Susie Arioli - Embraceable

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 40:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:49) 1. Pendulum
(3:12) 2. It's Alright With Me
(2:57) 3. My Plan
(4:48) 4. Embraceable You
(4:07) 5. On The Street Where You Live
(3:22) 6. Indifférente
(2:37) 7. Unrequited
(2:52) 8. Calling
(2:58) 9. 500 Cigarettes
(3:35) 10. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blue
(3:09) 11. Easy
(3:31) 12. Worried Mind

Clearly, Susie Arioli is on top form! This brand new album from the sunny Montreal singer follows in the footsteps of the other great offerings in the genre that she’s delivered since her debut (that’s a long time ago, but I’ll stop there. It would be impolite to suggest more). Embraceable is a happy mix of standards (Porter, Gershwin, Arlen are all invited to the table) and original compositions that have absolutely nothing to envy the classics of the Great American Songbook, both melodically and lyrically (Pendulum, My Plan, bluffing with stylistic perfection).

There are also some lovely, well-balanced blues and some frank country incursions that betray the ever-essential presence of Jordan Officer, alongside Susie, in concocting these delights. I’d like to highlight the originality of the arrangement of On the Street where you live, which enhances this standard without distorting it.

A Susie album is like returning to the roots of a happiness that is never forgotten or fades away. Every time you hear a new album by her, it’s as happy and authentic as ever. Susie is a faithful friend who you only see occasionally, which makes each return so precious. It has to be said that the last few years have seen the singer sail blindly after the divorce with her previous record label and agency. The Blü Dog label has taken over the reins, and we can’t thank them enough. All the more reason not to miss out on this.By Frédéric Cardin https://panm360.com/en/records/suzie-arioli-embraceable-jordan-officer-blu-dog-media/

Embraceable

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Susie Arioli Band - That's For Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:50
Size: 102.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals, Easy Listening
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[2:57] 1. On The Sentimental Side
[2:36] 2. The Way You Look Tonight
[2:32] 3. If You Ever Should Leave
[3:40] 4. You Don't Know Me
[2:47] 5. Tess' Torch Song
[2:14] 6. Why Do I
[3:00] 7. Mother Earth
[3:26] 8. That's For Me
[3:15] 9. It's All Your Fault
[3:34] 10. Victor Stomp
[3:24] 11. Easy Living
[3:25] 12. Nuages
[3:08] 13. Hot Head
[2:23] 14. It's A Good Day
[2:24] 15. Now I Know

That's for Me is the Susie Arioli Band's third release for Justin Time and it makes a specialty of a 1930s style of swing. With influences and a knowledge of repertoire from Leadbelly to Stuff Smith, from Tammy Wynette to Ella Fitzgerald, listeners seeking an array of rarely heard songs are sure to enjoy this great collection of music. Arioli's soft, sincere, charming voice is the perfect foil for Jordan Officer's acoustic and electric jazz guitar stylings which provide a hint of folk, light swing and country music flavors. The Canadian chanteuse has a very interesting voice that is reminiscent of Peggy Lee, Patsy Cline and Tammy Wynette all rolled into one (check out "It's a Good Day," "Tess' Torch Sing" and "Why Do I.") However, Susie Arioli revitalizes and adds to these Great American Songbook standards and makes this music her own. Her treatment of "Mother Earth" as a soft blues that tells it like it is after your time is over here on earth shows her musical depth and knowledge of repertoire outside of her native Canada and well-known swing style. Rodgers & Hammerstein's obscure gem "That's for Me" features a memorable solo from Jordan Officer on acoustic guitar. The lyrics are very sweet and Arioli manages to seduce her listeners with a wispy interpretation of being attracted to someone she notices in the park! Overall, Arioli's choice to re-interpret these obscure songs, and to restyle them in such an appealing manner is quite an accomplishment. Vintage or not, on That's for Me, they speak to a different generation and provide a wonderful vehicle for Susie Arioli's talents as a vocalist and drummer. ~Paula Edelstein

That's For Me mc
That's For Me zippy

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Susie Arioli Swing Band - It's Wonderful

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:06
Size: 112.4 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. If Dreams Come True
[3:15] 2. He's Funny That Way
[3:25] 3. What Is This Thing Called Love
[2:49] 4. Lover Come Back To Me
[4:06] 5. It's Wonderful
[5:59] 6. I Cover The Waterfront
[3:48] 7. Reuben's Blues
[2:29] 8. The Big Hurt
[2:33] 9. Trying To Get To You
[3:34] 10. No Smoke Blues
[5:14] 11. I Got It Bad
[2:53] 12. Sailboat In The Moonlight
[3:15] 13. Instrumental #2
[3:14] 14. Blue Prelude

Double Bass [String Bass] – Shane McKenzie, Stephen Barry; Guitar – Jordan Officer, Michael Browne; Trumpet – Aron Doyle; Vocals, Snare – Susie Arioli. Recorded, Mixed & Edited at Le Studio, Morin Heights & Good Noise Studios, Arundel, OC.

