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| Veronneau - Exploring their 4th Album - Love & Surrender  Love & Surrender finds the band stretching out, evolving and exploring, with five new band compositions, alongside cherished classics by composers like Jimmy Webb and Serge Gainsbourg.(Lynn), She's got a relaxed and easily delivered voice. She throws in a bit of exotica as she purrs in French along with droplets of guitar musings. Delving into Spanish, French, Portuguese and English. Casual and classy. -George Harris, Jazzweekly Not content to wear one jazz hat. If the Hot Club had a modern jazz singer at the forefront this is what it would sound like. -Chris Spector, Midwest Record Veronneau's new album, "Love & Surrender" is a gentle washing of jazz sounds that represent influences in folk, bossa nova and samba. While gentle, the music on "Love & Surrender" is nonetheless emotive. -Dodie Gould Miller, Lemonwire Award-winning, acoustic trio VERONNEAU are back with a new album building on their critically acclaimed and popular world-jazz repertoire. Love & Surrender finds the band stretching out, evolving and exploring, with five new band compositions, alongside cherished classics by composers like Jimmy Webb and Serge Gainsbourg. French Canadian vocalist Lynn Véronneau, with guitarists Ken Avis and David Rosenblatt take the listener around the globe, blending samba, French chanson, bossa nova and swing into a genre-defying musical feast. For VERONNEAU, and their fans, it's all about the song – and this album won't disappoint, taking a deep, look at love as a human condition - a mature reflection exploring infatuation, passion, loss, betrayal, loneliness and family. Love & Surrender is a truly international affair. Together with long-time collaborator British violinist Dave Kline, whose recent solo album Shifting Borders climbed to #1 on the US jazz charts, VERONNEAU are joined by guest musicians from Senegal, Nigeria, the UK and US, plus from Brazil their regular touring percussionist Bruno Lucini. Lynn Véronneau's soaring vocals are sung in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish. It swings, it grooves, it finds the quiet between the notes, and echoes the pulse of the human heart. This new recording is just the latest in the band's ever-expanding activity. While VERONNEAU continues to tour in the US and internationally, Lynn Véronneau and Ken Avis have also found time to produce and host a weekly music radio program and present live music series and festivals; they have collaborated on contemporary dance projects, a musical play, two music documentary films, and mentored emerging musicians in and around the Washington DC area where they are based. The band come refreshed, with renewed creativity. You can hear it in the arrangements and compositions of Love & Surrender, which build on the nylon-string guitar/vocal sound established by their Jazz Samba Project and Joie de Vivre albums – albums which climbed into the Top 10 of jazz and world music charts, with hefty airplay in the US, UK and Canada, and which continue to attract a huge internet radio following. Listen and surrender to the richly multi-layered, worldly sound-scape of Love & Surrender. Enjoy the musical flavors of these fine musicians, and the beautiful voice of vocalist Lynn Véronneau. Lynn Véronneau sometimes compared to Stacy Kent, Astrud Gilberto and Gretchen Parlato, Lynn is a compelling performer. She sings with passion, skillfully exploiting her impressive range to serve the song. In the studio or on stage she leads the band with sensual delivery and elegance. Lynn grew up near Montreal, completing her voice studies in France before moving to the US. Her classical training helped her develop a seemingly effortless technique as she moved beyond classical to sing folk, blues and funk before settling on her world and jazz repertoire. The music she performed in France as a member of Les Horribles Cernettes – an all-female vocal group – made headlines around the world as the band was the first ever on the World Wide Web. With her husband, band mate, Ken Avis, Lynn created and co-hosts two weekly radio shows on WERA.FM in the Washington DC area. They also curate the annual Passport to the World music festival and other events in the DC area and collaborated with award-winning contemporary dance group Company Danzante to produce a full-length music and dance performance for Atlas Performing Arts (2016). Ken Avis (guitar and vocals) was born and raised in the UK, where he developed his guitar playing in roots, jazz and blues genres. Ken performed as a vocalist with WC Handy Award winning blues band Otis Grand & the Dance Kings, before moving to France where he met his musical soul-mate Lynn Véronneau. Together they performed in festivals and clubs in France and Switzerland where Ken's finger-style, chord melody approach facilitated their work as a duo. In addition to performing and composing, Ken's music writing has been published in various journals including the Washington Post. He co-produced the documentary Bossa Nova – The Brazilian Music That Charmed the World (2014), and is currently finalizing Anacostia Delta (2018) a film which celebrates Washington DC's 'Telecaster Masters' Danny Gatton and Roy Buchanan. Atlas Performing Arts commissioned and staged Ken's play Bossa Fever! (2015). He is an Artist Ambassador for Cordoba Guitars, and a Strathmore Artist-in-Residence Mentor for young professional musicians. David Rosenblatt (guitar) began his love of Brazilian music and jazz while growing up in Rio de Janeiro. Returning to his home state of Arizona David's guitar studies progressed through university. A scholarship allowed him to return to Brazil to further study Brazilian music and guitar. David's virtuoso acoustic guitar style has resulted in him becoming a first-call guitarist for visiting Brazilian musicians to the Washington DC area playing samba, bossa nova and choro. He has also recorded sessions for other musicians across multiple genres. VERONNEAU draw capacity crowds at major venues such as the legendary Blues Alley, Strathmore and the Kennedy Center in their 'home town' of Washington DC. They have toured, playing clubs and festivals in the US, Canada and Europe, performing and interviewing live on national radio, including repeat appearances on the BBC and on CBC. The Washington Area Music Association have honored Veronneau with 6 WAMMIE awards for Best Jazz Group, Best Jazz Vocals and Best Jazz Recording during the last 5 years. Lynn Véronneau, Vocals, Whistling (Vay-ro-no) Ken Avis, Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica (Ay-vis) David Rosenblatt, Guitar Special guests: Etu Dieng, Electric bass - tracks 1, 2 (Ee-too Dee-eng) Tom King, Accordion - tracks 4, 6 Dave Kline, Violin –tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10 Amadou Kouyate, Kora (Senegalese 21 string traditional harp) – track 2 (Ama-dooKoo-ya-tay) Bruno Lucini, Drums, Percussion (Loo-si-ni) John Previti, Upright bass – tracks 2, 3, 4, 5 (Prev – iti) JP Silva, 7 string acoustic guitar and vocals – track 9 1. Song of Love – 3:34 original, uptempo funk, the stories we tell ourselves about love 2. Love & Surrender – 3:11 original, acoustic ballad featuring African kora, a declaration of love 3. The Road – 4:09 original, mid-tempo bossa/samba feel, embracing the adventure of us 4. La Javanaise – 4:04 French language, 60's French pop waltz (Serge Gainsbourg) 5. September Moon – 2:44 original, guitar based instrumental 6. Perfidia – 3:38 Spanish language classic. Cuban feel, deception and betrayal…the flip side of love? 7. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most – 4:44 jazz classic, not a season for the lonely! 8. Moons A Harsh Mistress - 3:46 haunting ballad of loss by Jim Webb, a hit for Joe Cocker 9. Voce Abusou/Fais Comme L’Oiseau – 3:34 French/Portuguese mash-up of a Brazilian tune which became a 70’s hit around the world. Duet with Brazil based vocalist/7 string guitarist, JP Silva 10. Waltz For Yousseff – 5:05 original, a new family addition inspires love and wonder write your comments about the article :: © 2018 Jazz News :: home page |