From Swedish Cruise Ships to Prairie Vistas: The Johanna Sillanpaa Interview

From Swedish Cruise Ships to Prairie Vistas:

The Johanna Sillanpaa Interview

by Jim Dupuis

Pre-teen Johanna Sillanpaa (pronounced Yohanna) was singing professionally in Northern Europe before she moved to Alberta. Attending Grant MacEwan in Edmonton opened up the world of jazz to her and she has not looked back. She has still maintained contacts from those school days and she has teamed up with some of them and other well- known musicians from Toronto and New York to put together her new album From This Side for Chronograph Records. This album contains both re-arranged covers and compositions she wrote or co-wrote with fellow composer Chris Andrew. I sometimes find that the compositions of young artists are the weakest tracks on their releases. This is not the case with Johanna. I found I was happily playing her new compositions as often as I was playing the standards off From This Side on my show Jazz Notes. The album has been quite successful, topping both the iTunes jazz album charts and the earshot Canadian National Jazz Chart! Recently we chatted about her first musical career in Sweden and her current career in Edmonton, Alberta, along with the process of making From This Side. After exchanging pleasantries, we started our conversation.

JD: Johanna, I’m going to take you way back to your childhood, I believe in Sweden?

JS: I am. Born and raised. 

JD: When did you come to Canada?

JS: I came over in ’92. I spent my adult life here.

JD: As a child in Sweden, were you exposed to jazz?

JS: No. Music, absolutely, when I was a pre-teen and you teenager I sang on cruise ships between Sweden-Denmark, Sweden-Germany, Sweden-Finland. So, I did perform at a young age, but not jazz. Jazz came to me. When I moved to Canada I got accepted at Grant MacEwan in the music program in Edmonton. That’s kind of where this new jazz and funk stuff was introduced to me at school.

JD: As a child did you study music at all or were you just naturally a good singer?

JS: In school, ya, for sure. I did have a voice coach for a few years, when I was younger. Of course, when I was in Canada at the music program it was full on, right--coaching and learning.

JD: What was it like letting loose on a cruise ship. That must have been fun.

JS: They were day time cruises, because I was under age, but it was fun. It was great. I always joke that I think I made more money when I was fifteen than I do now. (laughs).

JD: Sad but true (laughs).

JS: Ya it was good.

JD: I noticed that you have a new album out called From This Side on Chronograph Records. It has a mix of songs from the Great American Songbook and some that you wrote or co-wrote. Now composing—what state of mind do you need to be in to compose?

JS: It’s like anything if you don’t do it for a while--it’s like exercise and you have to exercise that part of your brain to get into it. So, for me, I love it. The process can take a while before it kind of kicks in. I had a couple of years where I hadn’t written anything. I think my last project was 2012. So, I hadn’t really written a lot since. I found that I had to press myself for it. We have a studio at home and I would go in there every night and start messing around on the piano. Some tunes were created that way and I co-wrote with Chris Andrew. He arranged some of it and Tyler Hornby arranged some as well.

JD: Obviously you like writing both lyrics and music. Which do you prefer to write?

JS: Woo, that’s a good question. I think music and melody come to me before lyrics. Maybe because English isn’t my first language, but however that being said I don’t know I would write great lyrics in Swedish. For me, I’m more of a melody girl.

Youtube video of “Thing Called Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICRpetyIxMc

JD: Ok. Now, I noticed the band that you have on From This Side and I’m totally impressed. I am a fan  of every one of these musicians. Great Albertans, a Toronto musician, a New York musician—all Canadians by birth, I guess. How did you get this all-star band together? I mean, wow!

JS: The bulk of them I’ve know for a long time—Tyler Hornby and the same thing for Chris Andrew. We go back to Grant MacEwan days. So, I’ve know him for my entire musical life. Those were no-brainers. I worked with Kody Hutchinson as a bass player and I got him in a producer role this time—co-producer. I wanted to switch it up a little bit this time and I had worked with George Koller a few years back at a festival. I loved him and was also a fan of his from back in Holly Cole days. It took a bit of time to get it together scheduling wise. It wasn’t easy to get everyone in the same place for three days. Ingrid (Jensen) is the one I know the least. I know her through Tyler (Hornby) and he’s the one who worked with her in the past. The communication happened through him. She was not in the studio with us. It was a remote recording. She recorded her part in her studio in New York. 

The team that put together and played on From This Side.                                                  Ingrid Jensen.

Paul Johnston, Chris Andrew, Tyler Hornby, Johanna Sillanpaa, George Koller, Kodi Hutchinson.

JD: I was wondering about that. Just the logistics would be so difficult and expensive. Ya, I had the pleasure of seeing the Jensen sisters at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival and have seen Ingrid a couple of times before. Oh, you have a good one on your CD. You have a good trumpet player on your CD. She’s an excellent musician. Like I said before, everybody is good on your CD. I mentioned before that you wrote or co-wrote many of the songs on From This Side. You picked a few from the Great American Songbook. Are these your favourites? Why did these ones make the cut?

JS: No, I have many favourites. It was really hard for me to pick standards. I knew I wanted some on there with maybe some different arrangements—more contemporary arrangements. So, it was really a tough call. I was sitting with Chris Andrew, the piano player, one day. We were doing a writing session. I gave him a bunch of titles. I said, “Here’s three of four tunes I enjoy singing” and he took “Time After Time” and said this will be cool and we started with that.  “Everything I Got Belongs to You”—I’ve always enjoyed singing that song as well. I asked Tyler (Hornby if he could come up with a neat arrangement. What else do we have? We have “Blue Skies.” That is also one of Chris Andrew’s arrangements. That one, he arranged a number of years ago for me. That was a song that was a given to put on From This Side. What am I missing?

See Youtube video of “Time After Time”:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSLxoJbv2cY 

JD: Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” It isn’t out of the Great American Songbook but it’s just a great, great tune.

JS: It’s a fantastic tune. I also sung that one for a couple of years prior to recording it, and I just totally enjoy singing it.

JD: I must commend you on your choices. I just love every choice. Some of my favourite composer are here and obviously the arrangements by Chris (Andrew)—he just does a great job on that. He, to me, is a hidden gem. More people should know about Chris Andrew than do. A lot of people know about him, but he should just be famous. He’s awesome. He’s a wonderful, wonderful musician. I don’t have to tell you that.

JS: Ya, they are all wonderful.

JD: What is the significance of the title of your new CD From This Side?

JS: I’m trying to think about that, because that is something I kind of came up with, with my graphic designer. We were kind of playing with concepts. Just because it’s a side shot (album cover). There’s my two lives: my years in Sweden and my years in Canada are pretty equal now and just how life is from this side I guess you could say.

JD: Do you have any recent or upcoming gigs?

JS: I didn’t do a ton for jazz fests because the album wasn’t released until March and usually for jazz festivals you apply the previous fall. I’m hoping for next year for the Edmonton Jazz Festival. I mean, I gig all the time. I’m currently in Banff at the Banff Centre for two nights out here. I’m hoping to get a little more festival work next year because the album has done so good with radio and placements and things.

JD: That’s good to hear. Speaking of your new album, which is From This Side by Johanna Sillanpaa, how do we get a copy?

JS: If you like digital you can just go to iTunes and just download it. If you like hardcopy you can go to my website johannamusic.com and I have an ordering system there. You can also order it from Chronograph Records website as well. There aren’t as many outlets for hardcopies these days.

JD: Good. I’d like to thank you for taking the time to speak with me.

JS: Thanks for having me.

JD: Good luck with From This Side and we’ll speak again when you have the next one out.

JS: Thank you Jim.

WEB:  http://www.johannamusic.com

FB: @johannamusicpage

TW: @johannasillan

INSTAGRAM: @sillanpaaj

http://www.chronographrecords.com/

Jazz Notes with Jim can be heard every Wednesday from 5-7 PM at thex.ca and at 92.5 FM in the Kamloops area. It is one of longest running jazz radio shows with the same host and same title in Canada.

Did Audrey Hepburn Really Play the Trombone, or is Audrey Ochoa Just Messing With Us?

Did Audrey Hepburn Really Play the Trombone,

 or is Audrey Ochoa Just Messing With Us?

By Jim Dupuis

A hot trio, great engineers and a new label equals a hot, new sound for trombonist Audrey Ochoa.

This is the second time I’ve interviewed Audrey Ochoa. She is the trombone player/composer/educator from Edmonton. I enjoy talking with Audrey. She has a wonderful sense of humour and is quick to laugh. She tells us that her alleged attempt to compose Katy Perry’s next hit morphed into a very good contemporary jazz album that includes fusion and electronics. Katy’s loss is our gain. The new album Afterthought relies on less musicians than her previous album, as this is a trio album, but some remarkable engineers round out the talent. I recently caught up with her and we talked about her new album Afterthought; women named Audrey, and the future of music.

