Annie Sellick - Big Big Time: The Songs of Tom Sturdevant, Vol. 2

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:42
Size: 78,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:41) 1. Knock On The Door
(3:55) 2. Angeline
(3:28) 3. Flax Jones
(3:38) 4. A Friend Like You
(4:54) 5. Between Your Heart And Mine
(4:53) 6. Good Good Day
(3:48) 7. My Baby The Moon And Me
(5:21) 8. Feeling Very Very

These days she’s fostering a passion for the electric bass and producing electronic music, but vocalist Annie Sellick is most known for twenty-five years of fronting jazz trios. She is known by everyone for her unique and undeniable stage presence, and an ability to use repertoire to share personal authenticity, and connect with the band members as well as everyone in the room. “She doesn’t just sing, she swings, tells stories, shares her heart and celebrates simultaneously” (CDBaby fan post).

An accomplished bandleader, she made her living for most of those years by honing relationships with jazz musicians in the areas she toured and traveling to them, sending arrangements in advance, rehearsing them at soundcheck and fleshing out the rest of the show by calling jazz standards and cuing style treatments that would feature the strengths of the musicians on her stage.

Her seasoned sense of rhythm, swing and phrasing makes obvious that she can (and has) hang with some of the top names in jazz. She’s also had a life in gypsy swing and big band jazz orchestras, and performed with several known groups in those genres ,as well as lead her own. She’s released eight albums under her own label. http://www.anniesellick.com/about

Personnel: Anne Sellick(voc); Chris Walters(p); Zeb Briskovich(b); Chris Brown(ds) plus horns and strings and some weird noises

Big Big Time: The Songs of Tom Sturdevant, Vol. 2

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Annie Sellick - Stardust On My Sleeve

Styles: Vocal Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:08
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. Give Me the Simple Life
(5:49)  2. Lullaby of the Leaves
(3:10)  3. Gravy Waltz
(5:55)  4. Everything Happens To Me
(4:44)  5. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(4:08)  6. How Insensitive
(4:29)  7. Midnight Sun
(3:56)  8. Just Your Smile
(1:59)  9. Twisted
(6:37) 10. You Go To My Head
(5:03) 11. Comes Loves
(2:46) 12. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

Annie Sellick may be compared to the greats - “Ella’s playfulness, Carmen’s attitude, Betty’s instincts and Anita’s flair…” (Greg Lee, WMOT jazz radio). But, she is unequivocally and undeniably an original.Don’t let her southern drawl, as sweet as biscuits n’ honey, cause you to make assumptions, because there is nothing shy or demure about Ms. Sellick’s control - of the stage, the music, her sound, and her audience. It’s quite obvious she is totally at home as a live performer, immediately engaging her audiences with an innate ability to make everyone in the room feel like she is performing just for them. But these special gifts aside, it’s Annie’s pure talent as a musician that is earning her rave reviews and a growing fan base around the world. Annie lives in Nashville, Tennessee; however, she is quick to tell you “growing up in ‘Music City’ I hated country music.”But Nashville is home base for some of the finest musicians in the world playing every genre of music."I have had the opportunity to play with a very talented pool of Nashville-based jazz players, and it has been a great place to cut my teeth and learn.  These days I am learning from Nashville musicians of all styles.There is such a high level of musicianship here, and the support of the community is unparalleled.”

At first, Annie had no intention of pursuing a career as a performer.  Then one evening in a “dive bar” near the college she attended in Middle Tennessee, Annie sat in with guitarist Roland Gresham. “The only standards I knew were ‘Fever’ and ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” she remembers, laughing.“I sang ‘Fever’ and everybody went berserk.”The band hired her then and there. She recalls getting the names of jazz singers from a friend, tracking down their albums, learning the tunes a few at a time and then returning to the club to sing them.

Her sense of timing and interpretation of lyrics, her feel for the music these elements all came together during this time.While performing gigs at night, she studied her craft at the Nashville Jazz Workshop and was offered their first work/study opportunity.The Nashville jazz community and its fans spread the word about this young pixie-faced singer with the long dreads whose voice denied both her youth and looks - adding to her charm and appeal.

Today, Annie is a mainstay at the major jazz venues in Nashville, where she has performed with all of Music City’s jazz artists, including Beegie Adair, Jeff Coffin, Rod McGaha and Bela Fleck.She is the resident vocalist with the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, with whom she has recorded, and she gave a celebrated sold-out performance with the Nashville Symphony Pops Orchestra, “An Evening of Jazz.”She has won a large, devoted following in her home town that has garnered five consecutive “Best Jazz Artist” awards from the Nashville media and the #1 best selling local artist for two years at Tower Records Nashville. http://www.anniesellick.com/about/

Stardust On My Sleeve

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Annie Sellick - Street Of Dreams

