Sassy Sexy Vocalist Lynne Fiddmont?s Debut CD "Flow" Takes Listener On A Jazzy Soulful Musical Journey

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 21, 2006

St. Louis native Lynne Fiddmont takes center stage with her first solo release, Flow, after years of being the music industry?s ?go-to girl? background vocalist for a long list of Grammy winners and hit-makers: Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Patti Austin, Madonna, Seal, Mariah Carey, Barbara Streisand, Gloria Estefan, Kenny ?Babyface? Edmonds, Whitney Houston, Yolanda Adams, James Ingram, Frankie Beverly, Norman Brown, Bill Withers, and many others.

Flow does not merely mark the graduation of a woman who has arguably stayed too long at the fair?globetrotting with superstars or milking a studio tan at the service of hit makers. Flow represents a joyous ceremony of sweet, purposeful liberation. As A. Scott Galloway states in the liner notes, ?Not only does singer/songwriter Fiddmont have a lot to say, she has boldly opened her own label, MidLife Records, to start spreading the news.?

Los Angeles area fans can hear the debut CD at a special ?VIP Listening Party? on June 21 at Studio City?s Clear Lounge. Fans can listen in as she?s interviewed by Aaron T., from the ?Soul on Sunset? Interview Series. Also a ?Record Release Party,? with a special debut performance, is planned for July 11 at the Aura Night Club, also in Studio City. To attend either of these events, or to stay apprised of other invitation only parties, performances, etc., sign up at http://www.LynneFiddmont.com.

Flow, released May 30 in the USA, is available in selected cities, at various record stores, and online through INgrooves and at iTunes.com.

Few musicians would take the risk of producing, arranging and writing the lyrics, In addition to singing on their debut CD. Fiddmont shows her strength in creating Flow, an intensely personal 9-song collection of melodic, jazzy soul songs, all but one of which is not a Fiddmont original. ?As things occur, you can either fight them or go with them, figuring out solutions and making the best of a challenging situation ? it?s all about life?s ebb and flow,? she explains.

Released as the CD?s first single through INgrooves and on a Tastemaker compilation in Europe, ?Flow (The EP Remix Series),? has whet the appetites of listeners with her soul-stirring artistry. Fusing a boppin? groove to catchy, clever lyrics, co-written and producer Tim Carmon and Lynne Fiddmont, hit the mark with a musical combination destined to touch everyone. Blue notes of bittersweet d?j? vu fill Fiddmont?s breathtaking new acoustic version of ?U R Loved,? a Quiet Storm classic that she first recorded in 1991 (under the Duo name ?Linsey?) on their CD, Perfect Love.

Fiddmont, the soulstress with the thousand-watt smile, invites the listener on a jazzy musical journey of love, sorrow and rebirth. She sings of luxurious daydreams, spur-of-the-mid-week holidays and torrid scented-candle nights of the so-good-so-right and oh-so-wrong varieties. And it?s all set to a mesmerizing score where jazz and pop ? celestial and international incantations ? swirl to seamlessness.

Fiddmont?s divine, sultry voice surrounds you in an intimate aural embrace of love, serenity and sensuality. Like sun-ripened summer fruit, the CD bursts open with the care-free samba ?Holiday? (produced by bassist Freddie Washington, best known for co-writing Patrice Rushen?s ?Forget Me Nots,? which was also sampled for Will Smith?s ?Men in Black?).

Everything that Lynne has learned about relationships has manifested within her work. She poured her heart into the driving, inspirational mantra ?Something I Can Feel? (which features her brother, Keith Fiddmont, on soprano sax, as well as her son, Courtney, and daughter, Alana, as part of the children?s choir). It was inspired by her lifelong musical idol, Stevie Wonder, and his masterwork ?As,? because, ?the hook has so many words and the structure goes through cycles,? she explains. ?The song talks about wanting to believe in the love supreme and that love can conquer all. The main idea is ?I don?t want you to tell me that you love me. I want to feel it.?

?Say? (which recalls vintage Rufus meets Minnie Riperton) opens like a Calgon-inspired afternoon daydream before descending into a gentle plea to reignite romance. It features lovely piano work by Mark Stephens. And then there?s the intoxicating and mesmerizing ?Cupid.? ?I love the opening lines,? Fiddmont sighs. ??You are the song that my soul sings / you give my melody a meaning.? I?m a hopeless romantic. That?s how I look at the possibilities of love. The idea that it can exist is so inspiring.?

Flow?s one cover song is the CD?s closer ?No Regrets,? which young Fiddmont discovered on a 1976 recording by Phoebe Snow (it was also recorded earlier by Ella Fitzgerald). Swingin? in a sultry, sassy mode supported by a trio of piano, bass and drums, Fiddmont proves her jazz roots with aplomb.

Fiddmont dedicated her debut CD, FLOW, to the late Carl Anderson, a peerless artist with whom she shared many personal and professional memories. He passed away in 2004. ?Carl always pushed me to do my thing,? Fiddmont states. ?One of the most precious memories I have of Carl is, while he was in the hospital, he asked me to sing ?U R Loved? for him and I did. I was glad I could comfort him in some way because he always gave so much to me. He always made me feel like I had something special to give.??

For a reviewer?s copy of FLOW, to arrange an interview with Lynne Fiddmont or to obtain JPEGs, please contact, Regina Davis at (626) 356-1300.

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More Tell Me Groove Press Releases

Vocalist and Award-Winning Songwriter Kat Parra Offers a Sumptuous Array of Soulful Latin Songs in Her Heartfelt Debut CD "Birds in Flight"

San Jose, CA (PRWEB) October 25, 2006

CD Review by Lee Prosser, jazzreview.com "This is the debut CD of Kat Parra. As vocalist and award-winning songwriter, she is sensitive and spirited in this collection of songs. For a first time out attempt, this CD succeeds with a sweet brilliance and emotional intensity which sets it apart from the crowd. This woman sings with conviction, devotion, and intense feeling. Her voice is full of sweetness, passion, intimacy, and joy. There is a certain style about Kat Parra that adds to the oftentimes poignant vocals, and she has a voice that is fresh and imaginative."

"This recording serves as my first encounter with the talents of Kat Parra. This is truly an amazing introduction! Her beautiful voice along with her mature concept of phrasing helps tie this package together into a very satisfying cohesive presentation. I cannot wait for the next one. Super Chevere!!!! (that's nuyorican for darn good!)"

Ray Vega, trumpet player, band leader, jazz educator

"Even though I did not understand the language she was singing, I could sense through the soul and conviction of what she was saying through the music. Keep your ears open, this sultry vocalist is coming up."

Jeff Sloan, Grammy award winning Producer/Engineer

Vocalist Kat Parra's debut CD Birds in Flight on JazzMa Records, is an incredibly diverse collection of songs that showcases her versatile vocal stylings as well as glittering arrangements by award-winning trombonist/arranger Wayne "The Doctor" Wallace and pianist Murray Low. It is an aural feast; seventeen musicians appear here, playing a wide range of instruments to create a spectacular symphony of sounds, colors, and textures which is adroitly led by Parra, who's opened for Celia Cruz, Charlie Hunter and Cubanismo. Her heartfelt honesty and purity of expression is present in every track, captivating the listener in songs that alternately make you want to get up and dance or sigh with longing.

It would be easy to simply call this "Latin" jazz, but this CD transcends that classification. Here we find jazz staples such as Softly as in a Morning Sunrise and Caravan alongside a Sephardic song, three Parra originals, and songs by well-known Latin composers.

The disc opens with the infectious samba groove of the popular Brazilian song Mais Que Nada, featuring hip-hop vocals from Parra's son Pat Parra and an Afro-Cuban groove. Dame la Llave is another grooving number that features a masterful arrangement by John Calloway that highlights the string section and flute-playing of Masaru Koga, as well as a high-flying solo from violinist Anthony Blea. The well-known standard, Softly as in a Morning Sunrise, is transformed here into a Danz?n/Cha-cha in an intriguing arrangement by Wallace. The deeply moving Alfonsina y El Mar uses a more intimate group of musicians, featuring the poignant guitar-playing of Rick Vandivier as well as hauntingly beautiful vocals by Parra.

The title track, Birds in Flight, is a hard-grooving Salsa that was inspired by Parra's breakup with her husband at 23, and the eventual triumph of raising two sons on her own. This song was a 1999 prizewinner in the Latin Jazz category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. Caravan receives a breathtaking treatment as Parra and Wallace highlight this tune's Middle-eastern influence with the addition of Michael Spiro on bat? drums, Ravi Gutala on tablas, Katja Cooper on dumbek and Paul van Wageningen on drums. The touching ?leo de una Mujer con Sombrero, by Cuban composer Silvio Rodriguez, features gorgeous playing from flutist Masaru Koga and pianist Murray Low.

Parra has been making music all her life; in addition to singing she plays flute, guitar, and piano. Singing was initially something she didn't take that seriously because it came so naturally to her. After her divorce she decided to study voice at San Jose State University. Parra thought it would be easy. "Boy was I in for a surprise!" Studying with Patti Cathcart (of Tuck & Patti fame) "woke me up to an entirely new world where my voice was the messenger. 'Sing your truth,' Patti would tell me?. There are stories to tell, heartaches to share and love to spread. The power of music is a gift that I never want to take for granted."

Parra has performed extensively in the San Francisco Bay area, where she is based, and has also toured to New York City, Chile, and Cuba. Her work with the Santa Cruz, CA-based group Charanga Nueve found her opening for legends such as Celia Cruz, Los Van Van, Cubanismo, Las Perlas del Son, and Paulito FJ. She has also opened for Charlie Hunter, and Cold Blood with Lydia Pense, and performed in festivals such as the San Jos? Jazz Festival, the Pacific Jazz Festival (Berkeley, CA), and the Festival de la Primavera (Santiago, Chile). In addition to the John Lennon Songwriting Contest award, she has earned awards from the Columbia College Jazz Festival, Pacific Jazz Festival, Festival de la Uva, and Festival de la Primavera.