Even though this is the first album of her own, Susie Arioli is no newcomer to the vocal game. She has been performing in and around Montreal for several years, and the Susie Arioli Swing Band has also performed at the JVC Jazz Festival in New York. This maiden effort is a happy marriage of classic 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s standards with some non-jazz material. On the standards, Arioli follows firmly in the footsteps of such singers as Billie Holiday, Maxine Sullivan, Peggy Lee, and June Christy. Like them, no matter what she sings, Arioli conveys the lyrics of a song with sensitivity, understanding, and emotion -- just what one might expect to hear from a top-flight vocal artist who knows what she's about.

Arioli's interpretation of "I Cover the Waterfront" is done with a combination of mournful loneliness and hopeful anticipation. In his only appearance, Aaron Doyle plays trumpet figures underneath Arioli to help her set the mood. The album's coda, "Blue Prelude," is reminiscent of Nancy Wilson's 1963 recording. Arioli's version matches Wilson's for the down-in-the-dumps feeling, which comes from the "pain in my soul" caused by terminal heartbreak. Arioli also puts her accomplished snare drum playing on display during the session. On the non-classic standard side, "The Big Hurt" and "It's Wonderful" sound like 1950s pop imports and something that Joni James would be comfortable singing. "Trying to Get to You" by rockabilly star Rose Marie McCoy shows a down-to-earth side of Arioli. Snippets of country swing sneak in on her renditions of "Lover Come Back to Me" and "If Dreams Come True," and it works.

The Susie Arioli Swing Band is augmented by guest guitarist Jordan Officer, who makes immense contributions to the proceedings. He plays an old-style Harmony guitar that gives off a deep, resonant sound, much like a bass pitched slightly higher than usual; the guitar sets off Arioli's voice very nicely. Officer's soloing and Arioli's vocalizing are made more eloquent by the strong presence of Michael Browne's outstanding rhythm guitar. This is a very entertaining CD and hopefully a forerunner of many others to follow. Recommended. ~Dave Nathan

It's Wonderful

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Susie Arioli Band & Jordan Officer - Live At The Montreal International Jazz Festival

Styles: Vocal, Big Band
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:04
Size: 130,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Pennies From Heaven
(2:49)  2. If Dreams Come True
(4:18)  3. Honeysuckle Rose
(3:33)  4. He's Funny That Way
(5:22)  5. Walter's Flat
(3:56)  6. Husbands And Wives
(4:03)  7. Half A Mind
(2:56)  8. By Myself
(5:40)  9. Having Fun
(3:04) 10. The Way You Look Tonight
(3:57) 11. Sit Down Baby
(3:09) 12. Evening
(3:42) 13. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
(4:13) 14. Jordan's Boogie

Judging by the four consistently fine studio albums they’ve produced since 2000, there’s no question that co-leaders Susie Arioli and Jordan Officer represent the finest combination of silken-voiced singer and kick-ass guitarist since Mary Ford and Les Paul found one another more than a half-century ago. Those familiar with the Montreal-based band’s previous recordings will find little new in this, their first live disc, recorded on their home turf at last summer’s Festival International de Jazz. Of the 14 tracks included on the CD, all but one a superbly crafted, slow-creeping treatment of Mitchell Parish’s “Evening” are drawn from their previously recorded oeuvre. Likewise, the accompanying DVD, which expands the playlist to include the set’s full assortment of 19 tunes, offers up only one fresh track, an original Officer instrumental, the shining, fluent “Le Béguin,” with its clever call-and-response midsection. But even for longstanding fans, the beautifully composed and shot DVD is a delight, providing the opportunity to watch the serene Arioli and the lightning-fisted Officer in action. And for the uninitiated, both discs provide a wonderfully comprehensive introduction to two of Canada’s finest. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/18064-live-at-le-festival-international-de-jazz-de-montr-al-susie-arioli-band

