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| Portland Jazz Singer Mindi Brizendine Releases New CD Portland jazz vocalist Mindi Brizendine has released a new compact disc, entitled "Forever Yours, " that contains works by a number of the great composers including Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn, and Duke Ellington. Brizendine's originals are a highlight on the CD as her writing style fits in with the classic standards like they were written forty years ago but still maintain a modern flair. Brizendine performs each song with exquisite tone and range, and an artistic feel for the lyrical message. She is accompanied by 30-year veteran pianist Richard Kutch, who co-wrote all of the originals. "I took my time writing songs that would be appropriate to the genre. I find it is difficult to find new compositions for vocalists today that evoke the same feelings of relaxation, emotion, and nostalgia. We know how important it is to our listeners to have that musical experience that makes them relax and feel good., " said Brizendine. A native Portlander, Brizendine has been amassing a steadily growing following over the past 20 years. Brizendine is a favorite performer with many audiences, having entertained people in over eleven states. Her artistic vocal style has been described by her fans as "reminiscent of great artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Barbra Streisand, Etta James, Karen Carpenter, Maureen McGovern, and Rosemary Clooney." The CD contains fourteen songs with popular works from the Great American Songbook including 'Fly Me to the Moon, ' 'How Deep is the Ocean, ' 'God Bless the Child, ' and 'On a Clear Day.' Brizendine's originals include the title track and four others: 'Moonlight, ' 'Sunday Blues, ' 'Things I Love, ' and 'The Night I Fell in Love with You.' Brizendine said, "Richard Kutch and I spent countless hours crafting the originals for this CD. I feel that many of the greatest pieces of jazz and swing music ever written are now referred to as 'standards' in The Great American Songbook. It is my goal to keep this music alive through my performances and recordings, and to write new songs that feel so much like classics, that it is hard to tell them all apart." 'Forever Yours' can be obtained at CD Baby as can Brizendine's previous release "At Last." write your comments about the article :: © 2008 Jazz News :: home page |