Yours

Product Description Sara Gazarek’s artistic abilities display a deep appreciation and understanding of jazz on Yours, the debut album from this 23-year-old Seattle-born vocalist. A collection of classic jazz interpretations and two original tracks penned by Sara’s pianist, Yours brings together a solid cast of production talent in producer/arranger John Clayton (Diana Krall, Renee Olstead, Natalie Cole) and recording engineer and 15-time Grammy® Award winner Al Schmitt (Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Steely Dan) to create a lasting impression on first-time listeners. Album highlights include Cole Porter’s "Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye," Joni Mitchell’s "The Circle Game," and "Amazing," an original song written by longtime collaborator Josh Nelson. Review "...breakthrough star." --Tom Scanlon, Seattle Times "Professionalism isn't the word; this performance was sublime." --Ben Ratliff, New York Times About the Artist At 23, fresh off of the Concord Jazz Festival tour, Gazarek is poised to release Yours, a collection of vocal standards and original compositions encompassing her wide array of influences from Sarah Vaughan to Ben Folds Five. With a freshly framed degree from the world-renowned Thornton School of Music at USC, Sara can’t wait for Yours to be ours... In 2003, Sara Gazarek was just another college kid from the Northwest, scrambling to make tuition as a jazz performance major at the esteemed Thornton School of Music at USC when she was named as a recipient of the prestigious Downbeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Collegiate Jazz Vocalist. Shortly after the publication hit the press, Sara was asked to perform with Oleta Adams, Karrin Allyson, and Diane Schuur as the "as yet undiscovered talent" on the Concord Jazz Festival tour. Simultaneously, Gazarek joined Barry Manilow, Allyson, and Schuur as a Stiletto Management client, was soon! being booked by industry giant the William Morris Agency, and got signed to Native Language Music. "It all happened so fast," Gazarek says. "I was still in school, doing chump change gigs all over the place. So the thought of joining three of my favorite singers on the road, combined with the whole manager/booking agent thing just seemed surreal." Under the guise of ‘needed guidance,’ Sara set up a meeting with educator/bassist John Clayton to start work on the record. She knew she wanted John to produce the record. "He was the only person in my life who really cared about every member of my group and who had a vested interest in our music." It was Clayton who suggested the whole group meet twice weekly to arrange all of the music for Yours. The group (Erik Kertes on bass, Josh Nelson on piano and Matt Slocum on drums) rehearsed, arranged, and composed furiously, fully prepared to go into the studio after a three-month pre-production period. "We recorded at Capitol Studios, which was unbelievable. And working with our genius engineer, Al Schmitt, was as amazing an experience as the other elements of the process had been." Just one year out of school, Sara knows how lucky she is to have recorded an album with her own group, the songs of her choice, and their own arrangements. She won’t hesitate to acknowledge just how rare her situation is. "I made a record with a label, producer, and musicians whom I share a deep emotional connection with - an album that is filled completely with songs and arrangements from my heart. She says with a smile, "I think the end result is a record with a spirit, a sound, and a heart unlike anything I've ever experienced. I just hope the world falls in love with it as much as we have."
ASIN: B000A2H9IO
VSKU: KDV.B000A2H9IO.G
Condition: Good