Halloween, Photography and CD Designs!

Halloween is so much fun!

I love to dress up, so it's a good thing it's Halloween.  I am dressed up as Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany's.  The best part is I didn't need a wig since I now have long hair--a change quite a few people have noticed!  Frankly, my hair just keeps getting longer and I love it!  Erik, my brother and sound engineer, dressed up as Frodo in his totally custom costume!

But even more than Halloween, I love Christmas, especially Christmas music!

And what would music be without the cover art?  Absolutely nowhere if you ask me!

Erik is not only an incredible sound engineer but he's a pretty nifty photographer, too!  On all of my previous album covers I'm not smiling.  But on Jazzy Christmas to You II I'm smiling a big, happy smile that seems to show how big my mouth is!

The SMILING Album Cover!

For this Christmas album, I wanted a design that was as bright and cheery as the smile Erik captured while taking pictures for it.  I love snow and the color blue, so to me, icy blues and whites mixed with snowflakes is bright and cheery!  One of the most bright and cheery people I know is my friend who is also a talented artist, Katie Payne!  So Erik and I made a mock up of what we envisioned and then asked Katie to make it look like art...instead of like a mock up of what we envisioned...!

And what a beautiful cover she made!  She did it so quickly and professionally, too!

Katie is an amazing person in addition to being an amazing artist!  She is now living in New York City with her husband who is also an artist.  I kept texting her as Hurricane Sandy neared the area.  I just wanted to make sure they were all right.  Of course, she joked then reassured me they were handling things just fine!

Fortunately, Katie agreed to do some other work for me, too!  So you will be seeing more of her work on upcoming projects.

Jazzy Christmas to You II on iTunes!

It has finally arrived! Jazzy Christmas to You II is now available from iTunes!

I know it's the day before Halloween, but really, can the joys of Christmas be contained to only after Thanksgiving?

Jazzy Christmas to You II features me on vocals and core band members Zach Wiggins (piano), James Archibald (bass and vocals), and Jesse Quebbeman-Turley (drums).  Also featured are Craig Alder (guitar), Linda Chaston (synth), and J Scott Rakozy (piano).  Looking ahead, next year's album will feature new band member Josh Larsen (bass) with the rest of us since James Archibald has moved away to Texas to be a physicist!

New, fresh arrangements of classic favorites abound in Jazzy Christmas to You II.  Jesse and Zach created a rhythmic instrumental underpinning for my vocal to swing above in a reworking of Santa Baby that is sure to catch your ear!

A personal favorite of the album's recording engineer, Erik Chaston, is I Wonder As I Wander, which is another rhythm-based arrangement from Jesse and Zach.  Take a listen and hear Jesse play a drum trap set as you've never heard one played before--seriously!  The harmonies Zach lays down have a decidedly Celtic flair.  My vocals weave seamlessly into the groove as I sing one of my favorite Christmas songs!

Not to forget my roots in the blues, the album features a new blues, Santa Blues, that I co-wrote with Justin Jensen.  I tell Santa I only want my man home for Christmas and I know that the jolly old elf is the only one who can make that happen!

Since no Christmas album is complete without a duet, James Archibald sings with me on Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!  Last year, he sang Baby, It's Cold Outside with me on Jazzy Christmas to You! and it was a hit!

Last Christmas (yes, THAT Last Christmas of WHAM! fame), gets more laid back with Craig Alder on acoustic guitar and Linda Chaston (my very talented aunt) on synth.  She created the obligato and bass line!  She is a natural talent plus has a degree in music from the University of New Hampshire at Durham!

And just for when you're sitting by the fireplace drinking hot chocolate, You're All I Want for Christmas comes on.  With supple piano harmonies played by J Scott Rakozy and using my velvety vocal range, this Christmas love ballad is sure to tug at your heartstrings!

Check out the rest of the album Jazzy Christmas to You II.  If you prefer listening to the physical CD rather than mp3s, Jazzy Christmas to You II will be available in my store in that format next week on Amazon!

Tomorrow I will tell you all about the album cover design and the artist who created it, my friend Katie, who is at this moment in New York City weathering through the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

The Non-Mechanical Me

I am not the most mechanically inclined person. I'm just not. I was 13 before I knew how to operate the radio dial in the family station wagon. I still get confused when using copiers as to which buttons I'm supposed to push. If I were living in the time of The Jetsons, I wouldn't be able to survive the button-pushing lifestyle!

So taking a class on film and digital cameras and lenses was a stretch for me...a really big stretch!