Live At The Montreal International Jazz Festival

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Susie Arioli - Spring

Size: 108,0 MB
Time: 45:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Loverboy (3:51)
02. Mean To Me (4:19)
03. Dearest Darling (3:50)
04. Can't Say No (3:22)
05. Evenin' (3:37)
06. Those Lonely, Lonely Nights (3:11)
07. I'm The Caring Kind (3:30)
08. Me, Myself And I (4:08)
09. Spring (2:37)
10. Someone Else (4:54)
11. Travelin' Light (3:53)
12. After You're Gone (4:42)

Canadian Jazz singer from Montreal and multiple Juno-Award nominee Susie Arioli, presents another spectacular rhythm-based recording on Spring, a spectacular blues and soul-influenced vocal project combining four fresh originals with a selection of vibrant standards for a very spicy and rousing good time. Under the direction of multi-instrumentalist/arranger and multiple Juno-Award winner Don Thompson, Arioli fronts a nine-piece ensemble that, on various occasions, sounds like a big band machine. With this superb support, the songstress delivers warm ballads, moving blues and soul-infused rhythms along with an array of swinging orchestrations.

The rousing original "Loverboy" opens the date in swinging style as the vocalist leads the music with the able assistance of a five-piece horn section consisting of tenor saxophonist Phil Dwyer, altoist Andy Ballantyne, baritone saxophonist Shirantha Beddage, trombonist Kelsley Grant and featured trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, who provides a hot solo here with nice guitar work in the background by Reg Schwager. The Turk/Ahlert jazz standard "Mean to Me" follows with Arioli voicing the lyrics against the backdrop of drummer Terry Clarke's splashing cymbal accents accompanying Thompson's piano lines and vibraphone solo work marking this tune, one of the best of the disc. Incidentally, Thompson and Clarke have a long history of collaborating together on musical projects.

The soulful and bluesy elements of the album come into play on such tracks as "Dearest Darling," "Can't Say No," "Evenin' "and on Earl King's "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights." The original title track is a beautiful soft number which demonstrates the singer's talents as a writer. The Johnny Mercer/Trummy Young standard "Travelin' Light," allows Arioli an opportunity to showcase her vocal treatment of ballads with her original "Someone Else" displaying the light sounds of Brasil on a gorgeous bossa nova featuring Thompson on a sweet vibe solo.

The singer turns on the charm and gets back into the swing on such lively pieces as "I'm the Caring Kind," "Me, Myself and I" and the sizzling finale "After You're Gone," completing another attention-deserving recording certain to make Susie Arioli's Spring, a jazz vocals album for all seasons that lovers of the style and jazz audiences in general, are bound to enjoy and spin often. ~by Edward Blanco

Personnel: Susie Arioli: vocals; Don Thompson: piano, vibraphone; Terry Clarke: drums; Neil Swainson: bass; Reg Schwager: guitar; Phil Dwyer: tenor saxophone; Kevin Turcotte: trumpet; Andy Ballantyne: alto saxophone; Shirantha Beddage: baritone saxophone; Kelsley Grant: trombone.

Spring

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Susie Arioli - Christmas Dreaming

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 39:51

Size: 91.2 MB

Styles: Holiday

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

[2:52] 2. Winter Wonderland

[3:14] 3. Blue Christmas

[3:36] 4. Call Collect On Christmas

[3:33] 5. I'll Be Home For Christmas

[3:31] 6. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

[4:54] 7. When You Wish Upon A Star

[3:06] 8. La Peregrinacíon

[2:15] 9. Old Toy Trains

[2:57] 10. What Are You Doing On New Year's Eve

[3:25] 11. Christmas Dreaming

[2:15] 12. Ave Maria

Here it is the Jazzmas season and Susie Arioli's smoky message comes through with some classy Christmas tunes. "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" features a lovely guitar solo by Jordan Officer that complements this touching chestnut to the max. Arioli treats this song like an old friend and that makes the listening even more enjoyable.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" evokes memories galore and only emphasizes the idea that Susie Arioli is a true jazz vocalist and should stick to that genre. She lays it on the line with this song and had this writer mentally playing brushes in accompaniment and that doesn't happen often. Michael Jerome Browne personifies "hip" in his solo and backing and that lends itself superbly to the overall effect.

Susie Arioli is a jazz vocalist in the true sense of the word and should remain in that idiom. Her voice is naturally suited to that mode. I was impressed with the "sound" of Arioli and her treatment of these holiday songs. The tunes were well chosen and the rhythm section was magnificent. This album will transport you back to the time when Christmas was a time of spiritual awakening and emotional uplifting, (not to mention the dusky, sensual vocalizing of this fine artist). Listening to this recording makes Christmas be what it should be, a time of joy and reflection. ~John Gilbert

Christmas Dreaming  

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Susie Arioli - Night Lights

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:32
Size: 102.0 MB
Styles: Standards, Easy Listening
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:06] 1. Can't We Be Friends
[2:47] 2. Out Of Nowhere
[2:28] 3. Blue Skies
[2:37] 4. The Big Hurt
[2:38] 5. How Deep Is The Ocean
[3:23] 6. I Can't Get Started
[3:27] 7. The Very Thought Of You
[3:17] 8. Je Bois
[3:14] 9. Lumière De Nuit
[2:47] 10. Beyond The Sea
[3:07] 11. It's You Or No One
[2:39] 12. It Could Happen To You
[2:50] 13. You Go To My Head
[3:25] 14. More Than You Know
[2:40] 15. Basswalk

In October 2008, Susie Arioli released a first album under her own name entitled Night Lights. This fifth album in her career, which appeared on the Spectra Musique label, was a highlight in the singer’s evolution. Still accompanied by the outstanding guitarist Jordan Officer, who also produced the album, this time a radiant Susie integrates into her repertoire her own unique takes on standard jazz classics. On pieces like “Blue Skies,” “Can’t We Be Friends” and “Beyond the Sea,” there’s that distinctive and original Susie Arioli sound once again. Solidly backed by Officer on guitars and by Bill Gossage on bass, the sparkling brunette delivers her songs with all the ardour she’s so well known for.

Night Lights

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Susie Arioli Band - Pennies From Heaven

Styles: Jazz, Swing, Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:59
Size: 103,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Pennies From Heaven
(2:23)  2. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:55)  3. Night And Day
(3:17)  4. Foolin' Myself
(2:57)  5. Jordan's Boogie
(5:19)  6. Don't Explain
(2:57)  7. I'll Never Smile Again
(3:26)  8. Having Fun
(3:31)  9. Sit Down, Baby
(3:02) 10. Walter's Flat
(3:19) 11. He Needs Me
(3:48) 12. Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me
(2:02) 13. No Regrets

For her second album, Montreal-based singer Susie Arioli has graduated from a smaller label to a major Canadian one, Justin Time. And why not. Arioli has one of the more personable and refreshing vocal styles on today's scene. With impeccable phrasing and timing, an incredible feel for the lyrics all expressed in an engaging vocal fashion, she revives a musical agenda of mostly classic standards peppered with some contemporary material. Jordan Officer once again is with the singer and plays an integral part in the relaxed but vibrant way the music is presented. Moving back and forth between acoustic and electric, Officer has the ability to adjust his guitar styling to the musical concept established for each tune. He opens a plaintive "Pennies from Heaven" with chords straight out of Django Reinhardt. His axe rakes on a Chicago blues timbre for Otis Rush's "Sit Down Baby". Pianist Ralph Sutton shows up for one cut, probably the last time he was in a recording studio prior to his death. He and Officer go at it on a strictly instrumental "Walter's Flat", with the accommodating Officer guitar taking on a Les Paul mien while Sutton does stride. The other members of the Swing Band, Michael Jerome Browne, Solon McDade, Jeff Healey and Colin Bray, perform admirably. But it's Arioli that sells this album. Listen to her subtle, charming musical locution on "He Needs Me" over Officer's guitar making this track another album highlight. Arioli also raps on the snare drum while singing. Asked why, her answer is that she had to find something for her hands to do when she was singing.~ Dave Nathan http://www.allaboutjazz.com/pennies-from-heaven-susie-arioli-review-by-dave-nathan.php#.VA-V2hZZjKc

Personnel: Susie Arioli: vocals, snare drum; Jordan Officer: guitar; Michael Jerome Browne: guitar; Jeff Healey: guitar; Solon McDade: bass; Colin Bray: bass; Ralph Sutton: piano (10).

