Stevie Holland - Restless Willow

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:36
Size: 91,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:31)  1. It Might As Well Be Spring
(3:53)  2. Love Is Strong Far Than We
(3:03)  3. Summertime
(4:16)  4. How Long Has This Been Going On?
(3:43)  5. One Touch
(2:57)  6. Sunny Skies
(4:38)  7. Lush Life
(3:20)  8. Jeg Elsker Dig
(3:31)  9. Here's That Rainy Day
(2:48) 10. Zoot Walks In
(4:51) 11. Stardust

Stevie Holland has a beautiful and flexible voice. Her CD constantly varies the personnel (sometimes featuring pianist George Small and at other times guitarist Sean Harkness) and covers a few different styles. The music includes standards at a variety of tempos, some songs that sound close to show tunes, and heartfelt ballads. There are also guest appearances (one apiece) by Rubén Flores (who sings a duet with Holland on "One Touch"), flutist Joe Mennonna, and tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman (who swings on "Zoot Walks In"). Among the most memorable selections are a happy interpretation of "It Might As Well Be Spring," an uptempo "Summertime," and a wonderful version of "Stardust" in which Holland's voice is backed by just Harkness' guitar. All in all, this is an impressive effort. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/restless-willow-mw0000633409

Personnel: Stevie Holland (vocals); Joe Mennonna (flute); David "Fathead" Newman (saxophone, tenor saxophone); George Small (piano); Sean Harkness (guitar); Kenny Washington (drums); Steve Kroon (percussion).

Restless Willow

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Stevie Holland - Love, Linda: The Life Of Mrs. Cole Porter

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Soundtrack
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:28
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. So In Love/What Is This Thing Called Love
(2:08)  2. Prelude: Linda Meets Cole (Dialogue)
(2:25)  3. Ours
(3:58)  4. I Love Paris
(2:14)  5. Miss Otis Regrets
(3:09)  6. The Scampi
(4:22)  7. In The Still Of The Night
(2:28)  8. Medley: Let's Do It/You've Got That Thing/Let's Misbehave/You Do Something To Me
(3:41)  9. Let's Be Buddies
(3:04) 10. Ridin' High
(2:38) 11. Love For Sale
(4:01) 12. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(2:46) 13. Night And Day/There's A Hollywood That's Good
(2:52) 14. Wunderbar
(2:23) 15. When A Woman's In Love

“Just because a love between two people is difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.” So begins Stevie Holland’s clever homage to Cole Porter as refracted through the prism of his wife, Linda. In the stage version of Love, Linda, Holland is provided plenty of time to weave the story of the Porters’ unorthodox yet richly fulfilling 34-year relationship around nearly two-dozen Porter tunes, familiar and obscure. On disc, space limitations leave little room for connective narrative tissue. Still, Holland’s keen perspective shines brightly through.

The songs, appropriately delivered with cultured pearl elegance, serve triple purpose. Some, like “Ours,” “Ridin’ High” and “The Scampi,” elucidate the Porters’ globetrotting, high-society whirl; others hint at the peculiarities of the Porter union. “What Is This Thing Called Love?,” with its reflection on love’s seemingly unsolvable mysteries, is tailored to their unconventional pairing. “Let’s Be Buddies” reinforces how their compatibility was stronger as friends than as lovers. “Let’s Misbehave” slyly nods to Cole’s straying predilections, as do “Love for Sale” and “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” But most profound are the soul-deep love songs, beginning with the “strange, dear, but true, dear” passion of “So in Love” and ending with the little-known but ideally summative “When a Woman’s in Love,” which reinforce the grandly fulfilling uniqueness of a marriage that broke all the rules yet was held firmly together by shared wit, camaraderie, admiration and respect. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/26059-love-linda-the-life-of-mrs-cole-porter-stevie-holland

Love, Linda: The Life Of Mrs. Cole Porter

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Stevie Holland - Life Goes On

Size: 99,7 MB
Time: 39:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Life Goes On (3:16)
02. Not While I'm Around (4:37)
03. 99 Miles From L.A (4:24)
04. Tomorrow's Looking Brighter Today (2:52)
05. April Snow (4:31)
06. Another Grey Morning (4:04)
07. Never (4:25)
08. Tea For Two (3:09)
09. Out Of This World (4:27)
10. Skylark (3:42)

New York native Stevie Holland will release a new album, Life Goes On, on June 30. The release is a collection of contemporary pop and American Songbook classics, along with lesser-known songs. The album also includes original tracks written by the jazz singer and award-winning composer Gary William Friedman, who also did the arrangements on Life Goes On.

The 10-track album begins with Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael’s, “Skylark,” and continues with “Out Of This World” (Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer), “Tea For Two” (Vincent Youmans/Irving Caesar, with a nod to vocalist/bandleader Joe Mooney), “Never” (Friedman/Holland), “Another Grey Morning” (James Taylor), “April Snow” (Sigmund Romberg/Dorothy Fields), “Tomorrow’s Looking Brighter Today” (Friedman/Holland), “99 Miles From L.A.” (Albert Hammond/Hal David), “Not While I’m Around” (Stephen Sondheim) and “Life Goes On” (Benard Ighner). Grammy Award-winning producer Todd Barkan shaped the album, which features musicians Randy Ingram (piano), Peter Brendler (bass), and Jeff Davis (drums). Guest musicians include renowned trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and a string quartet.

Holland recorded Life Goes On-- her fifth release of standards and original material on 150 Music-- in January 2015. A prior album, Before Love Has Gone, was a USA TODAY top critics’ CD pick of the year, and an All Music Guide Album Pick. In addition to her 20+ year recording career, Holland starred in a one-woman, Off-Broadway musical, "LOVE, LINDA: THE LIFE OF MRS. COLE PORTER," created by Holland and her longtime collaborator Gary William Friedman. The play was directed by Tony-winner Richard Maltby Jr., and enjoyed a successful run at the York Theater in 2013-2014. The musical's popularity led to a licensing deal with theater publisher Tams-Witmark.

Holland has toured nationally for decades, and has performed at New York's Iridium Jazz Club, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Town Hall, and other venues. In 2004, she received Back Stage Magazine's Bistro Award for Outstanding Vocalist of the Year. ~by Brownie Marie

Life Goes On

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Stevie Holland - More Than Words Can Say

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:58
Size: 100.7 MB
Styles: Vocal pop
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Only You
[3:56] 2. Yesterdays
[4:22] 3. If Ever I Would Leave You
[3:48] 4. This Is It
[3:45] 5. Lovingly
[4:08] 6. By Myself
[3:56] 7. Firefly
[2:20] 8. Day By Day
[2:48] 9. Murder, He Says
[3:14] 10. Evening Song
[3:59] 11. Desafinado
[4:11] 12. More Than Words Can Say

Vocalist Stevie Holland sings a set loaded with nostalgic hits on More Than Words Can Say. Opening with the smash hit "Only You"made famous in the '50s, Holland's beautiful voice immediately captures your attention with her soprano range that is accompanied by the exotic riffs of Ole Mathisen's saxophone and the arrangement and orchestration by Gary William Friedman. With a four octave range that is as exciting as it is soothing, Holland showcases this song in a whole new light that completely removes any doubts about her abilities. She tones things down on "Yesterdays" and reaches for new heights with an uptempo change that truly sets this song apart from previous renditions. The piano solo by Martin Bejerano is memorable and he livens up the song with his impeccable jazz stylings. Further into the set is a delightful arrangement of Antonio Carlos Jobim's chestnut "Desafinado." Holland's alto range on this bossa nova is ever so gentle, and the guitar accompaniment from Sean Harkness brings the song to another level. Overall, Stevie Holland offers her fans delightful new renditions of some of your old favorites as well as a great way to spend a romantic evening or just kick back in the sun and sand. Go for it! ~Paula Edelstein

More Than Words Can Say

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Stevie Holland - Before Love Has Gone

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:54
Size: 93,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Carioca
(5:03)  2. Before Love Has Gone
(3:32)  3. Where Or When
(5:17)  4. Lazy Afternoon
(4:06)  5. The Music In Me That Plays
(3:53)  6. Make Our Garden Grow
(2:43)  7. Daybreak
(4:07)  8. How Deep Is The Ocean
(3:22)  9. Riverboat Gambler
(5:08) 10. Here's To Your Illusions

Vocalist Stevie Holland is gifted with a rich, expressive alto, clear diction, and an ability to bring out something fresh in familiar songs. Buoyed by a strong rhythm section consisting of pianist Martin Bejerano, bassist Edward Perez, and drummer Willie Jones III, Holland catches the nuances of the sensual "Carioca" without falling into a tired routine as do many lounge singers, often backed solely by Perez. She restores the oft-omitted verse to Rodgers & Hart's "Where or When," then savors its romantic lyrics in an updated treatment of this decades-old standard. Tenor saxophonist Ole Mathisen is added for her lush, deliberate treatment of "Lazy Afternoon," though Holland's powerful duet with Bejerano of "How Deep Is the Ocean" is easily the high point of her CD. 

Guitarist Paul Bollenback joins the rhythm section for her swinging interpretation of Ferde Grofé's "Daybreak" (with the guitarist opening his solo with a bit of Grofé's well-known "On the Trail"). She also collaborates with composer Gary William Friedman on two strong originals. Her midtempo bossa nova "The Music in Me That Plays" is an upbeat affair, with Bollenback playing acoustic guitar. Mathiesen returns for Holland's melancholy ballad "Before Love Has Gone," with the singer delivering her longing lyrics in a heartfelt manner. Carly Simon's "Riverboat Gambler" seems an unlikely choice for a jazz vocalist, but Holland takes on the challenge and makes it work. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/before-love-has-gone-mw0000788982

Before Love Has Gone

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