With Family, It's Still Christmas

I just love Christmas. There's no way to contain how much I love Christmas. I own two "Mrs. Claus" floor-length dresses (for performing and I have two because the first was lost and we had to make another and then the first one was found), an elf costume (also for performing), have released three Christmas CDs (Jazzy Christmas to You!, Jazzy Christmas to You II, and Jazzy Christmas to You III), and I listen to Christmas music year-round.

I also love to be home at Christmas with my family. In fact, we often joke that anytime we are together it's like Christmas. And it's true.

So check out "Please Come Home for Christmas" from Jazzy Christmas to You II. It is and always has been one of my favorite Christmas songs.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Today it snowed, and snowed, and snowed! My sister and I baked a lot today in preparation for our caroling give-aways. My mom made an excellent pork roast rub which I'll share another day. My brothers helped the neighbors by clearing their sidewalks and driveways with the snowblower.

Our snowblower is a 2-stage. I don't really know what that means, but it is beefier than the models the neighbors have. I grew up in Iowa and until six years ago we didn't own a snowblower. We always shoveled whenever it snowed. I honestly don't know how we survived, although all six of us usually helped shovel, so that may have had something to do with it. Plus, we had a wonderful neighbor who would help us clear our sidewalks and driveway with his snowblower.

Needless to say, today's song is "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" (featuring James Archibald) from Jazzy Christmas to You II.

And don't forget to get your free download of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" from Jazzy Christmas to You III.

Link to Jillaine's Interview on the Doug Stephan's Good Day Show!

If you missed my artist interview to promote Jazzy Christmas to You III on the Doug Stephan's Good Day Show this morning, no need to fret! Christmas miracles--and archived audio--do exist!

You can listen to the archived interview here. I don't think it will stay at the top, so just scroll down until you find "Christmas Star of the Day - Jillaine."

I enjoyed being on the show and talking about Jazzy Christmas to You III, starting my own jazz record label  (Jillaine Records) with Erik (my brother), and choosing to go to law school! Doug Stephan was great to talk with! And I loved being able to be on radio again! It has been since August that I was on the air. During the Christmas break I'll be joining Chris Farber on Y105 again for the weekday morning show 7:00-10:00 a.m. CST, so stay tuned!

I've been promoting Jazzy Christmas to You III a lot, but I also have two other Christmas CDs: Jazzy Christmas to You! and Jazzy Christmas to You II. Today it was really cold and so icy that school was canceled in my hometown in Iowa. So check out "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" from last year's Christmas CD Jazzy Christmas to You II.

And don't forget, you can still get a free download of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" at jillaine.com/JCTY3!

FREE Track from Jazzy Christmas to You III!

Yes, that's right! You can get a free download of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" from my newest CD, Jazzy Christmas to You III.

It's easy. Just go to jillaine.com/JCTY3 and download the track.

Thank you and merry Christmas!

And if you need more Christmas music from Jillaine, check out Jazzy Christmas to You! and Jazzy Christmas to You II.

Soon...Jazzy Christmas to You III...Will Be Released...

I'm getting excited for the release of Jazzy Christmas to You III!

The mastering is almost finished and Jazzy Christmas to You III will be released. Soon the CD cases will no longer be empty--just as on Christmas morning the stockings will be filled! And releasing it digitally is almost like magic!

To whet your appetite for Christmas music, check out my version of "Please Come Home for Christmas" from Jazzy Christmas to You II (2012).

Post #100: The Next Album Genre Announcement!

Yep, this is blog post #100.  If this were a TV show, lucrative syndication would be just around the corner (well, maybe that's at #200...).  But since I'm not a TV show, I have to make this post special another way: by announcing the genre of the next album!

Although I am a Jazz Studies major and I sing jazz at almost all of my live gigs, I've never released a full-fledge jazz standards album.  But that's going to change in 2013.

My next album will be a collection of jazz standards, my own jazz originals, and a few classic blues.  The album is as yet unnamed, but many of the tracks are already recorded and waiting to be mixed and mastered.

The release date will most likely be summer of 2013.  I'm hoping to release at least one single from the album in the spring.

I will, of course, keep you updated!  And thank you for your continued encouragement and support!