Pennies From Heaven

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Susie Arioli - All The Way

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:04
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:43)  2. Here's to the Losers
(4:15)  3. Time On My Hands
(4:02)  4. My Funny Valentine
(3:22)  5. Un Jour De Difference
(2:35)  6. Come Rain or Come Shine
(3:15)  7. Looking for a Boy
(3:05)  8. All the Way
(2:51)  9. It's Always You
(4:24) 10. When Your Lover Has Gone
(4:53) 11. Forgetful
(4:22) 12. There's a Lull in My Life
(3:16) 13. Time After Time

Vocalist Susie Arioli's performances on All The Way are all about impact through intimacy. Arioli's laidback and understated vocals don't fall in line with the textbook definition of "powerful," but her ability to create highly emotive atmospheres in cloistered and relatively calm surroundings marks her as a powerful singer nonetheless.  For this, her seventh studio affair, Arioli and her right hand man, guitarist Jordan Officer, tackle standards in their own inimitable fashion. Mellow moods tend to dominate the proceedings, but this is no sleep-inducing set of music. Gripping vocal performances, along with succinct and stylish solos, help to give the music a sense of immediacy and importance.  Arioli opens the album with a take on "My Funny Valentine" that wears the fragile-but-focused feel of a Chet Baker performance. She moves on with a casual "Time On My Hands" and a snazzy "Here's To The Losers" that features some fine saxophone section work, but things take an unexpected turn when the title track arrives. "All The Way" is refashioned into a dreamy tune with a 12/8 feel that comes across more as '50s pop production than refashioned jazz standard. Arioli continues with a bossa-leaning "Here's That Rainy Day" and more direct "It's Always You," which proves to be one of the most striking numbers on the album. 

While Arioli is the voice that powers this music, Officer proves to be the compass that guides it. He makes a connection with pianist Jeff Johnston on "My Funny Valentine," makes his soloing part of the comping fabric on "Time On My Hands" and brings a haunting quality to "When Your Lover Has Gone." Other standouts include vibraphonist Francois Stevenson and saxophonist Cameron Wallis. Both men prove to be team players and they join forces on "Looking For A Boy," which has a light spring in its step.

All The Way may actually be an odd album title for a record that thrives on languorous passion, if such a thing exists, but it actually makes sense. Arioli expresses the core sentiments of these songs with conviction, making it an album to remember. ~ Dan Bilawsky   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=42265#.UuK3jLRpQ2w

Personnel: Susie Arioli: vocals; Jordan Officer: guitar; Jeff Johnston: piano (1, 2, 6, 8); Bill Gossage: bass (1-12); Michel Berthiaume: drums (1, 6, 7, 11, 12); Cameron Wallis: tenor saxophone (2, 8, 12, 13), baritone saxophone (3, 10); Al MacLean: tenor saxophone (3, 10); Averil Parker: tenor saxophone (3, 10); Ben Henriques: tenor saxophone (3, 10); Tony Albino: drums (2-5, 8, 10, 13); Francois Stevenson: vibraphone (4-6, 11, 12); Frederic Grenier: bass.

All The Way

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Susie Arioli Band - Learn To Smile Again

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
[4:37] 2. Less And Less
[3:46] 3. Husbands And Wives
[3:09] 4. By Myself
[6:21] 5. Night Flight
[3:53] 6. Half A Mind
[2:50] 7. A Million Years Or So
[3:22] 8. A World I Can't Live In
[3:19] 9. Ruler Of My Heart
[2:16] 10. Don't We All Have The Right
[4:16] 11. Leo's Blues

While singer Susie Arioli and guitarist Jordan Officer usually team up for renditions of Django Reinhardt-flavored swing classics, Learn to Smile Again is a change of pace. Most of the repertoire is taken from the book of Roger Miller (although "King of the Road" is bypassed), and this is a surprisingly natural fit since both Arioli (who has a quietly beautiful voice) and Officer have a real feel for vintage country/pop/folk music. Assisted by rhythm guitar, bass, quiet percussion, and the background vocals of Jason and Sheldon Valleau, this lyrical and heartfelt effort (which also includes two originals and the vintage "By Myself") is an offbeat success, logical in hindsight if not inevitable. ~ Scott Yanow

Susie Arioli (vocals, snare drum); Jordan Officer (vocals, guitar); Jason Valleau, Sheldon Valleau (vocals); John McColgan (percussion).

Recording information: Studio Victor, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (02/2005-03/2005).

Learn To Smile Again

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