LM24-30. DeeAnn’s “Its My Time”

July 22, 2024July 29, 2024Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

‘for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest DEEANN, on air from July 23rd

It’s My Time. In 2015, years after setting aside her larger musical dreams to dedicate herself to raising a family, multi-talented singer/songwriter, DeeAnn is back to create her legacy. Her latest album It’s My Time, currently receiving National airplay with Neal Sapper, New World n Jazz and featuring three original songs amidst a mix of folk, pop and jazz classics, is the latest manifestation of the Niagara Falls, NY native’s renewed vision of her life.

The singer laid the foundation for her newly burgeoning career with her cleverly titled 2017 collection Desperately Seeking DeeAnn, which was produced by contemporary jazz bassist, RiShon Odel (Brian Culbertson, Najee). When her father, popular Buffalo area jazz performer Frank DiMeo, learned she was finally embracing what he felt was her destiny as a jazz singer, he was thrilled. Though she had previously sung pop and country professionally, he was the one who introduced her as a little girl to the music of Ella Fitzgerald and his favorite, Sarah Vaughan.

To pay tribute to her dad’s influence, DeeAnn invited him to sing two duets with her (“Unforgettable” and “Fly Me to the Moon”). The collection also featured the blues and jazz influenced original tune, “Everybody’s Got a Story”, whose chorus served as her life’s new mission statement: “Everybody’s Got a Story/Everybody’s got a cross to bear/Everybody’s got something to say/So shine the light and spread your love.” The following year, DeeAnn was honored to be inducted into the Niagara Falls Music Hall of Fame.

The singer soon had a painful story to tell. The tragedy of losing her 23-year-old son William Michael Tompkins to a motorcycle accident, after she and Odel had completed most of the tracks of “It’s My Time’ threw DeeAnn’s life into a tailspin and delayed the project indefinitely. Her original concept was to record an album of old standards, and the two had 90 percent of them.

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When DeeAnn came back to the project she added a few new, very personal songs, starting with a heartrending, gospel-influenced version of “You Are My Sunshine”, a song she sang to William to put him to sleep when he was a child. Odel’s sensitive yet rousing and inspirational production features members of the Buffalo Philharmonic String Quartet (Roman Mekhulnov).

Another original tune she added, the soulful ballad, “A Little Romance,” is a homage to the “angels” who helped her during her lowest points: “You help me pray, when my faith is shaken/You give me hope, help my soul awaken.” The other originals are the passionate love ballad “Here to Stay” and “Writing on the Wall,” a whimsical, hard hitting, brassy blues-rock breakup song, a duet with Mick Hayes that balances the poignancy of the album.

The other tracks on It’s My Time reveal DeeAnn as a masterful song interpreter and storyteller who turns words and melodies of legendary writers and artists into her own emotional narratives. Drawing from a wide range of styles and eras, these include “Blue Skies,” “Summertime,” “Killing Me Softly,” “My Funny Valentine,” “Nearness of You” and “Fine and Mellow.”

Hailing from a small steel town outside of Buffalo, DeeAnn was raised in a musical family, learning standards that would eventually become part of her repertoire. In addition to the smooth vocal stylings of her father Frank, she was inspired early on by Buffalo Blue Note legend, DoDo Green and attended multiple jazz jams. During her early days as a pop/rock singer, she won Best Female Vocalist at the Buffalo Music Awards two years in a row. Her later success as a country artist earned her placements on numerous radio CD compilations, resulting in airplay throughout the U.S and Europe. When she returned to music as a jazz-blues singer in the mid-2010’s, she won Best Female Blues Vocalist at the Buffalo Night Life Music Awards and her 2019 EP Stay Here won Best Jazz CD from JazzBuffalo.org.

Tony Zambito, Executive Director of JazzBuffalo, says, “DeeAnn is not only a soulful powerhouse, but also a superb storyteller who’s emotionally charged performances create a deeply personal and wonderful listening experience for audiences. Whether interpreting timeless classics or presenting her own originals, DeeAnn captivates listeners with her heartfelt delivery and genuine connection, making each concert and listen truly memorable.”

https://deeannmusic.com

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LM24-04. Kevin Flournoy’s Three Decades in Music

January 22, 2024January 23, 2024Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

“for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest Kevin Flournoy, on air from January 9th.

An unstoppable behind the scenes force of musical nature since his 1994 breakthrough as a producer with “Sweet Sensual Love,” Big Mountain’s follow-up to their smash “Baby I Love Your Way,” and keyboardist on their Reggae Sunsplash tour, Kevin Flournoy has amassed a dizzyingly prolific all-star resume in the jazz, pop and R&B realms over the past three decades.

