Irene Atman - Irene Atman

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:14
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:28)  1. Summer Me, Winter Me
(4:32)  2. Shall We Dance
(5:21)  3. If I Love Again
(4:21)  4. That's All
(3:46)  5. The Very Thought Of You
(6:04)  6. The Nearness To You
(3:37)  7. If I Were A Bell
(4:05)  8. What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life
(3:24)  9. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
(3:44) 10. Simple Life
(4:46) 11. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(5:00) 12. My Foolish Heart

From Toronto, Canada, vocalist Irene Atman releases her self titled debut album presenting eleven time-honored classics from the Great American Songbook. Most definitely one of the best jazz vocals recordings I’ve ever heard. Possessing a voice that brings to mind some great singers, I asked myself where has she been and why has she not let the world hear her sooner. I concluded that if the legendary Barbra Streisand ever decided to sing jazz, she would sound like Irene Atman. That’s how good I believe this lady’s voice really is, truly mesmerizing. Let me add, that I have had the privilege of seeing Streisand live in concert (October, 2006, Bank Atlantic Center, Sunrise) so I know of what I speak. Making this album so special is the selection of wonderful tunes like the Rodgers/Hammerstein “Shall We Dance,” Ray Noble’s “The Very Thought of You,” Carmichael’s “The Nearness of You,” “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life,” and Johnny Mandel’s immortal “The Shadow of Your Smile,” just to name a few.

Atman interprets these classics with a stylish graceful elegance that leaves a memorable impression. The singer reaches with each song carrying the lyrics in warm fashion and hitting the high notes with ease. She even includes a Michel Legrand/Jaques Demy composition (“Les Parapluies de Cherbourg”) voiced in French. She begins the album with one of the best renditions of “Summer Me, Winter Me,” recorded and ends with the romantic Victor Young/Ned Washington love ballad of “My Foolish Heart.” Atman pulls off this musical treasure with the assistance of a fine sextet that includes co-arranger and producer Danny McErlain (piano), Duncan Hopkins (bass), Steve Heathcote (drums), Rob Piltch (guitar), Bob DeAngelis (sax and clarinet), John Macleod (trumpet) and Gary Binsted (bass) on selected tracks. An enchanting musical statement from Irene Atman. This release should garnish critical acclaim and calls from everyone who hears it, for more. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/IreneAtman3

Personnel:  Danny McErlain (piano), Duncan Hopkins (bass), Steve Heathcote (drums), Rob Piltch (guitar), Bob DeAngelis (sax and clarinet), John Macleod (trumpet) and Gary Binsted (bass).

Irene Atman

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Irene Atman - New York Rendezvous

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:44
Size: 113,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Two For The Road
(3:17)  2. Taking A Chance On Love
(5:58)  3. Why Did I Choose You
(4:32)  4. Somos Novios
(3:46)  5. Time After Time
(5:33)  6. I'm A Fool To Want You
(5:37)  7. Charade
(5:15)  8. A Time For Love
(5:14)  9. Alfie
(4:12) 10. The Glory Of Love

Canadian songbird Irene Atman follows her highly acclaimed self-titled, indepedent debut of 2007 with another remarkable effort, this time recording ten gentle standards in an auspicious New York Rendezvous with pianist Frank Kimbrough and other New York players, providing a new meaning to the phrase "New York state of mind." Meeting Kimbrough twenty years ago on, as she states, "a forgettable cruise," Atman reached out to Kimbrough with the thought of recording her second album in New York, to which Kimbrough offered unqualified support and even serves here as co-producer.


Atman is clearly one of the finest singers around, gifted with a voice that allow her to reach high notes with ease, revealing a cool and enticing style that tenderizes the lyrics with a touch of class. She brings the music alive with the assistance of a very fine quartet, led, of course, by Kimbrough, it features bassist Jay Anderson, drummer Matt Wilson and the versatile Joel Frahm on tenor and soprano saxophones. While the selection of music does contain several familiar standards like Burt Bacharach's "Alfie," Jules Styne's "Time After Time," and Johnny Mandel's "A Time For Love," the majority is lesser-known and less frequently recorded music.

There are no real swinging numbers on the album, as Atman instead prefers to focus on the softer side of jazz floating a repertoire of light gentle standards. Henry Mancini's "Two For The Road," from 1967, opens the disc and establishes a warm tone that carries over throughout the recording. Both Kimbrough and Frahm entertain very tasteful solos here with nothing flashy or fancy, just smooth and relaxing. Frahm does provide engaging tenor phrasing between Atman's voicing of the lyrics to "Why Did I Choose You," but it's the singer who is quite pronounced on this beautiful ballad. Frahm also distinguishes himself on the classic "Charade," this time playing soprano.

Armando Manzanero's "Somos Novios" is in good hands as Atman voices the lyrics in Spanish in a soft and passionate rendition of this standard, with Kimbrough providing the meat of the music in an emotional performance. With Wilson's crashing cymbal accents providing the steady beat on "Time After Time," this is the closest the singer comes to dishing out a swinging number. After listening to the finale songs, "Alfie" and "The Glory of Love," there's little doubt that New York Rendezvousis a jewel of an album. 

The music sparkles all over and Irene Atman's Barbra Streisand-like vocals carry the day on this very memorable recording. ~ Edward Blanco http://www.allaboutjazz.com/new-york-rendezvous-irene-atman-self-produced-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Irene Atman: vocals; Frank Kimbrough: piano; Jay Anderson: drums; Joel Frahm: tenor and soprano saxophones.

New York Rendezvous

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Irene Atman - Long Distance

Size: 99,8 MB
Time: 39:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Wherever You Are (5:09)
02. Palermo (3:49)
03. It's Time (5:06)
04. Deux Yeux Bleus (2:48)
05. Still (4:23)
06. Outside Of The Dark (4:24)
07. All These Years (3:52)
08. Walk It Like You Talk It (2:54)
09. Remembering (4:45)
10. Fly (2:41)

They say long distance relationships never work, but that's not the case with Canadian jazz vocalist Irene Atman and global nomad Roger Frankham. After a chance meeting in a New York supper club in 2009, Roger contacted Irene five years later to discuss joining forces to create original music that pays homage to the 'Great American Songbook' and explores both the jazz and pop elements of that genre. With both living on different continents at the time, this would be an international collaboration. After hearing Roger's music, Irene couldn't wait to get into the studio. Long Distance features ten new songs with music composed by Roger and performed by Irene, who also crafted the lyrics to three of the songs. New Zealand-based singer-songwriter Bruce Brown contributed his signature sophisticated lyrics for five more of the tunes. Additional lyrics came from acclaimed performer and recording artist Lucy Desoto from Alice Springs in central Australia, and Vince & Laure-Lou Mehl, gifted musician-songwriters in Versailles, France. Joining Irene are some of North America's finest jazz musicians, with multiple recording sessions taking place in Toronto and Los Angeles over nine months. The songs were arranged by Mark Kieswetter, Rich Eames and Grammy-winning producer Brent Fischer. Made by musicians from Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand and France, this album is one project that can truly be described as - Long Distance!

Long Distance

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