Vocalist HALIE LOREN Celebrates Love and Life on
New Justin Time Records Album, Simply Love,
Available September 10
"...the next big thing among jazz vocalists." - JazzTimes
The core element of
vocal artistry is the ability to capture the essence of a song and
interpret it in a way that is totally personal, highly compelling and
intended to make the composer smile in agreement. The outstanding jazz
vocalist Halie Loren does all of that, as her latest Justin Time Records release, Simply Love (available September 10),
vividly demonstrates. It also provides a clear understanding as to why
she's received so many critical accolades and worldwide popularity. At
28-years-old, the multi-lingual vocalist has performed at major
festivals and in sold-out concert halls in North America, Asia and
Europe which included traveling to Palermo, Italy to perform as a
featured soloist with the Orchestra Jazz Siciliana. She has recorded
seven critically acclaimed albums garnering best song and best album
awards, while consistently placing at the top of the jazz charts in
Japan. Simply Love is her fourth release on Justin Time Records.
"With Simply Love,
I wanted to meet the mood of the season," the Eugene, Oregon-based
songstress says. "What kind of soundtrack would I want to listen to in
the warmer months?"
There
is an intimacy in her singing that makes the listeners feel that her
message is only intended for their own ears, heart and soul. With a
voice that is so warmly and deeply lyrical, and an ability to articulate
lyrics that draws every iota of meaning out of each syllable, Loren
accomplishes what every singer strives for - to make every song,
regardless of who wrote it or performed it previously, entirely her own.
"Synergy is so
essential to my music" Loren explains, "and this longevity has really
helped us to achieve that over all these years."
Joining the long-time
central quartet (Loren with pianist Matt Treder, bassist Mark Schneider
and drummer Brian West) are guitarists William Seiji Marsh on five
tracks and Daniel Gallo on one. Another powerful element of this
recording is the use of a string quartet on two tracks, (violinists Dave
Burham and Lisa McWhorter, cellist Dale Bradley and Clark Spencer on
viola), with Burham and Bradley also performing on one other. Treder's
brilliant string arrangements utilize the string quartet in its
traditional form on the exquisite "Le Premier Bonheur du Jour" (sung in
French) and subtly orchestral through tasteful overdubbing on the
buoyant Bossa Nova, "Cuando Bailamos" (a Loren original, co-written with
the late Larry Wayne Clark). The cello has always had a place on all of
Loren's albums, its deep sonority totally complementary to the richness
of her voice. Here, it's combined with violin to add additional depth
and tantalizing tension to the deliciously dramatic tango, "I've Got to
See You Again."
Other subtleties
abound in this fully conceived and visionary production. Brief vocal
overdubs crop up here and there, always on-point to enhance the moment. A
pair of ukuleles (played by Craig Chee and Ali Losik Heyer) provides an
effervescent zest to the delightful Loren/Rich Chudacoff original,
"Bare Feet." Sergei Teleshev's button accordion adds a special flavor to
both "Le Premier Bonheur du Jour" and to the title track, another Loren
original (with Benita Hill) that closes the album on an emotionally
resounding note of filigreed elegance.
In both live
performances and recordings, Loren performs her own songs with
re-imaginings of classic popular tunes that span more than half a
century. On this album, Rogers & Hart's timeless "My Funny
Valentine," "Best & Watson's "For Sentimental Reasons," and Henry
Mancini's "Moon River" are delicately and deeply heartfelt ballad
showcases for Loren's gorgeous voice. Bert Kaempfert's "L-O-V-E" is an
emphatically rhythmic groover; and Jimmy McHugh's "On the Sunny Side of
the Street" is a joyfully playful jaunt. "Dream a Little Dream of Me,"
(Les Yeux Ouverts) is a torchy but uplifting dual language version of
the 1931 standard.
Highly unique
re-imaginings of a pair of gigantic hits round out this remarkable
album. Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move" is a vibrant, pulsing gem
of suspended rhythmic thrust and sinuous vocalizing, and The Turtles'
"Happy Together" is a celebratory, exuberant foray into
gospel-bluesiness.
The musicianship of
the supporting ensemble is exemplary throughout. They perform with
enormous empathy and a crystalline clarity toward the essence of the
musical vision - a testament to the synergy that Loren describes. With Simply Love, Loren says that she was "striving for positivity, celebratory love and life." She clearly hit her target square on.
Halie Loren· Simply Love
Justin Time Records · Release Date: September 10, 2013
For more information on Halie Loren, please visit: halieloren.com
For more information on Justin Time Records, please visit: Justin-Time.com
For media information, please contact:
DL Media · 610-667-0501
Matthew Jurasek · matthew@dlmediamusic.com
Information and press materials (including album covers, promotional photos
and bios) on all DL Media artists can be found at our new website: dlmediamusic.com
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