CECILE McLORIN SALVANT TO RELEASE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED LABEL DEBUT, "WOMANCHILD," ON MACK AVENUE RECORDS, MAY 28

CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT  TO RELEASE HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED LABEL DEBUT, WOMANCHILD, ON MACK AVENUE RECORDS, MAY 28 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition Winner  Receives Critical Acclaim From The New York Times: "If anyone can extend the lineage of the Big Three - Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald - it is this 23-year-old virtuoso..."  - Stephen Holden, The New York Times "Cécile McLorin Salvant, who recently turned 23 and is still mostly unknown to jazz audiences, though not for much longer...Ms. McLorin Salvant is as serious as a library, and never corny...she radiates authority and delivers a set with almost a dramatic arc." - Ben Ratliff, The New York Times    Cécile McLorin Salvant arrived at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC to compete in the finals of the 2010 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, she was not only the youngest finalist, but also a mystery woman with the most unusual background of any of the participants. When she walked away with first place in the jazz world's most prestigious contest, the buzz began almost immediately. If anything, it has intensified in the months leading up to the launch of her Mack Avenue Records debut,  Credit: John Abbott On the album, her repertoire ranges from the 19th century ballad "John Henry," refreshed in a spirited up-to-date arrangement, to McLorin Salvant's own 21st century waltz "Le Front Caché Sur Tes Genoux" which draws on a poem by Haitian writer Ida Salomon Faubert for its lyric. She is joined by a world class band who share her concern for creating jazz of today by drawing on vibrant traditions of the past: pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Rodney Whitaker (both of whom are Mack Avenue label mates), guitarist James Chirillo and master drummer Herlin Riley. The old and new rub shoulders throughout this album, but this singer's attitude is neither beholden to the past nor trying to anticipate the trends of the future. Her captivating singing is immersed in the immediacy of the present moment. So much so, that those who have seen McLorin Salvant in concert marvel at how she radiates the confidence and poise of a mature artist even though she is just at the dawn of her own career. McLorin Salvant may have the deepest roots of any singer of her generation. She knows the sounds and styles of modern jazz but also possesses complete command of the classic blues and early American vocal tradition. She has studied the entire recorded legacy of the great Bessie Smith (1894-1937), often called the Empress of the Blues, and also has deep familiarity with Valaida Snow, Bert Williams and other early masters of American music. For her, these musicians are exponents of living traditions that she has drawn into the orbit of her own work. However, McLorin Salvant can't be pinned down as a jazz traditionalist. Alongside fellow Monk Competition winner Jacky Terrasson, she has recorded works by John Lennon/Yoko Ono and Erik Satie, and can sing in French, Spanish or English as the mood and situation warrant. Knowledgeable jazz fans will identify the influence and inspiration from some of the most distinctive modern jazz stylists, such as Betty Carter, Carmen McRae and Abbey Lincoln. She is also continuing her studies of the classical and baroque tradition. In short,McLorin Salvant is a seeker and a creative spirit who is determined to push ahead, even while she shows an extraordinary command of the tradition that has preceded her. In his article in The New York Times, critic Stephen Holden listed some of the virtues ofMcLorin Salvant's singing: "perfect pitch and enunciation, a playful sense of humor, a rich and varied tonal palette, a supple sense of swing, exquisite taste in songs and phrasing, and a deep connection to lyrics." Her musical skills are considerable, but they are matched by an interpretive ability that is almost more akin to an actor's than a singer's. She draws out the story hidden inside the song, and can draw on the elements of her own personality and a full gamut of emotional stances-from the darkly troubling to the richly comic-in bringing lyrics to life. "I want to get as close to the center of the song as I can," McLorin Salvant explains. "When I find something beautiful and touching, I try to get close to it and share that with the audience." On WomanChild, McLorin Salvant gives music lovers the chance to hear why the illustrious judges at the Monk Competition gave her top honors. McLorin Salvant is still a bit of a mystery, but she will hardly be a secret any longer.       