And for those who missed it, check out this incredible review from Stubby's House of Christmas--released Christmas Day--about me, the band, and Jazzy Christmas to You II.  Thank you, Stubby!

Here's an excerpt:

"Jillaine sings "I Wonder As I Wander" as though she were born to it.  I do believe, and it's a risky thing to say this sort of thing, Jillaine's version of "I Wonder As I Wander" is the single finest version I have ever heard.  I've tried to think of one better--there are several I'm quite fond of--but none measure up.  Jillaine's voice flows freely and easily through the song, unrestrained by the music, undaunted by the obstacles.  She's not playing by their rules anymore.  Jillaine becomes the song.  Oh, God, I wish there was some proper metaphor to describe the bliss her vocal performance creates.  What do you do when you work with words and the words fail you?  All I can say is that her performance of "I Wonder As I Wander" is the very definition of the very finest Jazz."

--Stubby's House of Christmas

The Review that Left Me Speechless--And That's a Good Thing

I'm speechless.  Really.  Honestly.  Truly.

Late yesterday, Christmas day, Stubby's House of Christmas published an incredible review of Jazzy Christmas to You II.  I hope you read the original.

Here's an excerpt:

"Now ["I Wonder As I Wander"] is where things, for me, got real interesting and "Jazzy Christmas To You II" took a hard turn towards true greatness and Jillaine, from my limited perspective of her work, blossomed into the fully realized Jazz singer she's destined to be.

"I Wonder As I Wander" is not just one of my favorite Christmas songs, it's a song that separates the posers from the artists.  It's a song which is as much about what's not there as what is, about what you add to it, about the spaces between the notes as much as about the notes.  It's a song that's much more about the passion you put into it than about the notes on the page...Jillaine sings "I Wonder As I Wander" as though she were born to it.  I do believe, and it's a risky thing to say this sort of thing, Jillaine's version of "I Wonder As I Wander" is the single finest version I have ever heard...Jillaine's voice flows freely and easily through the song, unrestrained by the music, undaunted by the obstacles.  She's not playing by their rules anymore.  Jillaine becomes the song.  Oh, God, I wish there was some proper metaphor to describe the bliss her vocal performance creates.  What do you do when you work with words and the words fail you?  All I can say is that her performance of "I Wonder As I Wander" is the very definition of the very finest Jazz.  And, hey, guess what, you lucky, lucky people?  This is the song Jillaine chose to make a free download."

With gratitude and humility, I thank Stubby's House of Christmas for his magnanimous and gracious Christmas gift that totally took me by surprise this morning when I read it.  I am still speechless.

Thank you.

*Note: The free download is not available through my website here.

New Review and Christmas Adam and Caroling

So today has three great events:

1. A new review of Jazzy Christmas to You II from Merry and Bright
2. The new tradition of "Christmas Adam"
3. We caroled today (yes, I know it's only the 23rd...)

Here's an excerpt of the review:

"Jazzy Christmas To You II" is another beautiful record. Jillaine gives us a variety of styles, selections, and fresh, original arrangements, nailing them all. The musicians accompanying her are tops, cats, and the bee's knees.

Read the full review at Merry and Bright.  Thank you Der Bingle!

The second great event is the start of a new tradition: Christmas Adam.  For those of you confused as to what this is, don't worry, I was confused about it, too!

My sister's friend has four kids and they celebrate Christmas Adam, the day before Christmas Eve because we all know Adam came before Eve!

They celebrate Christmas Adam by having a "hotel night" in the living room (everyone sleeps in the living room and they watch movies like in a hotel, hence the name).  For us, it's a bit impractical to have six adults sleep in the living room, but we used to have "hotel nights" when we were little kids.

So we still have to decide what our traditions for Christmas Adam will be...right now my brother and sister are making spritz cookies (they weren't even on my baking list yesterday).  Maybe spritz cookies could be our new tradition!

In another twist of wordplay for Christmas with Adam and Eve, here's "Santa Send a Fella."

We caroled today!

In our caroling gear!

I admit it, it was too cold to be out without a coat! Note the jingle bells in my right hand...you can't carol without jingle bells. I think it is a law.

Erik takes his caroling gear very seriously: jester hat over a BYU Christmas hat, with a Rudolph nose.

Merry "Christmas Adam!"