Driven by an expansive, panoramic perspective on music, and starting with his subsequent 90s work with The Emotions, Teena Marie and Ronnie Laws (helming the saxophonist’s Blue Note tribute album Harvest for the World – Portrait of the Isley Brothers), Kevin has written, performed or recorded with Chaka Khan, Babyface, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne, The Pointer Sisters, Jennifer Hudson, Howard Hewitt, Jamie Foxx, The Jazz Crusaders and contemporary jazz greats Boney James, Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum and Harvey Mason. In the 2000s, Flournoy toured with Donny Osmond for six years.

Now, marking an extraordinary 30 years as the music industry’s premiere “go-to” guy in a multitude of arenas, Kevin is finally emerging as a recording artist in his own right, writing, recording and producing his independent debut album Vers•a•tility. Much like Quincy Jones did in the 80s and 90s with his epic eclectic albums The Dude, Back on the Block, Q’s Jook Joint and From Q, With Love, the keyboardist/producer features a dynamic array of guest artists, complementing legends he has worked with throughout his career with hand-selected young and vibrant artists on the rise. The collection features eight vocal tracks and four instrumentals spotlighting Kevin’s brilliance as a keyboardist and composer.

“This project is a culmination of everything I know, each style I’ve played, and all I have done and want to do in music,” he says. “It’s special because it reveals all aspects of my artistry and lays a proper foundation for what I intend to write and produce moving forward. I’ve been dreaming about creating this album for many years and I’m delighted that it’s finally come to fruition. I’ve finally been able to emote through my art in such a way that is bringing joy to many people who are hearing my music for the first time.”

“What I like most about these sessions,” Kevin adds, “is that they’ve allowed me to work with some of the most sought-after studio musicians and celebrity vocalists in the industry. The album has always allowed me to develop relationships with some of the top recording studios (Capital, Westlake, East West, Sunset Sound) and studio engineers in the world, including late great 20-time Grammy winner Al Schmitt.”

Released this past year, Vers•a•tility’s first lead single “Tell Me If You Still Care” featuring vocals by Phil Perry and Shannon Pearson, is a lush, sensual re-imagining of the mid-80s Top 5 R&B hit by The S.O.S Band, composed by Jimmy Jam and /Terry Lewis. The YouTube video of a live presentation of the song has 2.5M+ views on YouTube and earned Song of the Year honors from the Orlando Urban Film Festival. The track marks a special reunion between Flournoy and Perry, whom the keyboardist played for years ago at Kimball’s East in Oakland.

The second lead single was the original Kevin-penned R&B/pop vocal track “You’re All I Need” featuring Filipino singer Orion Song, winner of The Voice Australia Anja Nissen and Christine Noel, well known for her tours as a backup singer for Miley Cyrus. The upcoming third single “Smooth It Over” is a special reunion with Ronnie Laws featuring Kevin on piano, while Kevin’s original urban jazz instrumental “Put It There” will be the fourth.

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Other tracks include “Caribbean Blue,” which reunites Kevin with Quino, lead singer of Big Mountain; a twist on Al Green’s “Still in Love With You,” featuring Cerissa McQueen; a duet of the Barbra Streisand classic “Evergreen” by guest artists Cerissa McQueen and Adam Aejaye Jackson; an emotional version of Etta James’ iconic “At Last” with vocals by Shannon Pearson; and “A Parting Glance” featuring Native Vibe. In addition to “Put It There” and “Smooth It Over,” Kevin is the composer and main performer on the instrumentals “Secrets,” “Tears Are Gone” and “Move It Over,” which features San Diego guitar great Patrick Yandall and bassist Melvin Lee Davis, who is Chaka Khan’s musical director.

Kevin in part credits his father, a marine who played trombone, for cultivating his love for music early on by taking him and his siblings to a local music store in Barstow, CA to pick out an instrument to play. Kevin played guitar for several years before gravitating to his sister’s original instrument, the organ and ultimately piano. A professor at Kevin’s future alma mater University of California San Diego, Jimmy Cheatham, introduced him to the music of Count Basie when he was 15 and Kevin played in a big band for five years. Kevin earned a B.A. in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Music Science and Technology. Another major influence on Kevin as he made his way in the music industry was Marvin Gaye’s onetime musical director Nolan Shaheed.

In addition to his work with countless artists and working on numerous TV projects including American Idol, Kevin is the creator of an original video music-talk program called The K-Flow Show, a fresh take on the traditional music/talk show featuring organic live performances by celebrity and independent pop artists. Conceived as something of a mix between Hugh Hefner’s classic TV show Playboy After Dark, MTV Unplugged and Daryl Hall’s Live from Daryl’s House, The K Flow Show – which takes place in an intimate, living room type setting – will also spotlight instrumental performers and TV and film actors. Kevin has brought a live version of The K Flow Show to the Miracle Theatre in Inglewood, CA and in January 2024 will bring the special presentation to the Blues and Jazz Festival in Ghana, Africa.

