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| Julian Yeo Introduces His New CD Set  Julian Yeo, a chart-topping jazz recording artist, pairs up with top young jazz pianist Adam Birnbaum to deconstruct an all-time favorite standard, "You and the night and the music." The result is two stunning albums: an upbeat swing album, "You and the Night, " and a piano/vocal duo ballad album, "Night and the Music." "You and the Night" revolves around two lovers (are they old flames, new lusts, or life-long loves?). The music follows the couple as they enjoy the romance of a night out in Manhattan. We join them for a stroll in Central Park, to the East Village, where "it's very fancy on Delancey, " and even out to Yonkers, "where true love conquers in the wilds." They savor the "delightful, delicious, de-lovely" foods of New York, exclaiming, "if I were a duck I'd quake, if I were a goose I'd be cooked, " and enjoying cocktails and champagne. As the evening progresses, references to "musical shows" and "snappy clothes" evoke images of a 1950s jazz club. In the end, what's important is not the city and all it has to offer but that the two have each other: "I want to be happy but I won't be happy till I make you happy too.""Night and the Music" is a piano vocal duo album recorded after wrapping up with the trio for "You and the Night." Just as the album was recorded in the wee hours after midnight, we follow our lovers home after their night on the town. Julian's direct and honest delivery and Adam's exquisite piano styling capture the essence of night. The smooth, sometimes bittersweet music of the second disc explores the darker side of romance. These songs are tinged with pain and sadness that go hand in hand with love, and even touch on death. But the silky tunes always leave us with a touch of hope and romance. This CD set marks Julian Yeo's 5th and 6th albums. His previous albums have been critically acclaimed for their retro yet refreshing unique quality. Julian has appeared on numerous jazz charts including CMJ Top 40 Jazz, Jazz Week Top 50, Root, and Music Report Top 50 Jazz. An Australian living in New York, Julian was discovered singing at an open-mic event by a club manager six years ago. He has since made a strong impression on the New York jazz scene, performing at venues throughout the city. Outside of music, Julian was named one of the top 50 eligible bachelors in Australia by Cleo Magazine and among the Wall Street Journal's top 12 business school professors (worldwide) teaching in executive MBA programs. write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |