I am proud to announce that my first EP "Conversations" is nearly complete.
I am incredibly proud of this particular work and I'm excited to share it with you all. This has been a long time coming.
I've said for years that I'm "working on an album", and I suppose that was technically true. I was always writing and brainstorming, but the days, months, and years kept rolling by. However, I am confident that this timing is correct. I have been through years of discovery and trial and error, and this modest work I believe is an honest snapshot of who I am in this moment with an additional glimpse of where I'm going.
The project consists of 5 songs. 3 originals, and 2 well-known jazz standards. The range of styles is vast and my hope was to throw open the curtains and shine light on all the different genres of music that I'm diving into.
The name "Conversations" is meant to reflect that this consolidation of songs is the direct result of the ongoing dialogue I have with music: the back and forth, up and down, rollercoaster of creation. It is also a nod to my songwriting and improvisation process. I have always viewed creating music as a conversation between melody and harmony, instrument and musician, lyric and listener, etc, etc.
This way of thinking has proven particularly true with jazz. In the right setting we vibe and play off one another just like any other conversation only our language is music. Each musician conversing with their own instrument and bringing their skills and interpretation to the song to create a dialogue from musician to musician.
The standard I've chosen are ones that I am very well acquainted with as a vocalist. I wanted their arrangements to give room for my stage personality to shine through and reflect the blend between my proclivity for jazz and my voices natural quality and inclination toward soul. These songs (I hope) also highlight how much my scatting and melodic improvisation have grown.
The 2 originals I wrote on my own are songs that I have NEVER performed live nor even shared with anyone. They are definitely not straight ahead jazz, but rather, are a combination of several of my musical influences. Honestly, I'm not sure what genre to categorize them in, but I am taking suggestions! Let me know what you think once you take a listen.
The song that my husband wrote dates all the way back to the beginning of our relationship. I had several different options for a 5th song, but they all required a bit more time to really shape up (you'll most likely see all of them on my next project). My husband, who also produced and recorded the album, suggested that I stretch my ear and write lyrics and melody over the top of his instrumental piece, and I think it worked out beautifully.
The music will be completely finished by next month, and features a variety of musicians. I have a spectacular jazz trio on the standards, and some of the best studio musicians in the 757 on the originals. I am working with a very dear friend and wonderful artist for the artwork, and the official release date is scheduled for OCTOBER 15th, 2017
I'll be having a release concert that will feature the 5 songs on the EP plus a variety of others. My hope is to take the audience on a journey through all the different "conversations" with music that lead me to this point and time, and so without further ado here is the song list!
CONVERSATIONS EP
Summertime
La Robe Rouge
Happy
Blue Skies
Humanity Song
Musically Yours,
EJT