woa CD Rack
Rosa Shiels
Rosa Shiels
``One
breath after the next, one step then another, one bar at a time. Such is life
and such is music. And whereas songs may not hold the key to life, there is
nothing better to underline the love and alleviate the blues. In concert with
her trio, Rosa Shiels – singer, writer, musician -- will deliver blues and
ballads, original and traditional, and covers by an alphabet of favourite
artists that make the most of the moment. Bluesy interpretations direct from the
heart.’’ That was the introduction for the concert by Rosa Shiels and trio
for the Christchurch International Jazz & Blues Festival in April, and it pretty
much sums up her philosophy, she says. With old friends Tom Rainey (on piano,
double bass and electric bass) and Graham Wardrop (guitars and bass), and new
friend Sum Suruweera (drums/ percussion), she ran through a concert repertoire
of songs from the heart -- old and new -- about life, love and the blues, many
of which are on the retrospective self-titled album she has just released, and
all of which allow her self-expression full range
Watershed,
k.d. Lang
Watershed,
K.D. Lang’s second Nonesuch album, indeed represents a significant juncture in
her 25-year career as a recording artist-a collection of eleven new original
songs produced, for the first time, by Lang herself. As with any challenge she’s
met in her unparalleled career, lang is a natural behind the boards in the
studio. Watershed has an intimate feel and a sophisticated sound that
highlights the warmth in Lang’s voice, the maturity of her songwriting and the
simple beauty of her arrangements. The Grammy Award-winning artist draws on her
wealth of experience with an impressively wide range of genres to fashion a
revealing portrait of the artist as she is right now. As Lang explains, "Watershed
is like a culmination of everything I’ve done — there’s a little bit of jazz, a
little country, a little of the Ingénue sound, a little Brazilian touch. It
really feels like the way I hear music, this mash-up of genres, and I think it
reflects all the styles that have preceded this in my catalogue."
U.S. Odyssey
Susan de Jong and Friends
Powerhouse
vocalist Susan de Jong is from Adelaide in South Australia and has chalked up 20
years of professional performance in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and
Thailand and has supported the likes of Wynton Marsalis, James Morrison and
Gloria Estefan. Susan is a Senior Tutor at the Christchurch Jazz School and
lectures in Jazz voice, choral singing and ensembles. This year she has also
undertaken a Masters degree at the Canterbury University School of Music. and
her topic covers jazz singing in the post big-band, post-bop era of the
1950s-1960s, with specific regard to lyric interpretation.
from PLAINS FM Radio Interview with Susan de Jong & Nigel Spiers
"In 2006 I had the opportunity to travel around the U.S. with friends on a musical road trip culminating in the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Inspired by Gospel, Blues and Broadway music in New York and the Jazz in New Orleans these are the songs I wrote on the road.
Right from the start I had Susan in mind for the vocals. While she is a renowned Australasian Jazz singer and tutor I always knew she had the soul to sing the blues. As a consummate artist and true professional she rose to the challenge and "nailed" every song - most of them in one take.
Carmel Courtney on sax and Mike Arthur on guitar are two other national treasures and two of my all time favourite musicians. It was an honour to work with them and the fabulous CPIT ‘Ooh Ya Ya’ Gospel Choir." .....Nigel Spiers
Charmed Life is a tribute to the lush sounds of the 1950's. The album features
four vocalists accompanied by a fabulous band of New Zealand's finest musicians.
The material was chosen from two live performances of the Divas in Keri Keri
(April 07) and Auckland (July 07) and was engineered by the talented Doug Jane.
The Divas are: Julie Mason (vocals, arranger), Trudy Lile( vocals & flute) both
from Auckland; Susan de Jong (vocals) and Jennine Bailey (vocals) both from
Christchurch. The band features Phil Broadhurst (piano), Olivier Holland (bass),
Jason Orme(drums), and special guests Brian Smith (tenor and soprano sax) and
Lance Su'a (guitar). Julie Mason put together the Jazz Divas two years ago to
feature at the 2005 National Jazz Festival in Tauranga. They have since
performed in Christchurch, Auckland, Hamilton, Keri Keri and Tauranga (again in
2007). You can purchase the CD through Susan's website.
www.susandejong.com.
There isn’t a voice like hers anywhere. Honest and heart wrenching with an
underlying soul and energy that complements the songs she writes. You may have
seen the cheeky grin. It gives a small insight into the persona behind it, and
the music she has made for the best part of the last decade. 'In Swings The
Tide' is her latest offering. It takes one listen through to realise it is an
album that she has poured all of her creative energies into. Featuring the new
single 'Dreams In My Head', the sound of Anika Moa is the sound of one of New
Zealand’s best loved troubadours, and one who speaks from the truth of her
experiences. Recorded at Anika’s Auckland home in 2006 seven days before
Christmas and ten days later on in May 2007, the sessions were originally
planned as a chance for Anika to record some demos. But in swung the tide and
things changed, even down to Anika self producing her own album for the first
time.