Kevin is also deeply involved in a philanthropic effort as producer of a celebrity recording compilation On a Very Special Note, which will benefit The Art of the Olympians and the World Harmony Run/Peace Run – a project that will ultimately benefit people all over the globe. The original songs for the project have been composed by Kevin for each celebrity participant. A very important strategic promotional alliance with the Peace Run organization was forged when Kevin was honored with the Sri Chinmoy-Torch-Bearer Award, given to individuals who support and contribute to making the world a better place. Previous recipients include Archbishop Kevin Tutu, Russell Simmons, Carl Lewis and Billie Jean King.

https://www.kevinflournoy.com

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LM 17-19 Jan Daley with “The Way of a Woman”

May 3, 2017January 25, 2024Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast

” for the LOVE of Music” with Sara Troy and her guest Jan Daley, on air from May 9th

JAN DALEY is a true triple-threat with credentials as a singer, actress, and songwriter!

Adored for her singular magic for making what’s classic contemporary again, Jan Daley is the most multi-talented and beautiful Best Kept Secret in entertainment today. The triple-threat singer/songwriter, actress and playwright connects to audiences worldwide with her authentic, personal presentations touched with just the right amount of razzle dazzle to remind you why she’s at center stage.

As usual, Jan is currently juggling projects in various performance arenas. Her top priority is a new jazz/pop kissed easy listening CD, The Way Of A Woman. The title track is penned by Jan herself and she not only shows off her vocal skills but her writing excellence is also on display on 6 tracks of this CD.

If you have been listening to her recently released Great American Songbook EP “When Sunny Gets Blue,” then you’ll be excited to hear that “The Way of a Woman” will be completing that EP with six brand new smooth jazz songs. Jan has been working with legendary Motown producer and writer Michael B. Sutton. Sutton has over two decades of experience in the music industry, seven of which were working as a staff producer and writer for Motown Records. Initially discovered by Stevie Wonder, Michael Sutton is now a seasoned producer and the president of iMerica Entertainment.

The CD opens up with the swinging jazz track “Come on Daddy” also written by Jan. The title track is an anthem for women who have seen the hurtful signs of a relationship gone bad. Jan sing’s it so soulfully “It’s the way of a woman when she’s losing her man”.

Reflecting on Daley’s artistic excellence, Jack Segal assessed, “Jan is a truly talented musician, singer and lyricist. Her marvellous voice is selectively controlled and her intonation is immaculate.”

Other highlights of the11-song CD are a second chestnut from the pen of Segal entitled “More Love” (Jan’s soaring vocal couched in a spellbinding musical arrangement), the slinky, upright bass-driven “Cry Me A River” (on which Jan works the low end of her range before getting some lovely alto scatting in – co-produced by Craig Garfinkle) and Jan’s celestially spare self-produced version of the torch standard “Skylark.”

The smooth jazz cut “The One I’ve Been Waiting For” has Jan’s voice caressed by a sultry tenor sax featuring smooth jazz saxophonist Justin Young.

Billboard raved, “…in every sense of the word, a knockout!”
Variety proclaimed her, “…one of the most entertaining, best-balanced talent blends on the boards.”

TUNE IN HERE FOR ON-DEMAND LISTENING

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A taste of her music

JAN’S NEW SONG OUT NOW

Streaming now:

https://ingrv.es/the-girl-s-in-love6c-e

youtube.com/jandaleymusic

www.JanDaley.com

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LM 17-14 Jan Garrett & JD Martin, on air with Nathen Aswell

April 3, 2017April 25, 2017Self Discovery Wisdom Podcast 1 Comment

“for the LOVE of Music” with Nathen Aswell and his guests Jan Garrett & JD Martin, on air from April 4th

Jan Garrett and JD Martin are multi-award-winning singer-songwriters who live and create their music in the mountains of Colorado near Aspen. Both are seasoned performers and creative guides who teach with a twinkle, and inspire by example. Their music is described as “Rich and intelligent, a velvet-hammer wake-up call as satisfying to the soul as it is to the ear….a deep and exhilarating trip into the Heart of Harmony.”

JD Martin has written 5 Number One, and 10 Top Ten, country and pop hit singles, and his songs have been recorded by such luminaries as Reba McEntire, B.J. Thomas, Peter Cetera, Atlantic Starr, and Kathy Mattea.

Jan Garrett is a jazz singer with a poet’s soul….a master music teacher, award winning songwriter, performance coach, wilderness vision quester, and (yes) Certified laughing Instructor who has toured with Steve Martin and John Denver, and has appeared on the Tonight Show and in Rolling Stone.

Together they have written and recorded 8 CDs of original music. They have won multiple awards at the Positive Music Awards for many years running, and have been awarded the “Seal of Excellence” by the Positive Music Association. All of Jan & JD’s music is a collage of different musical styles and lyrical perspectives, all held together by the one thread that runs throughout: The language and harmony of the Heart.