JD: This is Jim with Jazz Notes on 92.5 the X and tonight I’m speaking with Audrey Ochoa from Edmonton, who has a brand-new CD out called Afterthought. How are you doing Audrey?

AO: How are you doing, Jim?

JD: Good, good. I talked to you in July of 2014 when you had Trombone and Other Delights out. This is your follow-up to that. How did this one go?

AO: For this time, it was a trio; bass and drums and trombone, which was really, different from the last time. It was a quartet with extra guests and a piano and it was a real Latin feel. I decided to do something different with the guys on this album. (Laughs) That was the worst answer ever, “How’s it going—you did really well.”

JD: Ok, you did mention you have just a trio this time. You have Mike Lent on bass, who was on the last album. You also have one of my favourite drummers anywhere—Sandro Dominelli. I thought he was living in New York. Is he back in Edmonton?

AO: He was doing some recording in New York. He did his last two albums with New York guys, but he is living in Edmonton. He’s got a wife and two beautiful daughters, so I think he is there to stay.

JD: That’s good for Edmonton, for sure.

AO: Oh ya, it’s great for me. That was the best part of this album. We developed a thing together, where personality was essential to the record. I sort of wrote the tunes for these guys.

JD: That’s good. I went through the album, Afterthought, a number of times, before speaking to you and right off the bat—the first song, “Low Interest Rate,” I got the Weather Report feel. Was that on purpose?

AO: No, actually, that’s a good call. That was not on purpose. I assume you are referring to the treatment and the filters on the trombone and the sort of electric sound.

JD: Ya.

AO: We kind of did a little bit of that in post-production. If you listen further on the album, we did a lot more of that later. That was the product of working with Stew Kirkwood, the guy who mixed it. He comes from the old pop/rock/electronic background, not a huge jazz background, so I guess it was a real mash of fusion.

JD: That’s what I got out of that song. I like the fact that you have different subgenres of jazz throughout it. It’s a very enjoyable CD. Then, with “Ant Grasshopper,” I got a Duke Ellington feel. It sort of went from a little bit of fusion to Ellington. The trombone in that one, could be in an Ellington band at any time. Was that somewhat in your mind when you were composing it?

AO: You know, all these songs, I sort of wrote with voice and guitar, really and then I developed them for a jazz trio. None of that was on my mind. I was trying to write a pop album (laughs). I was trying to just write singable pop songs and that’s what popped out. I don’t know if I was successful in my original mission (laughs) but, no, I wasn’t thinking of Ellington. I wasn’t thinking of Weather Report, I was thinking of Martin Sexton and friggin’ Katy Perry (both laugh).

JD: (Laughing) From my point of view you and you are going to hate me, I think you are a failure at pop—no just joking. In all seriousness, it’s jazz to me and has a nice feel. Like you said the first album had that Latin feel. I was opening this one up and thinking that I’m going to get some nice Latin tunes here and see what’s going on. I wasn’t disappointed in the least. It just was different from what I expected. Now, the song “De Mi.” What does that mean?

AO: From me.

JD: Ok, duh, that’s pretty simple. With that one, I sort of got a Mid East feel in places and some interesting echo. That’s probably your producer again?

AO: Actually, that’s a fellow from Victoria, Dallas Budd, who goes by the stage name of Battery Poacher, who did mixing on “De Mi” and “Afterthought.” What originally was a Latin jazz tune, he turned it into that electronic, sort of Middle Eastern thing. He changed the whole thing. It was great (laughs). It was nice to have another take on that tune.

JD: I like the variety on Afterthought. You have a song called “Dopplegangers.” Have you ever met your doppleganger?

AO: (Laughs) I have a doppleganger. I am a twin.

JD: Are you?

AO: Ya.

JD: You blew that question, gee (laughs). No, just kidding. I did not know that. That’s interesting. I think you must have got tired of hearing questions about the cover on Trombone and Other Delights (cover is a rip-off of Herb Alpert’s iconic album Whipped Cream and Other Delights). The cover on Afterthought is quite subdued. There are pretty photos of you. Is that a beehive hairdo from the 1960s?

