Competition

Win Jackie Ryan 'Best of Love Songs' CDs

closing date: 13 Mar 2010

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JACKIE RYAN
Best of LOVE SONGS

Make every day Valentine's Day with "one of the outstanding vocalists of her generation and, quite possibly, of all time,' as JazzTimes Magazine states. Featured on NPR, Voice of America, CNN TV enEspañol, and Primetime A&E, "Jackie bridges gaps between both geography and generations," as BILLBOARD aptly puts it, and delivers 15 songs you can both fall in love with...and fall in love to.

Whether you are in the mood for a sensuous Brazilian love song, or a passionate Spanish bolero, a rarely performed jazz gem or a sizzling classic, or maybe you just feel like swinging - young or young at heart ' these songs will keep the home fires burning. Legendary two-time Grammy-Award nominees Ernie Watts and Red Holloway ignite the sessions, backed by Jon Mayer, Tamir Hendelman, Larry Vuckovich, Jeff Hamilton, Jeff Chambers and a host of others.

Jackie turns up the heat on this journey through the full range of romantic feelings ' from the opening flirtations of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" to the sensuous burning desires of "Make It Last". From the amorous musings of "This Heart Of Mine" to the final tender sweet reflections of "While We're Young". All the bases of love are touched - all with stunning arrangements and stellar accompaniment by some of the jazz world's finest musicians.

Selected from three recordings released from 2002 to 2006, this collection reflects the breadth of this artist's myriad musical gifts ' sizzling swing standards, classic romantic ballads like Harry Warren's "Serenade In Blue," and Ray Noble's 'The Very Thought Of You,' a swinging guitar take of Oscar Hammerstein's 'When I Grow To Old To Dream' and a poignant harp arrangement of Livingston/Evan's 'You Are There,' gentle Brazilan gems and passionate Spanish love songs, plus two original compositions graced by her own insightful lyrics.

HIGHLIGHTS

* Legendary saxmen and trumpet greats ignite the sessions: Ernie Watts on 'Make It Last," Red Holloway on 'Let There Be Love' and Cole Porter's 'You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To', Allen Smith (featured soloist Benny Goodman Orchestra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Sammy Davis) on an upbeat take of the rarely performed "Now Or Never" penned by Billie Holiday.

* Original lyrics to 2 original compositions: Ms. Ryan's natural affinity for the language of jazz extends deeply into its intricate structures. She possesses a keen ear for jazz phrasing and its internal rhymes, having composed lyrics in such diverse genres as note for note vocalese to the scorching bop sax solos of Benny Carter's "Doozy" and Joe Henderson's "The Kicker," poignant imagery to Barry Harris's seductive ballad "Deep Love," as well as the insightful hauntingly poetic lines found on this CD's "Seasons of The Heart" and the jubilant jazz phrasing to "Once In Everyone's Life" (elevated by Noel Jewkes sibilant sax).

* Three Latin songs - one sung in Portuguese and two in Spanish, reflecting the heart of Jackie's Latin heritage: 'Both of my parents had what I still think were the most beautiful voices I've ever heard,' Jackie says, 'My mother, from Mexico, used to sing all of the beautiful Spanish songs. Her voice was like a blossom from her heart, sweet and gentle and full of love. And my father was an incredibly powerful baritone - classically trained. He sang with such passion in church that the whole congregation would be in awe.'
When I asked her to give us the literal meaning of the Latin songs included here, Jackie paused then said, 'It isn't always necessary - or even best - to know what the exact words of a foreign song actually literally mean in order to enjoy the song because, hopefully, the melody will speaks for itself. But I've been asked about this so often, I'll try to interpret their beautiful poetry.

'Jobim's Luiza has been a favorite song of mine to sing ever since I heard it many years ago. It is a poetic song that speaks of a troubadour who, as he goes along on his way under the floating night moon (and full of stars himself), makes up a song for Luiza, his unrequited love. He says that he is only 'um pobre amador' (a poor 'apprentice' at love) and that she seems cold - but he knows that deep underneath this cold, lives her heart. And so he sings to her to exorcise this passion within him. He asks for her hand, her kiss . . . and describes how the light that comes from her hair explodes into so many colors and that these colors reflect the thousands of feelings that he holds in his heart only for her.

'Historia De Un Amor is a Spanish song I learned from my mother's records when I was young. I wondered about putting this song on a jazz album, but was strongly encouraged to do so by my family and by Larry (who loves it so much that it'd been in his repertoire also). This song speaks of a woman's sadness, now that love is no longer by her side. She says that love was always her reason for living. 'Adorarte para me fue religion' means, 'to adore you was my religion.' In Latin songs, the heart's feelings are not suppressed in the least, so this is the story of love, all that is good and all that is bad, the light and the dark - an Historia De Un Amor.

Jackie's last CD, 'DOOZY', was the #1 CD nationwide on JazzWeek's Industry-standard chart ' for 7 weeks (a record exceeded by only one other vocal CD in the chart's entire history). Featuring guest artists Cyrus Chestnut, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Romero Lubambo and others, 'DOOZY' was the 3rd most played Jazz CD on radio for the entire year, finished # 3 on JazzWeek's Top 100 CDs of 2009, received ****4 STAR Reviews from both DownBeat and AllMusicGuide, and sat atop many critics' 'TOP 10 of The Year' lists. In fact, Jackie was one of only 5 vocalists voted by critics to make JazzTimes Magazine's 'TOP 50 CDs of The Year.'

www.JackieRyan.com

To be in with a chance of winning 1 of 5 CDs just send an email with LOVE SONGS! in the subject line to comp@music-news.com including your name, address, email and telephone number. Winners will be notified by phone/email.

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