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| Barbara Fasano - ’Written In The Stars’ The soul of Harold Arlen's songs and jazz are blended in a uniquely compelling way on Written in the Stars, the new CD by vocalist Barbara Fasano. The album boasts a line-up of all-star jazzmen, led by pianist/arranger John di Martino, known for his work with Grady Tate, Freddy Cole, Pat Martino and the late Ray Barretto. The 15 tracks run the gamut from well-known Arlen standards such as "My Shining Hour" and "Come Rain or Come Shine, " to rarer tunes such as "Here's What I'm Here For, " and "I Had a Love Once." Vocalist Eric Comstock joins Fasano for a duet on "As Long As I Live." "The emotion and drama in Arlen's melodies felt like home to me" says Fasano. "I grew up in a volatile Italian Catholic household, and sang almost as soon as I could talk. My father played his jazz albums while my mother made the Sunday lasagna, and somehow it all made sense. Things like Louis singing "Let's Fall in Love" and Ella's "This Time The Dream's On Me." I was a kid, and didn't know they were Arlen tunes, but I memorized the words and ran around the house singing to anyone who would listen - drove my older sisters and brother crazy. When I got a little older, I cracked the code: the same man was responsible for all those endless, aching notes I tried to hold until my breath ran out." In late 2003, Fasano and di Martino were stranded in a snowstorm after a gig, and started naming favorite songs to kill time. "We both named Arlen tunes and then and there decided to do an Arlen show, " Fasano recalls. "Since I was also planning my wedding, I was drawn to the love story of Harold and his wife, Anya Taranda. As I delved into the music, the soul of the man came through his work in an even more profound way." The CD gets its title as a nod to Arlen's belief that forces beyond our control often shape our lives; the song "Written In The Stars" is also a favorite among jazz musicians. "For the CD, we tried to recreate the intimate chamber-jazz feeling of some of the piano-vocal duets from the show, " says Fasano. "And John filled out the other tunes for these excellent musicians - Joel Frahm, Tim Ouimette, John Hart, Sean Smith, Tim Horner and Kahlil Kwame Bell. We're all very proud of how it turned out." On the basis of Fasano's Arlen show ("top-notch ... melancholy beauty ... definitive"--Village Voice), she was invited to make her Carnegie Hall debut as part of Festival Productions' Harold Arlen Centennial Concert in 2005. Other New York appearances include Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall and Allen Room (as part of Lincoln Center's American Songbook series), Birdland, The Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel, Town Hall, Symphony Space, Makor, and Danny's. Across the country she has earned critical acclaim in concert and nightclub venues such as The Royal Room at The Colony Hotel (Palm Beach), The Sheldon Concert Hall (St. Louis), Kerrytown Concert House (Ann Arbor), The Cinegrill (Los Angeles), and The Prince Music Theatre (Philadelphia). write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |