Few musicians would take the risk of producing, arranging and writing music and lyrics, in addition to singing on their debut CD. Lynne Fiddmont shows her strength in creating Flow, an intensely personal 9-song collection of melodic, jazzy soul songs, all but one of which is not a Fiddmont original. The St. Louis native now takes center stage with her first solo release, Flow, after years of being the music industry’s "go-to girl" background vocalist for a long list of Grammy winners and hit-makers: Stevie Wonder, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Patti Austin, Madonna, Seal, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand, Gloria Estefan, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Whitney Houston, Yolanda Adams, James Ingram, Frankie Beverly, Norman Brown, Bill Withers, and many others.Flow does not merely mark the graduation of a woman who has arguably stayed too long at the fair…globetrotting with superstars or milking a studio tan at the service of hit makers. Flow represents a joyous ceremony of sweet, purposeful liberation. As A. Scott Galloway states in the liner notes, "Not only does singer/songwriter Fiddmont have a lot to say, she has boldly opened her own label, MidLife Records, to start spreading the news."A "Record Release Party," with a special debut performance, is planned for July 11 at the Aura Night Club in Studio City.
Flow, released May 30 in the USA, is available in selected cities, at various record stores, and online through INgrooves and at iTunes.com. Few musicians would take the risk of producing, arranging and writing the lyrics, In addition to singing on their debut CD. Fiddmont shows her strength in creating Flow, an intensely personal 9-song collection of melodic, jazzy soul songs, all but one of which is not a Fiddmont original. "As things occur, you can either fight them or go with them, figuring out solutions and making the best of a challenging situation — it’s all about life’s ebb and flow," she explains.
Released as the CD’s first single through INgrooves and on a Tastemaker compilation in Europe, "Flow (The EP Remix Series)," has whet the appetites of listeners with her soul-stirring artistry. Fusing a boppin’ groove to catchy, clever lyrics, co-written and producer Tim Carmon and Lynne Fiddmont, hit the mark with a musical combination destined to touch everyone. Blue notes of bittersweet déjà vu fill Fiddmont’s breathtaking new acoustic version of U R Loved, a Quiet Storm classic that she first recorded in 1991 (under the duo name Linsey) on their CD, Perfect Love. Fiddmont, the soulstress with the thousand-watt smile, invites the listener on a jazzy musical journey of love, sorrow and rebirth. She sings of luxurious daydreams, spur-of-the-mid-week holidays and torrid scented-candle nights of the so-good-so-right and oh-so-wrong varieties. And it’s all set to a mesmerizing score where jazz and pop — celestial and international incantations — swirl to seamlessness. Fiddmont’s divine, sultry voice surrounds you in an intimate aural embrace of love, serenity and sensuality. Like sun-ripened summer fruit, the CD bursts open with the care-free samba Holiday (produced by bassist Freddie Washington, best known for co-writing Patrice Rushen’s Forget Me Nots, which was also sampled for Will Smith’s Men in Black).
Everything that Lynne has learned about relationships has manifested within her work. She poured her heart into the driving, inspirational mantra Something I Can Feel (which features her brother, Keith Fiddmont, on soprano sax, as well as her son, Courtney, and daughter, Alana, as part of the children’s choir). It was inspired by her lifelong musical idol, Stevie Wonder, and his masterwork As, because, "the hook has so many words and the structure goes through cycles," she explains. "The song talks about wanting to believe in the love supreme and that love can conquer all. The main idea is ‘I don’t want you to tell me that you love me. I want to feel it.’Say (which recalls vintage Rufus meets Minnie Riperton) opens like a Calgon-inspired afternoon daydream before descending into a gentle plea to reignite romance. It features lovely piano work by Mark Stephens. And then there’s the intoxicating and mesmerizing Cupid. "I love the opening lines," Fiddmont sighs. "‘You are the song that my soul sings / you give my melody a meaning.’ I’m a hopeless romantic. That’s how I look at the possibilities of love. The idea that it can exist is so inspiring."Flow’s one cover song is the CD’s closer No Regrets, which young Fiddmont discovered on a 1976 recording by Phoebe Snow (it was also recorded earlier by Ella Fitzgerald). Swingin’ in a sultry, sassy mode supported by a trio of piano, bass and drums, Fiddmont proves her jazz roots with aplomb.
Fiddmont dedicated her debut CD, Flow, to the late Carl Anderson, a peerless artist with whom she shared many personal and professional memories. He passed away in 2004. "Carl always pushed me to do my thing," Fiddmont states. "One of the most precious memories I have of Carl is, while he was in the hospital, he asked me to sing "U R Loved" for him and I did. I was glad I could comfort him in some way because he always gave so much to me. He always made me feel like I had something special to give.’"
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