Cécile McLorin Salvant - "I Didn't Know What Time it Was" Upcoming Cécile McLorin Salvant as a Leader Appearances: featuring the Aaron Diehl Trio unless otherwise noted March 18 / Theater National / Bern, Switzerland May 25 / Atlanta Jazz Festival - Piedmont Park / Atlanta, GA June 19 / SFJazz Center / San Francisco, CA July 2 / Café de La Danse / Paris, France July 5 / Monsegur Jazz Festival / Monsegur, France July 6 / Le parc du Château Laurens / Agde, France July 9 / Club de Minuit / Vienne, France July 12 / Gent Jazz Festival / Gent, Belgium August 2 & 3 / Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival (duo w/ Aaron Diehl) / Davenport, IA August 24 / Charlie Parker Festival - Marcus Garvey Park / Harlem, NY October 5 / Angra Festival / Angra, Portugal October 19 / Jazz Series at Princeton's Berlind Theatre / Princeton, NJ October 26 / Sixth & I Synagogue / Washington, DC December 29 - January 1 / Umbria Jazz Festival / Orvieto, Italy    Additional Cécile McLorin Salvant Appearances: * April 7 / Cully Jazz Festival / Cully, Switzerland * April 8 / Le Trianon de Paris / Paris, France April 23 / Tri-C Jazz Fest (with Dominick Farinacci) / Cleveland, OH  April 30 / Jazz Cat (with Dave Blenkhorn) / Ascona, Switzerland * May 9 / Festival de Jazz - Saint Gaudens / Paris, France ** June 14 / CNCDC Chateâuvallon / Chateâuvallon, France July 4 / Jazz a Vienne (with Fred Nardin) / Vienne, France  * July 4 / Jazz a Vienne / Vienne, France * July 12 / Gent Jazz Festival / Gent, Belgium  * July 18 / Vittoria Jazz Festival / Vittoria, Spain July 24 / Jazz a Vannes (with Keystone Big Band) / Vannes, France  August 5-10 / Arts Camp in Tannersville (master class - Catskill Jazz Factory Band lead by Aaron Diehl) / Tannersville, NY August 10 / Arts Camp in Tannersville (w/ Catskill Jazz Factory Band lead by Aaron Diehl) / Tannersville, NY October 31 - November 3 / Whitley Bay Jazz Festival (with Whitley Bay band) / Newcastle, UK November 16 / Koerner Hall @ Royal Conservatory (with Ramsey Lewis) / Toronto, Canada * with Jacky Terrasson ** with Archie Shepp Other Special Projects: Jazz at Lincoln Center Holiday Tour (December 2013) Various Dates (Exact Dates at Link Above) / Various Venues / Various Cities WomanChild - Track Listing    1. St. Louis Gal (J. Russel Robinson)  2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 3. Nobody (Bert Williams, Alex Rogers) 4. WomanChild (Cécile McLorin Salvant) 5. LeFront Cache Sur Tes Genoux (Cécile McLorin Salvant, Ida Faubert) 6. There's A Lull In My Life (Mack Gordon, Harry Revel) - Prelude by Aaron Diehl 7. You Bring Out The Savage In Me (Sam Coslow) 8. Baby Have Pity On Me (Clarence Williams, Billy Mol) 9. John Henry (Traditional/Folk) 10. Jitterbug Waltz (Fats Waller, Richard Maltby Jr.) 11. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (Harry M. Woods) 12. Deep Dark Blue (Cécile McLorin Salvant)     Cécile McLorin Salvant· WomanChild Mack Avenue Records· Release Date: May 28, 2013    For more information on Cécile McLorin Salvant, visit cecilemclorinsalvant.com      For media information, please contact: DL Media· Jordy Freed  610-667-0501· jordy@dlmediamusic.com    For press materials on Cécile McLorin Salvant, Mack Avenue artists or Mack Avenue Record labels in general (including album covers, promotional photos and logos), please visit:  media.mackavenue.com  MACK AVENUE ·  the road to great music · mackavenue.com  Information and press materials (including album covers, promotional photos and bio's)   on all DL Media artists can be found at our new website:   dlmediamusic.com  ###