The Song of the Lark is the culmination of months of hard work and sheer strength of will by singer Stephanie Aaron and producer/saxophone player/arranger Dan Nicholson. Inspired by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Patsy Cline, Mel Torme, and Richard and Karen Carpenter, this cd alternately conjures up the excitement of a big band, the boogie groove of the Hammond B3 organ, and the late night mood of a dark smoky Chicago jazz club. Stephanie swings with a terrific band, taking solo choruses and re-imagining melodic and rhythmic lines as she goes - though she eschews the use of the usual "squee-do-be-do" syllables that other singers employ. "If you aren't Mel or Ella, I don't want to hear it," she's been heard to say: her way of describing her aversion to the business of scat singing. While that's not entirely true, Stephanie does prefer to use the lyrics during her solos, letting the words help her reshape melodies and rhythms rather than using traditional scat syllables . Though she owes a great deal to the artists she admires, Stephanie's sound and style are all her own and The Song of the Lark goes a long way towards showcasing the beauty of her instrument and the heart behind her work.
Read more...