AO: I was trying to rip-off Audrey Hepburn. Because after the first one, which was so well received, and I’m not sick of questions about it. Frankly, I made an outrageous cover, so I should expect it. I wanted attention for it and I didn’t know how I was going to follow it up. (Laughs) So I thought that I’d just rip-off Audrey Hepburn and maybe somebody will think, “Oh, I didn’t know Audrey Hepburn released a trombone album.” (Both laugh).

JD: The black and white picture on the cover—I thought, wow that’s Audrey Hepburn. I kind of thought you were aiming for that, but I wasn’t totally sure. I like your sense of humour. You look really good in that era’s clothing and hair. That’s pretty nice.

AO: Thank you (laughs).

JD: What is the significance of the title Afterthought?

AO: The track “Afterthought” was not originally going to be on the album. I had recorded eight tunes and one of them I didn’t like. It’s not on there. Sandro and I were in the studio and he said, “You know what you should do Audrey, you should record a track that’s just trombone.” And so I did. Five tracks of just trombone that sounded like a chorale—no drums, no bass. While I liked it, (laughs) I thought that nobody’s going to like this. I sent it off to be remixed and it got electronified by Dallas. The whole song was an afterthought. The more I thought of it, this album was kind of an afterthought. I didn’t get a grant to do it. It was something I decided to record on a whim. After Mike (Lent) and Sandro (Dominelli) and I did a gig, we high-fived at the end of it and decided it was really fun. Let’s make an album. Why not? So, the whole thing was an afterthought. That’s why I called it that (laughs).

JD: Ok, the last time I talked to you, you were teaching music in the school system.

AO: Yes, I’m still doing that.

JD: Any budding stars that we might hear in the next ten years?

AO: I’m working with really, young children. They are in elementary school. How shall I say, maybe in ten years there will be budding stars, but it won’t look like what we think, because they are doing so many different things with music now, that it is going to have to look different in ten years.

JD: Indeed, I think you are right about that. It’s always interesting to see the young ones and how many will continue with it, etc. It’s nice that they are being exposed to music at a young age. I think that’s all anybody can ask for in an education that includes music.

AO: You hear your Jacob Colliers and Donny McCaslins and all of that is electronic and about different musical values and it is also, largely about performance. I think it will look a lot different.

JD: I think you have a good point. How does someone get your new album, Afterthought  by the Audrey Ochoa Trio?

AO: You can buy it online. It is on iTunes, CD Baby and this album is on Chronograph Records. They are now both of Chronograph Records. You can purchase it through Chronograph, as well.

JD: Cool. That’s the small label out of Calgary. We really enjoy the music that they send us.

AO: It’s nice to have them handling that part of the business and I can concentrate on playing trombone.

JD: That’s what you should be doing anyway. It’s tough to have ten hats on at once and get albums together. You did get it together and Afterthought is quite enjoyable and is getting lots of airplay here on The X. That’s about it, and thanks for telling us about Afterthought.

AO: Ok.

JD: Thank you for taking the time and I will talk to you when we put the next one out.

AO: You know, funny, I just started recording Tuesday. So, it should be out—I don’t know—give me a year.

JD. I’ll hold you to that.

AO: (Laughs) ‘Bye.

http://www.chronographrecords.com/artists.php?artist=29

http://audreyochoa.com/

Previous interview with Audrey Ochoa http://www.earshot-online.com/features/2014/July/audreyochoa.cfm

Album cover https://www.discogs.com/Audrey-Ochoa-Trio-Afterthought/release/10323586

                                                                     

Jazz Notes Best of 2016

Jazz Notes Best of .... for 2016

Once again I go through this exercise. Can't say it's my favourite thing to do, but still better than getting your eyes poked out with a stick. That being said, what is the criteria? Well, there is some loose criteria. I had to like the album. The album has to have come to my attention this year and has to have been released in late 2015 or 2016. The number of times I play and artist on Jazz Notes is not necessarily significant as other criteria, such as CanCon and playlist requirements can skew this number. If I can't decide between 2 albums, as to their ranking, I will look at number of plays as kind of a tiebreaker. The two artists I played the most on Jazz Notes this year were Louis Armstrong and local/Vancouver musician Anita Eccleston. Speaking of CanCon, three Canadian releases are in my top 10 instrumental and three Canadian releases are in my top 5 vocal. To musicians out there. You can't be on my or any other show host's  Best of ... list at CFBX-FM if you don't send us your music. Info to do that at thex.ca.

