and collaborations range from Medieval Music to Contemporary and Jazz for voice and medieval Fiddle. In 2022 she was awarded the Musikfonds Deutschland grant for the contemporary project Re-flexions, soon to be released together with the album 'Dante and the Music of his Time' with the ensemble Vortex.

Michele Pedrazzi is a multimedia artist and electronic musician. Under the pseudonym Bob Meanza, he has several solo productions to his credit, including the recent release 'Quandary' (Oxmose Records, 2022).

CREDITS AND LINKS:

Tracklist: In Principio - Aurea Luce - The Journey - Alleluia - From the Darkness to the Light - The Calling - Justus es Homine - The Gift - Sine Nomine

Tamara Soldan: voice

Michele Pedrazzi: electronics

Arranged by Tamara Soldan and Michele Pedrazzi. Produced by Michele Pedrazzi in 2019 at the Garden 505 studio in Berlin. Mixed and mastered by Stefano Amerio at Studio Artesuono, Udine.

Listen to Extempore on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/album/6ht0v93YkT4CDf0UDO9VOy

Purchase link on the DaVinci website: https://davinci-edition.com/labels/da-vinci-classics/

 Two trailers are available on YouTube to better understand Extempore's musical project: https://youtu.be/RhQzoZMe94I and https://youtu.be/qvygJ_BDWAA