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:41
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. Cloudburst
(4:29)  2. Do It Again
(4:05)  3. Tristeza
(5:34)  4. I Know You Oh So Well
(3:56)  5. I Love Paris
(4:21)  6. Some Cats Know
(4:07)  7. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
(4:51)  8. Mambo-Italiano
(4:03)  9. Street of Dreams
(4:59) 10. I Keep Goin' Back to Joe's
(3:44) 11. Look Out For Love

Annie Sellick shines in full force on “Street of Dreams.” After taking some time to explore the swing band genre with her group “Annie and the Hot Club,” she hits the jazz scene hard. GAME ON! As with all previous recordings, Ms. Sellick throws herself completely into each arrangement. Her intense energy powers through it all, whether smoking up tempo or slithering through the vocal and bass lines of a sultry ballad. The music keeps all ears “locked in the moment.” “Street of Dreams” holds to Ms. Sellick’s high standards of musicianship, creativity and respect for the tradition. Two stellar trios lend their support. This first is Gerald Clayton, piano with Dan Lutz on Bass and Kevin Kanner on Drums (same trio as on Ms. Sellick’s live CD “A Little Piece of Heaven”) and Jeff Hamilton, Drums with Tamir Hendleman on Piano and Christoph Luty on Bass. Both casts bring unique talent and blend of style. Ms. Sellick floats between both with ease. The result is pure “ear candy” and testifies to the caliber of musicians who want to work with Ms. Sellick.

“Street of Dreams” weaves through eleven compositions some well known standards and others not so well known. But each one jumps to life with the interpretation and energy that Annie Sellick brings. CD pops open with a funky slow fizz on Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross “Cloudburst”. Shortly in, Kevin Kanner’s drum verse jumps out of the blocks, releases the bubbles and the tune swings to action. The obvious joy in Ms. Sellick’s voice blossoms the tune to its full flower. Switching gears. Chrisoph Luty’s rich molasses-like bass introduction on George Gershwin’s “Do It Again” lays a thick foundation for Ms. Sellick to work. By varying her tempo and exploring her vocal range, ‘tis easy to visualize a cat after a mid-day nap stretching for places seemingly out of reach. The result just feels good. On Gilberto Astrud’s “Tristeza” (Portuguese for “sadness”) and “Mambo-Italiano,” we hear Ms. Sellick’s comfort not only with Latin rhythm and lyrics but also with improvisational exchanges, showing her personality and light-hearted humor whenever possible. Sweet! Her band mates understand interpretation and create the musical atmosphere of the village cafe’ where these compositions belong.

“Spring Will Be Little Late This Year”, “I Know You Oh So Well” and “I Keep Going Back to Joe’s” illustrate Ms. Sellick’s mastery of ballads and living the lyrics. The listener easily becomes a believer. Just listen.Who doesn’t love Paris? Well “I Love Paris” gets even better in a rhythmic, waltz feel. The ensemble then tears into a straight ahead groove that showcases their swingability only later to waltz their way out of the City of Lights. Ahh! Songs with double meanings are the lyricist’s genious. “Some Cats Know” by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller is a greasy, torchy tune that on the first listen the message is either clear or it is not. The title says it all.

“Look Out For Love” is a story of advice to the guy who may or may not be looking for love. The choice is in the listener’s heart. Sassy and classy, like everything Annie Sellick does. “Street of Dreams” is a tricky tune with the vocals left out there to find a place to settle. There is perfect safety however with the trio swinging hard underneath. Pleasingly added to this arrangement is the well voiced, plunger-mute trumpet of Rob McGaha who expertly navigates the “Street.” One of Ms Sellick’s unique traits is how much control she has over her voice. Whether managing to a slight crack of the lyric, introducing subtle vibrato or moving from beautiful tone to speaking and smiling a line, Ms. Sellick is always under control with perfect grace. Never does an ounce of Annie Sellick’s energy go wasted. No preservatives, nothing processed just pure, organic, passionate music.Thank you, Annie Sellick! These are my comments. I welcome yours.~ Bruce Pulver http://jazztimes.com/community/articles/28026-cd-review-of-annie-sellick-s-street-of-dreams

Musicians: Annie Sellick, Vocals;  Gerald Clayton, Piano;  Kevin Kanner, Drums; Dan Lutz, Bass; Jeff Hamilton, Drums;  Christoph Luty, Piano;  Tamir Hendelman, Bass;  Rob McGaha, Trumpet

Street Of Dreams

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Annie Sellick - No Greater Thrill

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 137.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:35] 1. I Thought About You
[5:02] 2. Dancing Cheek To Cheek
[5:51] 3. It Ain't Necessarely So
[6:23] 4. You Go To My Head
[3:47] 5. I'll Remember April
[6:31] 6. Nature Boy
[4:29] 7. Accent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
[5:57] 8. Tenderly
[4:40] 9. Cafe 123
[6:28] 10. Willow Weep For Me
[5:22] 11. There Is No Greater Love

Jazz singer Annie Sellick has it all-sensational voice, commanding stage presence, striking appearance and infectious enthusiasm. She has won a large, devoted following and earned rave reviews, winning numerous "Best Jazz Artist" awards in the Nashville media. And Sellick's latest album, No Greater Thrill, is sure to bring her national acclaim. Featuring the organ work of world-renowned jazz artist Joey DeFrancesco, No Greater Thrill is irrefutable evidence that Sellick has entered the big leagues.