 

My Top albums of the year

Jim Dupuis of Jazz Notes on CFBX-FM       Best 10 of 2016 Jazz 

Mainly Instrumental    

                       

1. Joe Lovano Quartet -- Classic! Live at Newport -- (Blue Note)

Sax player Lovano recorded this performance in 2005 at the Newport Jazz Festival and finally put it out this year. It includes the late Hank Jones, then in his eighties, who still had his chops. Veteran bassist George Mraz and Lewish Nash on drums round out a superb quartet. Every track is a gem and Lovano and Jones make magic together on Oliver Nelson’s“Six and Four.” Mraz struts his stuff on the Parkerish “Bird’s Eye View” and Nash keeps a steady beat throughout. Maybe you aren’t supposed to anoint your own album ‘classic” but when it’s the truth, that’s okay by me.

http://www.joelovano.com/

2. John Stowell Michael Zilber Quartet -- Basement Blues – (Origin)

Stowell and Zilber play together fairly often and it shows. Here they combine to give us a dreamy, bluesy collarboration of mostly original tunes. The bluesist tracks are Basement blues and Violin Memory. Their covers of Jerome Kern’s “Nobody Else But Me” and Bill Evans’ “Very Early” are exquisite. The rhythm section of John Shifflett on bass and Jason Lewis on drums are tasked with keeping up with these two and succeed admirably.

http://www.michaelzilber.com/

http://johnstowell.com/

3. Alexis Baro & the Pueblo Nueve Jazz Project -- Sugar Rush -- G-Three Music

Cuban born Toronto based Baro has the Afro-Cuban jazz fusion down to a science. He shows his versatility with the trumpet and flugelhorn by playing a variety of tempos on the title track and in a few others. He shows off his ballad work with the flugelhorn on “Please Believe Me.” Great percussions, great horn section and an inspired leader make this the best Latin CD I heard this year.

http://www.alexisbaro.com/

4. Renee Rosnes -- Written In The Rocks -- Smoke Sessions

Rosnes combines her interest in earth sciences with her musical passions. The interplay between her piano, Steve Nelson’s vibes and Steve Wilson’s reeds makes for a delightful geology lesson and the rhythm section of Peter Washington on bass and Bill Stewart on drums goes beyond backing and provides some volcanic eruptions to set it all off.

http://reneerosnes.com/

5. Cuong Vu Trio & Pat Metheny -- Cuong Vu Trio Meets Pat Metheny – Nonesuch

Usually it’s Metheny doing the hiring. In this case trumpet player Vu includes his old boss. Vu shows off his chops in his foray into the fusion world of electric Miles as in “Acid Kiss.” Metheny shows his dexterity with some fast playing in “Not Crazy“ and demonstrates his ballad work in“Seeds of Doubt.”

http://www.cuongvu.com/

Pat Metheny (@PatMetheny) | Twitter

6. Threes Company -- We'll Be Together Again – (Chesky Records)

The great bassist Ron Carter teams ups with veteran sax player Javon Jackson and drummer Billy Drummond on this outing. Lots of classic bop here as in “My Man Hubbard” and a Monk cover, but their version of the Jimmy Van Heusen ballad “But Beautiful” steals the show.

http://www.chesky.com/artist/threes-company

Ron Carter (@FTRNFoundation) | Twitter

7. Andy Brown Quartet -- Direct call (Appel direct) – Delmark

Lots of good guitar albums this year, but I keep coming back to Brown. The Chicago area guitarist gives us fast swing, covers of Joe Pass, Jobim and the title track, a cover from Grappelli and Reinhardt. Throw in some Ellington and Hank Mobley and you have a fine display of guitar work.

http://www.andybrownguitar.com/

8. Metalwood – Twenty -- Cellar Live

They only do a CD once every 20 years, so it has to be good—and it is. This fusion packed delight gives equal prominence to all the talented band members. Some standouts are Brad Turner’s Milesy trumpet on “Gargentua” and Chris Tarry’s bass in many places including “Extra Salty.” Mike Murley on reeds and Ian Froman on drums round out this stellar group. Let’s have the third CD a little sooner, please.

http://www.coastaljazz.ca/metalwood_cd_release

http://www.coastaljazz.ca/brad_turner_quartet

9. Tim Davies Big Band -- The Expensive Train Set – Origin

Band leader, composer, arranger, and drummer Tim Davies from Australia, has 4 tracks from his Australian band and 4 tracks from his L.A. band. He has them together on one track. This contemporary big band CD has lots of fireworks. “Minor Incidents” could fit into a movie or television sound track and most of the rest showcases the ample talents of the band members. Yes, the big band is alive and well!