Although the bulk of her work is in the Latin Jazz genre, Parra is a versatile singer who's at home in R&B, Motown, blues, Top 40, and jazz. All these influences have shaped her music-making, and within Latin music she also has quite varied interests, singing comfortably in Spanish, Portuguese, Ladino and French. Her focus is on Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, South American folklore, Sephardic music of the Spanish Jews and some Brazilian music, with a few standards thrown in for good measure. When all of these styles are woven together, a beautiful jazz tapestry emerges that is exciting and inspiring to behold.

http://www.katparra.com

Kat Parra

http://www.katparra.com


JPEGS, CDS, EPK available at http://www.katparra.com

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America's Next Top Model vixen Jade Cole acts 'Halfway Back to Sane' in Telling on Trixie's debut music video

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 20, 2007

Telling on Trixie releases the music video for their debut single "Halfway Back to Sane" to networks and on-line video channels today. The video is immediately viewable on You Tube.

Lead singer Derek Nicoletto explains how his band managed to get a reputable film company, Appia Film, and a recognizable model on their debut video project. "It was crazy how it all fell into place. Director Victor Medina -San Andres goes to my gym. As we were struggling through some ridiculously difficult boot camp class, he told me that his film company, Appia Film, had just gotten back from the Cannes Film Festival. They loved 'Halfway Back to Sane' and had come up with a sanitarium concept. At the time, our album was playing on over 300 college, AM/FM and Internet radio stations, and interestingly, our team had just chosen 'Halfway Back to Sane' to impact the specialty commercial radio programs on August 17th. A few days later, Medina-San Andres, producer Jarret Egan and Director of Photography Jorge Valdes-Iga pitched this incredible story and I immediately began co-writing the treatment with my bandmates."

Guitarist Brad Small explained the casting, "With Derek playing the mental patient, we needed an evil nurse, a diva. Jade from America's Next Top Model was the first person we thought of, because she's fierce, hot, and had been portrayed as such an aggressive diva on the show. Jade really likes our music and immediately agreed to co-star. On-camera, she performed beyond expectations. Off-camera, she was professional, friendly and outgoing. By contract, she had her own separate relaxation area, but she was never there because she was socializing and taking pictures with the extras and crew. She could easily become the Telling on Trixie muse." Jade Cole said of Telling on Trixie, "It was my pleasure to be in the Telling on Trixie video. They are an awesome band and I know they'll go far."

Jade Cole is not the only celebrity to have lent star-power to Telling on Trixie projects this year. The debut musical release featured Taking Back Sunday's Matt Rubano on bass. Also, platinum-selling producer Jamie Siegel (Lauryn Hill, Joss Stone, Taking Back Sunday) produced the entire album.

Telling On Trixie is an up and coming New York City rock band created from such a partnership of opposites- the introverted guitarist (Small) and the extroverted lead singer (Nicoletto) who bring out the best in one another to create something bigger than themselves. On their self-titled, debut album, you can hear the seamless result of two very different people joining together to create music with skill and passion -- and it's music that is already substantially impacting listeners.

The debut album is in rotation on hundreds of stations nationwide, ranking as high as #2 on several stations' College Music Journal Top 30 charts. DJ Jonathan Clarke of New York's Q104.3 FM recently featured Telling on Trixie alongside new music by U2, Apples in Stereo, Regina Spektor and the Killers. Several nationwide festival, club and college dates are scheduled to support their debut release, including Cincinnati Midpoint Music Festival on September 28th, and the Red Gorilla Music Showcase during SXSW week in 2008. After awarding the band Honorable Mentions this year for "Orion's Light" and "Angels Fall," Billboard Magazine's Songwriting Panel said of Telling on Trixie, "Interesting themes and catchy grooves...the talent is obvious."

Telling on Trixie's self titled debut release is available on iTunes and CDBaby.

"Truly spine-tingling at times...there is enough soul in the vocals and depth in the songwriting that these songs do come off as a little bit more than just catchy anthemic rock, making Telling on Trixie a band to keep an eye on in the future." - Soul of RocknRoll.com

"#3 on our CMJ charts and the best we've heard in years." - WMHB, Maine's Alternative Station.

"I really love this band. This is so much better than Avril Lavigne's latest, not to mention less melodramatic. Nicoletto has the presence that many classic singers have. He reminds me a great deal of Paul Rodgers when it comes to versatility and soulfulness but that shouldn't downplay the band as they have ably created a well rounded backdrop for his voice. If you are looking for something new that will instantly grab you and make you want to sing along then you should check this band out." - INFUZE Magazine

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