Review of Jazzy Christmas to You!

Merry and Bright Blogspot just reviewed Jazzy Christmas to You! (2011).

Der Bingle gets right to the heart of why I sing.  He also recognizes my love for unique arrangements.  He knows I love Christmas music. I want you, too, to know how much I want you to revel in jazzy Christmas music!

All right, here's a secret!  Jazzy Christmas to You III is almost all tracked, including "Frosty, the Snowman" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain."  Release date is set for October 2013!

Stay tuned for Der Bingle's promised review of Jazzy Christmas to You II.

My Hair: The Long and Short of It

The short: I loved my spunky, short hair...

I've had my hair short since I was 17 and have been coloring since then as well.  I've had some length creep in there through the years, but I always ended up cutting it shorter again.

The short hair has never really had a "style," it was just short and somewhat wild.  It had some spiky phases (not punk by any means, but it had some soft height).  I liked that it was different and people always knew who I was just by referring to my hair--the girl with the short, spiky hair streaked with red, blond, and brown.

The long: a little more sophisticated!

The other reason I kept my hair short was purely aesthetic--my hair always looked awful when it was long.  It was bushy, thick in the wrong places, too thin in others.  Not that my hair is thick, it's actually very fine, but I have a lot of it!

Then I made a discovery while I was trying to let my hair go as long as possible without a cut or color: my hair looked nice longer!  Granted, it didn't have the same "shock" factor of my shorter hair, but it was more elegant.  So I decided to let my hair get longer and see what would happen.

So now my hair is long!  And I'm going to keep it long.  Sometimes I reminisce about my short hair, but then I look in the mirror and realize I really do love it long.  In fact, I find myself wishing it would grow faster so it would be even longer!

Now, ironically, that was a long explanation for a short story...I've been getting the CD inserts for Jazzy Christmas to You II printed and noticed the difference in the cover from earlier CD album covers: that lovely long hair!

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.

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!

Mixing for Christmas! (Love it!)

Today we started up again with mixing our next CD, Jazzy Christmas To You II! As you can guess, it is a Christmas CD. I absolutely LOVE Christmas...it's my favorite time of year, I listen to Christmas music almost year-round. I even love snow!

So, the first song we started mixing today is an original written by Justin Jensen and me! It's titled "Santa Blues" and is about Santa and is a blues...hence the title.

I also love the blues. It is my favorite kind of music to sing. I love the freedom blues allow me as a vocalist to really add personality, improv, and growls (my favorite effect to use)! I also use a lot of blue notes. In fact I've been told all of my music utilizes the blues in some way, which I take to be a very high compliment!

So having a Christmas blues is...like an early Christmas! Last year my favorite blues off of Jazzy Christmas To You! was "Merry Christmas, Baby." Sometimes I think I should just sing blues...

Birthday, Voice Tracking, Internship

Today is my brother, Erik's, birthday! He is 24. We celebrated by mixing I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm on our upcoming Christmas album Jazzy Christmas To You II! (Check out Jazzy Christmas To You! on iTunes.) We also voice tracked O Come, O Come Emmanuel and While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night yesterday!

Okay, so maybe that wasn't actually part of the festivities...but we did have a fun breakfast of German Pancakes (an oven soufflé dish, click here for a recipe that's similar to ours), presents (of course), Dairy Queen ice cream cake (a Chaston tradition), birthday signs all over the house recounting his accomplishments and activities during the previous year, game playing, and movie watching. All in all, a pretty sweet birthday!  (We had Happy Joe's Taco Pizza yesterday to kick off the day's celebration!)

A highlight birthday present for Erik was an orange label LP first edition release of Chicago's first album when they called themselves Chicago Transit Authority--a title that the CTA required them to discontinue using, hence the band name simply being Chicago!

I only have two days left of my internship at Y105. I am really going to miss being on-air with Chris Farber on the Y105 Wake-Up! I have absolutely loved interning with Cumulus again (I interned last summer, too)!

After doing the "Olympic Moment" during the Olympics on the morning show, I started doing a "Back-to-School Tidbit." I love researching for the spot! Tomorrow, I'm going to talk about safety tips for college students and their parents. Tune in at 9:50 a.m. CST on Y105.

More tomorrow!