http://www.timdaviesbigband.com/

10. Yair Loewenson Trio and Mark Turner -- Old Bottles New Wine – Independent

The much-travelled multi-instrumentalist Loewenson adds the sax of Mark Turner to his trio. While bop is the main course (“Parkeritis” and “Davka”) with Turner leading other tracks such as “Four on Six” and “Strings” show off Loewenson’s talents. A nice surprise from an independent production.

http://www.yair-loewenson.com/

https://markturnerjazz.com/

           

         

Jim Dupuis of Jazz Notes on CFBX-FM       Best 10 of 2016 Jazz 

Mainly Vocal

1. Gregory Porter -- Take Me to the Alley – (Universal Music)

The behatted one has emerged as the best jazz vocalist of his generation. Here he includes jazz, gospel, R&B, hip hop and pop. He’s good enough that he could get away with all of them in one CD. He also includes a couple of duets. My favourites are the piano ballad “In Fashion” and the gospely, organ infused “Don’t Lose Your Steam.”

http://www.gregoryporter.com/

Gregory Porter (@GregoryPorter)

2. Norah Jones -- Day Breaks – (Blue Note)

Jones has explored a variety of genres since her breakthrough CD Come Away With Me. She has returned to this formula and recruits heavyweights such as Wayne Shorter, Brian Blade, John Patitucci and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Highlights include a cover of Horace Silver’s “Peace”  and her smoky voice prevails on the opening track “Burn.” Day Breaks also includes covers from Ellington, and Neil Young.

http://www.norahjones.com/

Norah Jones (@NorahJones) | Twitter

3. Susie Arioli – Spring – (Universal Music)

Arioli is consistently good and this CD is no exception. This time she teams up with some of Canada’s elite musicians including Don Thompson, vibes and piano and trumpeter Kevin Turcotte. While jazz classics such as “Loverboy” and “Travelin’ Light” shine through, she summons her inner Patsy Cline for “Can’t Say No” to great effect. This is a very enjoyable CD.

http://susiearioli.com/en/

4. Bria Skonberg – Bria – Okeh

The young Canadian is wowing them in New York and elsewhere. This CD could be classified in either category as she is a good trumpet player and a good vocalist. She is now signed to Okeh Records (a division of Sony), which means she now gets to have Stefon Harris, Aaron Diehl and others on her CD, although happily she includes fellow Canadian reed master Evan Arntzen. There is plenty of variety on this CD. Her roots are in traditional jazz and she includes the Sidney Bechet composition “Egyptian Fantasy” She is always full of fun in performance and her vocals shine through on “I Was a Little Too Lonely (And You Were a Little Too Late).”

http://www.briaskonberg.com/

 Bria Skonberg (@briaskonberg) · Twitter

5. Kinga -- Guess Who I Saw Today – (Independent)

Formerly, one of Bill King’s “Divas,” Kinga has assembled a program of jazz classics and R&Bish songs that show off her wonderful voice. Highlights include the title track, “What a Difference a Day Made and the Bill Withers classic “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Some of Toronto’s best appear and Bill King’s piano and gorgeous arrangements are as always, superb.

https://www.facebook.com/kingajazz/

Best local release

Anita Eccleston – More Trumpet – (Independent)

It has been a great year for trumpet player/vocalist Eccleston. From Kamloops, she now lives in Vancouver and plays at venues around the city with her duo and in other combinations. For her most recent CD she has dropped the pop covers and concentrated on classic jazz. This is generally a trio album with her musical partner guitarist Andrew Smith and bassist Graham Clark on bass. She adds the cello of Doug Gorkoff for three tracks. Smith provides vocals on one track. Her journey through the Great American Songboook includes “Fly Me to the Moon,” “All of Me” and ends with triumphantly with her trumpet and voice with a song that was kind to Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World.” This very talented woman is really coming into her own. She brought a larger band to the Vancouver International Jazz Festival on Canada Day. She had a large audience dancing and cheering throughout her performance. A fall mini-tour of the BC interior added more exposure and similar acclaim. Finally, a musician that had, well deserved good things happen in 2016.

http://www.anitaeccleston.com/

Anita Eccleston (@AnitaEccleston) | Twitter