Last Tuesday I had the final for the class (it was a half-semester course). Katie Hill, our amazing teacher, was a camera assistant in LA. I absolutely loved learning from her!

The final had three parts: (1) a written portion, (2) loading a magazine with film, and (3) putting together a film camera. If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's okay. So was I!

I studied very hard and finished the written portion in under seven minutes. I was feeling good! I love written tests. I'm good at them, and I know how to study for them. Now to load the film mag.

We learned how to load three kinds of mags: Aaton, Arri, and BL. We all drew the name of our mag/camera out of a hat. I drew Aaton.

Normally, the film mag would be loaded in a darkroom but we tested in the light with already exposed scrap film--that's why it's okay there are pictures of me. Don't worry, I wasn't ruining any film. It was already ruined by someone before me!

Is it right this time?

Loading the film mag!

Now, this is a momentous occasion. I never put things together. As a kid I could handle Legos and K'nex, but the closest I get to putting anything together is changing harp strings, which actually is pretty hard, especially the low strings (note: wear goggles when changing wire strings or be like me and have your harp regulator change the wires for you). Check out this article on changing wires 4th and 5th octave, 3rd octave and up strings (scroll past the rather ridiculous "Santa Harp String" story).

After a few tries remembering how to load the mag, I finished...or so I thought. I suddenly realized I had loaded it backwards! The film emulsion side (where the picture is) wasn't the side that would be "seen" by the lens. So I undid it and quickly rethreaded the mag with the emulsion side out.

Now came the building of the camera--drumroll, please! Let me just say that I studied and it still took me fifteen minutes to put together the camera. But hey, I knew what every part was called: dovetail, sliding base plate, camera head, port cap, matte box, follow focus, etc.

Camera Building...

So I may not be the most mechanically inclined (feel free to disagree, however I'm sure no one will), but at least I'm musically inclined!

Next week I'm releasing my second Christmas CD Jazzy Christmas to You II! It's filled with fun jazz/pop songs like "Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow" and "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus," plus religious favorites like "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" and "I Wonder As I Wander."

Stay tuned for more updates!

Follow focus, matte box, etc.

I LOVE Christmas--Upcoming CD Cover I Smile!

Jazzy Christmas To You! (2011) Album Cover

I love Christmas! So being a musician, I naturally love Christmas music. And what do I love more than Christmas music? Releasing my Christmas CDs!

Last year, I released Jazzy Christmas To You!, my first Christmas album. It had classics like "Jingle Bells" and "What Child is This" but also included "Merry Christmas, Baby" and a little-known gem "Santa Send a Fella." Jazzy Christmas To You! was a success--not to mention a lot of fun--so I decided to record another Christmas album for 2012.

That brings me to Jazzy Christmas To You II! The title may not seem inventive since I only added Roman numerals II at the end of the previous Christmas album title. However, the continuity and prevailing sentiment resound with me since I believe in recycling.

This year I included a request from my grandmother to record "Santa Baby." The arrangement--by drummer Jesse Quebbeman-Turley and pianist Zach Wiggins--transcends all current arrangements of this iconic song! You will just have to take a listen when it is released!

I love the blues so of course I had to sing "Please Come Home for Christmas." I can't imagine Christmas without it! Now you can include my crying version.

Also, one of my favorite Christmas songs is "I Wonder As I Wander" and thanks to another ingenious arrangement by Jesse and Zach, it's also on the album in Celtic glory!

As a songwriter, this year there is a new Christmas song for you from me! I co-wrote "Santa Blues" with Justin Jensen. And we actually have a few more songs in the works, so you can look forward to those!

Last year I discovered a hep little tune "Dig That Crazy Santa Claus"so I just had to record it. Don't you think everyone should dig Santa Claus?!!

I've got the album cover picture picked out. We're working on the design now. Can you visualize me smiling with my eyes open?! Having a large mouth is all the better to sing with! And this will be the first "smile cover" of my career! Hopefully, there will be many more!

I Wonder As I Wander

I am almost bursting with excitement!

Jazzy Christmas To You II! is almost ready for mastering! We made a last-minute addition of I Wonder As I Wander to the album. I have always loved I Wonder As I Wander, but each time I've tried to perform or record it, it never came out the way I envisioned...until now!

Jesse Quebbeman-Turley and Zach Wiggins created a beautiful drums/piano/voice arrangement. Tonight I record my vocal overdubs and I am stoked! The arrangement is haunting yet fresh and has a decidedly Celtic flair.

Check out recording photos and stay tuned for more music!