UP AND DOWN #69

the album is OUT!!!

Dearest,

I’ve thought a lot about what I’d say about this record. I had been thinking about it since before I recorded it. There are so many things that wanted to say but I’m going to pare it down to what seems most relevant to me, on this day, in my current state.

Simply put, this record is about my first year in New York. I moved exactly two years ago, on November 14th, 2023. I’ve written about the two sad things that happened before I left California. I thought a lot.about those things for a year and a half.

Days before the recording of this album on June 22nd, I felt pregnant- loaded with all the thoughts and emotions I’d been dealing with my first year of New York, waiting to get it all out. I had heat illness, and alls there was to do was lay on the couch and try to quiet my insides before the studio.

Now, towards the end of 2025, those previous stories don’t bother me so much anymore. I remember how I felt, but the pain doesn’t gnaw at me as it used to.

My mind is on different things now. I really feel like I’m in a different chapter. Moving to New York was one of the best things I ever did for myself. I grew exactly in the ways I needed to- artistically, personally, professionally, and spiritually.

Am I proud of this record? Yes… but not because of my performance. I have a lot of grievances about what I did. I wish I sung better, I wish I swung harder. But I know what I did.

With my non-music school degree and my own hard work, I funded and made a record with some of the best musicians in New York City. 10 songs in one day, which in studio speak is only 6 hours. And all I could afford. But it was awesome. It was really, truly, awesome.

It was a bootstrapped, grass-root effort, with my boyfriend helping me take FILM photos on a rainy night in times square, and my good friend Tom Iandolo mixing the album for me. And that last week before the recording date, it was like the path was clearing for me. Everything just seemed to work out. Funny how that is.

SOUNDS (of mine!!!!)

SO HERE ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE TRACKS!

“The Sweetest Sounds”

This is an arrangement of mine, borrowing from one of my favorites, Betty Carter, where I double some of the form to allow more space for the phrasing. I’m quite proud of it! It’s not an elaborate trick but I like that this song’s haunting melody gets more play time.

Richie Vitale, who was in Frank Sinatra’s band (!) did such a beautiful job on the trumpet. My favorite part is when he harmonizes my line on the spot. How did he do that?

“Rainbow”

Because it’s a beautiful tune, but no one else sings it. With all the ups and downs mentioned in the record and in life, I really do feel that perhaps the thunderstorms have cleared.

Sarah Jane Cion (played with Clark Terry, Anita O’ Day, etc..!) played a gorgeous intro. My favorite of the whole record.

“Ridin’ High”

I’ve never sung this tune live. It’s not really in my book. But the lyrics really got to me- it’s very gloaty, very “I’ve-got-this-figured-out”… and so I wrote an arrangement that I thought brought that out the most.

I think this is the most advanced arrangement I’ve written thus far, simply because it deviates furthest from the original.

“Everything Happens to Me”

And of course, right after you think you’ve won the lottery, is usually when things happen. Or perhaps, EVERYTHING happens. ha…ha.

Please give this a listen-even if you hate jazz, or even if you hate me! Share it and support this grassroots effort. How many of those do we have these days…?

Here is the YOUTUBE LINK for non-Spotifiers.

Some have asked how they can purchase the album. It will be available on Apple Music, but I haven’t been able to reach anyone to correct my artist name 🙄. I was going to print vinyls for fun, but I’m not sure it’s worth it this go around.

But to support, you could become a patron for as little as $8 a month.. 👀