"I felt a connection with the jazz B-3 organ," says Sellick, "after playing around Nashville with Moe Denham." She met DeFrancesco in Anaheim, Calif., at the January 2002 NAMM show, and a friendship began. They had a common friend in Denham, whose CD, Little Blue Volkswagen, DeFrancesco produced. DeFrancesco became a fan of Sellick's work and agreed to come to Nashville to record. Guitarist Pat Bergeson and drummer Jim White, both widely respected players, rounded out the group.

Sellick's jazz journey began auspiciously when she sat in with guitarist Roland Gresham's group at a club near the college she attended. After her performance, the crowd rose to their feet cheering, and it was clear she had found her calling. "It shocked me, the response, and I think it shocked Roland too. Maybe that's why he kept me." She sang with Gresham's trio for four years and developed a sizable following. She honed her skills under the tutelage of Lori Mechem and Roger Spencer at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Sellick has been a mainstay at Nashville's main jazz venues, F. Scott's & Café 123, and was featured in a popular weekly series, "Sellick & Sushi," at Virago.

Sellick's first record, Stardust on My Sleeve, was a striking debut that highlighted her interpretative skills, bringing vitality and urgency to classic jazz standards. The album was on the Top 10 Local Artists list at Tower Records for many months, and even remained in the Tower's storewide Top 25 for several weeks, keeping pace with international releases by top-selling artists. She has been profiled in every major Nashville paper, and gave a celebrated sold-out performance backed by the Nashville Symphony. With the release of No Greater Thrill, it's clear that Annie Sellick's future is as bright as her smile. It's only a matter of time before the national jazz radar gets wind of this enchanting, compelling performer.

No Greater Thrill

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Annie & The Hot Club - Play The Songs Of Tom Sturdevant

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:47
Size: 109.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Sugar
[3:28] 2. I Love You
[3:26] 3. Mystery Of Love
[4:08] 4. He Loves Me I Can Tell
[4:08] 5. Pussycats And Moonbeams
[3:48] 6. Wish I
[3:15] 7. Chickadee 'n Cockadoodledoo
[4:08] 8. Full Moon Saturday Night
[3:05] 9. Henry McIntyre
[4:23] 10. Lonely
[3:22] 11. What My Eyes Might Say
[3:51] 12. Last Night I Cried My Eyes Out
[3:55] 13. Simply Beautiful

Annie and the Hot Club in homage to the Hot Club genre (Django-Reinhardt gypsy-swing) bring fiery guitar and violin soloing on repertoire from the 1930's and 40's such as Honeysuckle Rose and Sweet Georgia Brown…and to top it off, the perky storyteller and hard-swinging singer, Annie. Nashville native vocalist Annie Sellick was voted Best Jazz Artist by readers of the Nashville Scene five years in a row, and has since toured all over the world and performed and/or recorded with many of her musical heroes including Mark O'Connor's Hot Swing, Tommy Emmanuel and jazz organ royalty Joey DeFrancesco.

The Hot Club of Nashville is lead by Brittian-born Richard Smith who owns a guitar signed "To my hero, Richard", Jerry Reed and Chet Atkins. Rhythm guitarist Pat Bergeson (expect Howard Levy-like harmonica solos too) moved to Nashville at the request of Chet Atkins to record and join his band, where he remained several years. Fiddle player Aaron Till has performed with Jerry Reed, Tanya Tucker, Pam Tillis and Tommy Emmanuel, among other musical royalty. Bassist Charlie Chadwick who created the Chadwick Folding Bass (that's right folks, an acoustic bass that folds un half) joins the group and Josh Hunt on snare drum.

The group has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival as well as abroad including the Tommy Emmanuel Guitar Festival in Reitberg, Germany and Poland. They are a mainstay at the Chet Atkins Appreciation Society Convention as well as The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville.

Expect original material as well - songs so reminiscent of an old swing standard that you would think they've been loved for decades, and pop crossovers you might hear on a future album by the likes of Norah Jones or Madeleine Peyroux.

"She hooks up with the Nashville-based Hot Club Band to create a magically fun musical experience. Annie and the Hot Club… is the real deal. It is a fun loving, story telling, toe tapping, tear jerking, sit back and enjoy experience for the listener. A certified "less of the same" endeavor. ~Bruce Pulver

Pat Bergeson (guitar, harmonica); Richard Smith (guitar); Aaron Till (violin); Charlie Chadwick (cello, bass guitar); Tom Giampietro (drums). Personnel: Tom Sturdevant (vocals); Jeff Taylor (accordion).

Play The Songs Of Tom Sturdevant

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