Nora Germain - Go For It

Size: 157,2 MB
Time: 67:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Believe (I Love You) (0:35)
02. Life (Gonna Be Alright) (5:25)
03. Crazy Rhythm (4:26)
04. Angel's Camp (6:10)
05. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square (6:32)
06. The Way You Look Tonight (6:51)
07. Just For A Thrill (3:42)
08. Love (I Can Feel It) (3:08)
09. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (3:32)
10. Ho Hee Ho (0:51)
11. If I Had You (7:25)
12. Jive At Five (Feat. Martin Taylor) (3:59)
13. Secret Love (Bonus Track) (2:46)
14. Secret Love! (5:12)
15. Piano Impromptu (Feat. Nora Germain) (1:43)
16. 'S Wonderful (4:40)

24 year-old American jazz violinist Nora Francesca Germain has been playing the violin for over 20 years and performing professionally for the last decade. She studied at Idyllwild Arts Academy, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music. She currently lives in Los Angeles and performs regularly with her own groups both in the United States and Europe and has also performed with many of the world's greatest musical talents including John Altman, Alison Burns, Jacob Collier, Jon Batiste and Stay Human, Evan Christopher, Marshall Hawkins, Casey Abrams, Sam Smith, Tommy Emmanuel CGP, John Etheridge, Martin Taylor MBE and Zane Carney. In addition to playing on frequent recording sessions for film and television and for musical artists in just about any genre, she has released three of her own albums and is quickly becoming one of today's most loved young talents in jazz. Named a "Rising Star of Jazz Violin" by Downbeat Magazine in 2015, her new album and inspirational book Go For It will both be released in 2016.

Go For It

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Nora Germain - Little Dipper

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:20
Size: 83.2 MB
Styles: Violin jazz, Vocal jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Swing Is Fun
[2:25] 2. How About You
[6:27] 3. Someone To Watch Over Me
[6:22] 4. How About You (Instrumental)
[2:51] 5. Little Girl Blue
[2:56] 6. Salty Dogs
[1:47] 7. Violin Is Now
[5:01] 8. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
[3:29] 9. Thou Swell
[1:29] 10. Tommy

Jazz fiddlers are not exactly household renowned. Joe Venuti, Ray Nance, Stephane Grappelli, Michal Urbaniak, Svend Asmussen, Jean-Luc Ponty and Regina Carter pop to the forefront, but then the list falls off quickly. Presently there emerges one Nora Germain (a name made to be in lights if there ever was one) who not only fiddles but also sings. She might be considered a more mainstream jazz Natalie Cressman, a singer/composer who doubles on trombone. Her voice is all jaunty NYC (perhaps due to time she spent at the New School) despite her originating on the Left Coast.

For her recording Little Dipper, Germain opts for a sturdy piano trio rhythm section led by pianist Ed Kornhauser. Germain's arrangements are straight-ahead mainstream right out of the chute with the original "Swing is Fun," based on the sacred "I Got Rhythm" changes. Her tone and articulation are a beautiful throwback to when tone and articulation were valued along with improvisatory aplomb. Germain is superb on ballads: "Someone to Watch Over Me" shimmers from the beginning obbligato to the falling water coda.

Germain provides two performances of "How About You:" one vocal and one instrumental. They sit well in the programming. She sings again on a strutting "Salty Dogs," the song propelled by bassist Will Pierce and gingerly accented by drummer Ryan Shaw. By the time the brief piece reaches a breakneck 4/4, the temperature has risen markedly. Germain adds another original, "Violin is Now" to "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing" and "Thou Swell." Her big surprise is the hoedown "Tommy," demonstrating that she is not only a prim jazz flower but also a rough-and-tumble country girl. A fine recording by a fine musician. ~C. Michael Bailey

Nora Germain: violin, vocals; Ed Kornhauser: piano; Will Pierce: bass; Ryan Shaw: drums.

Little Dipper

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